Moments ago, I participated in surprise conference call with Tumblr staff members. They have indicated to me that they continue to take issue with Missing e even with the removal of usage of the Tumblr API.
They interpret the Tumblr API License Agreement in such a way as it continues to apply…
Let’s talk about good user experience. Now, I have to say, I am a person who is qualified to speak about this. Part of my job includes making things user friendly for employees of ____, for whom I work. Sometimes this means fighting with the people requesting the application, Sometimes it means fighting with the developers.
I’ve seen some comments from Karp, and my interpretation of them, plus my interpretation of the J. Cutler’s albeit brief synopses of his conversations with Tumblr Staff that give me a somewhat unsettling impression. That impression is: if users are using tumblr in a way that it was not meant to be used, then, they must be stopped.
I say that they must be supported. Tools like this - social tools like this - are a mutual vision. This is not just about Mr. David Karp’s vision anymore - it is also about the user’s vision. If they start to use the ask box as a communication device, because this is a social tool which we wish to use to create more personal connections, the response is not to shut it down to its “proper purpose” but to look at expanding it. People using a tool for more than it was meant to be should be seen as an opportunity, a chance for growth, not a loophole to shut down.
I understand that Tumblr has had problems regarding stability. I know that those problems with stability have had an incredibly fierce backlash from its users. I’ve felt sympathy for that, knowing how it is that some things just cannot be predicted and some things cannot just be identified quickly, never mind solved quickly. And forget about cheaply.
However, these solutions - the locking down of features - are not the way to go. If it’s the short term, tell us it will be the short term. If it’s the long term, why run this platform? The point of sharing it with the world is a two way street. Allow people to improve it, don’t shut them down.
