3pm Journal of Digital research & publishing - artichoke web design

3pm Journal of Digital research & publishing
Wordpress.
Microblogging often occurs in real-time, another characteristic that distinguishes it
from other social media such as traditional blogging (Sakaki et al, 2010, 10). Users update
information about what they are doing either while they are doing it or soon after, made
even more possible by being able to update via mobile phone. This real-time characteristic
also allows news stories to spread faster than ever before.
Java et al note that mircoblogging fulfils a need for a faster mode of communication.
They state, “[b]y encouraging shorter posts, it lowers users’ requirement of time and
thought investment for content generation” (Java et al, 2007, 2). Boyd et al explain that
the requirement of little effort allows “a fast paced conversation environment to emerge”
(Boyd et al, 2010, 10). Popular microblogging platforms include Twitter, Facebook, Plurk
and Tumblr, the focus of this article.
At the time of writing this article, September 14 2010, Tumblr had a total of 7 847 501
publishers and 117 886 397 posts. 5 579 628 of those were posted on that same day. Tumblr
is a microblogging website that is becoming increasingly popular in the Web 2.0 world. It
is a blogging platform that aims to give users the easiest and fastest way to blog, whether
they want to publish text, audio or video material. Founded in 2007, one year on and the
site had accumulated 400, 000 users, growing at a rate of 15 per cent each month.
The ‘About’ section of Tumblr’s website boasts positive reviews from an array of sources.
The New York observer notes that Tumblr is beloved for its users “for its clean interface,
ease of use and community”. Fast Company confidently states, “It’s blogging, the way
blogging was meant to be” (About, 2010). It also explains that the “average Tumblr user
creates 14 original posts each month, and reblogs 3. Half of those posts are photos. The
rest are split between text, links, quotes, music, and video.” (About, 2010).
It is evident from the rising number of users and excellent feedback that Tumblr is doing
something right in the microblogging world. The combination of being able to quickly
upload data of the users to choice and to share with other users in a community is the key
to Tumblr’s growing success. Devoe’s research supports this theory, as she states:
What are you doing? the question is simple, yet provocative. posed to users in some fashion each
time they log into one of their many online social networks, the question begs an answer and assumes
to important things: immediacy coupled with community. (DeVoe, 2009, 2)
Immediacy is apparent from the first moment of accessing Tumblr’s homepage. Tumblr’s
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