There are two types of Tumblr users: those who walk a
turtle and those who walk a rabbit.
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| Retrieved from: http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2012/01/the-flaneur- research-seminars-in-comparative-literature-and-culture-2011-12/ |
By this I refer to the concept of the flâneur – a person “adrift in the city, a
detached observer strolling through the streets at a leisurely pace” (Prouty,
2009: 1). In 1839, Flâneurs walked a turtle through the streets in order to
demonstrate the slow pace that was required to take in all of the surroundings
(Prouty, 2009: 3). A similar activity can be seen on the internet today,
particularly on Tumblr. Users can leisurely scroll through their “dashboard”
which contains content from the blogs they follow. This allows users to adopt a
flâneur-like approach to Tumblr and browse the content very slowly and examine
every post. Simultaneously, users can scroll quickly through the dashboard and
only read posts that spark their interest, thus allowing both type of users to
coexist.
Not only does the “dashboard”
element of Tumblr allow for flâneurs but it also allows a user to create a
rough map of their space on Tumblr. On their dashboard, a user can see all the
blogs they follow, thus mapping where they have been. Suggestions are also posed
to users on the dashboard, such as posts or blogs they might like, which gives
the user a general map of where they can go next. According to Denis Wood et al
“maps are descriptions of the way things are” (2001: 3). Therefore, the map
users create over their time on Tumblr depicts what interests they have or had
at a certain time. This concept can be seen particularly in a blog’s archive,
which is a webpage that shows all the posts a user has ever made and when they
made it, thus showing a map of their journey through Tumblr ever since they
joined. The lecture during week four also drew on the idea that maps are
mirrors that reflect the viewpoint of the maker, which is also true for a
Tumblr user’s map as it shows what their interests are on the website (Kuttainen,
2015).
Reference List
Kuttainen,
V. (2015) BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of
place,
Lecture 4: Maps. [Powerpoint Slides].
Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Prouty,
R. (2009). “A turtle on a leash”. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html
Wood, D et al. (2001) Seeing Through Maps: Many ways to see the
world. Oxford, UK: New Internationalist Publications Ltd
I agree that Tumblr's dashboard feature enables users to act as flaneurs within the virtual setting, and that it also works in an opposite sense where users can browse at an increased speed to search for particular topics. In an expansion of this idea, I wonder if the 'tagging' concept that is popular among Tumblr users also enables flaneur behaviour by users. I believe that when used in a sensible and logical manner, the tag function of Tumblr can be used to "wander anonymously within the boundaries of virtual space, developing a virtual identity while connected" (Barnes, 1997), as users are able to find unique spaces to explore at a leisurely pace within the geographical map of such a large social network. However, when acting as a cyber flaneur, hazards can be encountered. When you are meandering around a social network at a slow enough pace so as to read every item you encounter, you run the risk of believing false information or becoming caught up in a scandal. For example, if I search the tag 'John Green', I'm likely to find numerous positive posts about his novels. However, I'm also likely to come across numerous libellous posts implying that he abuses children, as discussed in a recent article (Hollywire Staff, 2015). This is why I believe that when acting as a flaneur, it is important to take everything you read with a grain of salt, particularly on sites like Tumblr where anybody can post anything at anytime.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Cyber-Flaneur. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html
HollyWire Staff. (2015). Oh the Many Lessons We've Learned from John Green. Retrieved from http://www.hollywire.com/2015/07/oh-many-lessons-we%E2%80%99ve-learned-john-green
I agree Tumblr is pretty much the perfect place for a flâneur to be as it makes a map for them without even trying, when I was on it I just had a list off gay propaganda and anime and rarely got the other side. When I argued about it with my parents it turns out I was wrong, as I only got one side of the argument, if I took the time to read the articles inside it I would have had the full story but since i just skimmed through the headlines it was embarrassing. But Tumblr doesn't give you to option to be a turtle on the leash unless you go to someones blog and even then its just another flâneurs site, very rarely is there a blog full of originality. However that doesn't mean the information all bad its just like everything its always good to back up the information with over reputable sources.
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