Washblog

Washboard was released to the public a whopping 11 years ago (I was a boy back then!). It served a valuable & unique purpose at the time, offering people a way to filter out posts they didn't want to see on mobile platforms. But, in case you missed it, Tumblr's mobile app has had tag & content filtering for years, effectively patching the gap in functionality that Washboard was made to fill.

It's not just redundant, either - Washboard's age means its tech stack is incredibly outdated & vulnerable to security threats. I've accepted this burden for years, but the risks of keeping it online will inevitably outweigh the benefits at some point. I feel that Washboard has been past that point for quite some time; I hope you'll understand.

As such, I'll be taking Washboard offline later this year. The domain name was just renewed, but I will likely allow it to expire in the next year or two as well.

Hi all,

You probably guessed as much from the lack of updates over the last couple years, but I’m making it official: Washboard is essentially “done” at this point. I will do my best to keep the site online for as long as people find value in it (which a startling number of you still do!), but I just don’t have the time to rewrite everything from the ground up like I touted in 2018.

Smells like another ✨undocumented API change!✨

I don’t know why :(

Washboard turned 5 today!  Back in 2013, I had no idea it would still hold value to so many people in 2018.  I wanted to take some time to write about its future, since it’s been in maintenance mode for the last couple of years and I didn’t really have any plans up until recently.

Essentially, I’m rewriting Washboard from the ground up.  Web development has evolved a lot in half a decade, and it’s clear that Washboard has fallen behind the times.  The new version is going to be built on a more modern technology stack that will aid future development and maintenance.

At the same time, I’ll be heavily re-evaluating Washboard’s priorities as I decide where to focus my attention.  Here’s what I can guarantee about version 2.0:

There will be a strong focus on accessibility.  Adjustable font size & color scheme, screen reader optimization, and easier navigation on small screens are a few of the features I plan to be present from day one.

Write posts from Washboard!  It’s likely that audio and video posts won’t be supported, but you’ll be able to bang out a quick text post without opening unfiltered Tumblr. 

Long reblog chains won’t get squished.  Tumblr fixed this years ago, so it’s time for Washboard to follow suit.

Links will try harder to keep you inside Washboard.  Today, tapping on a blog name in Washboard takes you to the blog’s URL, where nothing is filtered.  This also breaks the iOS “Add to Home Screen” feature, which will incidentally be a higher priority as well.

More granular control over hiding posts.  You’ll be able to mute blogs you follow, blacklist keywords per user, and more.

Replies are fixed!  You can now reply to your friends’ posts without getting that pesky 400 error.