@tumblr @changes We do not want this feature, we do not approve of this feature, and this feature actively damages the core community of this site. We want you to roll it back completely.
What purpose does this serve other than severing the original poster from their own community and audience? This isn’t Twitter- the fact that rebloggers can essentially steal all the engagement, notes, and tags that were meant for the OP is terrible. You say “nothing about this change is meant to limit that,” but INHERENTLY it does regardless of what it was meant to do. As @tumblr states, “that note will go to that reblog’s author”- NOT the original poster.
I’ve already seen countless reports of users suddenly not being able to see the incredible, supportive tags left on their posts, and how they receive only a fraction of the notes. If the OP can’t see what’s being said on their own post, then it cuts the very conversations you claim to support. Furthermore, it makes the note count of posts to be extremely inconsistent depending on: which account you view from, which reblogger you view from, and what device you view from (ie mobile vs desktop). It’s an inconsistent and confusing feature by design.
And as @tumblr and @changes ask for feedback on this post, the update was rolled out in concurrence. Based on evidence provided from other users, it means Staff and Changes will receive, on average, only 3-4% of the feedback (one example I saw was 50k reblogs being turned into 2k reblogs) from notes and tags- since with this update, the OP will no longer be able to receive what rebloggers type. This is neither an appropriate or accurate way to receive feedback.
The response from @changes is frankly quite condescending as well- you claim to “hear” us, yet plan to continue to roll out these changes for the “next few days” (an indeterminate time). As I write this, there are about 136K tags and comments that are OVERWHELMINGLY negative in response to this update, full of requests to roll it back, and with written consequences to the site and user base. What other response are you waiting for?
So, all in all, these are my primary concerns and demands:
1. Roll this update back immediately, and create a proper apology to your user base across all of your socials. We do not welcome or want this update.
2. What is your plan of action for the inevitable harassment, smear campaigns, and bad faith interpretations that original posters will suffer from this change? If the OP cannot see what others say, then it means they have no control or knowledge of what’s being said under their own work. They cannot effectively block or report accounts that hold ill will towards them (ie bullying, stalking), or correct any misinformation that went down the line.
3. Give back full control of posts to the original poster. OP should always be able to view, interact, and receive everything on their own posts, and be capable of cutting off ALL reblogs of their post at any time. This also includes the Communities feature- OP should be able to receive the comments left under their work being reblogged into communities, and the OP should be able to toggle for if they consent their work to be reblogged into communities (especially private ones) or not.
4. Do not make promises you can’t keep- especially when the trust with your user base has been completely shattered. @changes claim that it will “follow up with as many of you as we can,” when users “leave a reply” -but I have yet to see the account follow through with this claim. There are over 136k written complaints at the moment. I expect you to get back to at least a quarter of them if that’s what’s promised.
5. Seek feedback from your community BEFORE any major updates if you claim you “want to work with [us] to make Tumblr better.” Furthermore, take action on REAL feedback that users have been listing for years- such as the blatant transphobia and antiblackness that have plagued this site for years.
Thank you for your time. I will also leave a comment and a support ticket, and encourage @changes to follow up with me to address ALL my concerns. I love this site deeply for all the friendships and support it has fostered in a way that no other social media could for me. This update threatens all of that- we do not want some Twitter or BlueSky clone if we are here on Tumblr.