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evangotlib: danmeth: 19 feet away from history. This is the...

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:03:10 -0400

danmeth:

19 feet away from history.
This is the office where I worked in 2007. That’s me on the bottom left corner, hard at work making the Meth Minute 39 series for Frederator Studios ( who were at the time developing a little show you may have heard of called “Adventure Time”).
See that long-haired guy all the way on the right side? That’s David Karp in the preliminary stages of inventing Tumblr. At this point, the only people who had heard of Tumblr are in the room. A lot can happen in 6 years! But don’t worry, everyone… he knows why we all love Tumblr and he’s not going to let it get ruined! I got a feeling.

Awesome.

Where were you in 2007?

soupsoup: tiffany: Tumblr meetup at Fat Cat. I remember...

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:22:18 -0400

soupsoup:

tiffany:

Tumblr meetup at Fat Cat.

I remember meeting a lot of the people I came to know on Tumblr, in person, this night, I think March 13 in 2008. This was long before Tumblr was much of a thing outside of New York. I spent a lot more time on Tumblr back in those days.

It seems pretty likely that Tumblr, this weekend, is at a turning point.

Tumblr as a product simply stopped attempting to evolve over the last couple of years, perhaps by design. Despite that, growth has continued, it’s a massive success in terms of size and scale. It even managed to generate a few million dollars, but not likely enough to sustain itself as a business and I suspect there’s not much runway left to try.

Whatever happens, this place was something special for me, and continues to be for many others. I really enjoyed the time I spent here.

The “undisputed king of Tumblr,” as the NYT once called him, weighs in.

"There were no other competing bids, despite reports, to snap up the New York-based hipster blogging..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:45:14 -0400

“There were no other competing bids, despite reports, to snap up the New York-based hipster blogging service.”

- Kara Swisher needs to stop calling Tumblr a hipster blogging service. (Oh, and she says the deal was unanimously approved. On a side note, TechCrunch suggests that the reason why Tumblr accepted the lower deal is because many of their executives have departed in recent months.)

"At that point, the police officer fires several rounds. Seven of those rounds struck our subject;..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:34:29 -0400

“At that point, the police officer fires several rounds. Seven of those rounds struck our subject; one of those rounds struck the victim.”

- Nassau County, NY Detective Lt. John Azzata • Describing the shooting of a victim in a home invasion and hostage situation near Hofstra University, a shooting which led to the deaths of both the suspect, Dalton Smith, and of Andrea Rebello, whose home was broken into by Smith on Friday morning. The circumstances of the shooting, particularly how an Rebello was killed by an officer’s hands and the circumstances under which the recently-paroled Smith was being monitored, are still under an investigation.

joshsternberg: WSJ reports Yahoo board has approved a $1.1...

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:18:36 -0400

joshsternberg:

WSJ reports Yahoo board has approved a $1.1 billion deal — in cash — to purchase Tumblr.

There it is.

Thoughts on Tumblr and Yahoo (in rebloggable form, upon reader request)

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:20:06 -0400

obitoftheday asks: What do you think happens if Yahoo buys Tumblr? And why do we all agree that it seems like a bad idea?

» SFB says: I think Tumblr starts monetizing itself more effectively. For years they’ve tried to do everything but the obvious, but the problem is, they’ve turned down a lot of good ideas as a result.

(Comparison: WordPress.com has succeeded at profitability by both offering paid premium features and revenue sharing-style advertising for bloggers—both things Tumblr has chosen not to do, but could arguably do better than WordPress if it chose to do so. Nobody really complains about Wordpress’ ads. Think that might be because they created a context for it that didn’t bug users?)

But this could come at the cost of a very strong community. I know of one heavily-active user I liked reading, The Callus, who has quit Tumblr and deleted all of his posts as a result of the whiff of a rumor of this buyout happening. I don’t think you or anyone else should follow suit, but that’s what people are doing.

As for the “bad idea” chunk of your questions, the problem is this: Yahoo has a reputation for letting acquisitions flounder under its corporate structure. Even the big ones. Delicious, for example, was nearly shut down before the founders of YouTube swooped in and saved it. And Yahoo has also tried the user-generated market before, including with Geocities and Yahoo Meme (which was effectively Yahoo’s failed attempt to create a Tumblr clone). Yahoo has a long list of discontinued products. And while Laurie Voss has a good point about Flickr, there’s a better point here: Building a community with integrity is tough, and change at the top can ruin everything if done the wrong way. I can understand why people might be worried. I’m worried, too. — Ernie @ SFB

P.S.: One key line from the story we linked last night: “sources say the company only has a few months of cash runway left.” Who knows if that’s true, but this is a company that unceremoniously fired its editorial team recently—a move that could be seen in a different light considering that line, though that’s speculative. Tumblr can’t run on dreams and reblogs and investor money forever. Something has to change on the business front to ensure the likes can keep coming. That change can come from the inside, but the change can come more easily from an exit.

What do you think happens in Yahoo buys Tumblr? And why do we all agree that it seems like a bad idea?

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:02:00 -0400

(EDIT: On reader request, here’s a rebloggable version of this.)

His Dad Beat His Mom. He Tried To Stop Him. But He Was Only 5. So He's Speaking Out Now.

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:08:40 -0400

His Dad Beat His Mom. He Tried To Stop Him. But He Was Only 5. So He's Speaking Out Now.:

Patrick Stewart’s incredibly personal and powerful story about growing up with an abusive father.

An incredibly evocative, eloquent and moving story. Most definitely worth watching if you have a sturdy heart and a free fifteen minutes.

Dozens injured as car strikes Hikers Parade in Virginia

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:42:42 -0400

50 - 60people injured when a car struck a parade in Damascus, Virginia today. It was the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days festival, a celebration of hiking and the great outdoors, and specifically the famed Appalachian Trail. The cause of the grisly incident is yet unknown, as is the status of the driver, described by witnessess as an elderly man. source

"Right as the conductor was taking my ticket, the train went right off the tracks. It started tipping..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:51:00 -0400

“Right as the conductor was taking my ticket, the train went right off the tracks. It started tipping to one side, constantly bumping up and down and back and forth like crazy. I saw sparks right outside my window. Thirty seconds later, the train going the other way came and jammed right onto us. It scraped the side of our car and gave us another bad jolt. …Life goes on, and it’s not like we’re going to get rid of trains. But you have to figure out what caused this. The accident was right in the middle of what looks like a construction zone — did that play a part? You have to ask the questions.”

- Scott Bartelson • Describing his passenger’s view of yesterday’s frightening train crash and derailment in Connecticut, which hospitalized over 60, some critically — but mercifully, no deaths reported. source

French President Francois Hollande has signed into law an act legalizing same-sex marriage today.

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:33:53 -0400

French President Francois Hollande has signed into law an act legalizing same-sex marriage today.:

This is no doubt a momentous day for Hollande, who had pledged to legalize same-sex marriage during his first year in office, and succeeded in doing so despite vociferous protests from swaths of his citizenry. No actual same-sex marriage figures to be conducted until the 29th, as French law states that a marriage license must be filed ten days prior to the ceremony.

motherjones: foulmouthedliberty: poptech: And the highest...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:26:00 -0400

motherjones:

foulmouthedliberty:

poptech:

And the highest paid public employee in your state is…

Just be you, Vermont.

We’re guessing that this map, when viewed by anyone with a negative, apathetic, or in-perspective attitude towards sports, is probably a good way to spike your blood pressure. Still, nice to see that as in so many ways, New Hampshire is an island unto itself. (Update: Originally referred to “Vermont” instead of “New Hampshire.” That’s what we get for not checking our map!)

breakingnews: Thousands in Italy march in austerity...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:17:39 -0400

breakingnews:

Thousands in Italy march in austerity protests

Reuters: Thousands participated in austerity protests in Rome on Saturday.

Italy is in the midst of its longest recession since 1970 and unemployment is close to record highs, with young people being hit particularly hard with a 38% jobless rate. Approval rates for the government have dropped from 43% to 34% in the last month.

Photo: Demonstrators applaud during the left-wing Italian metalworkers’ union FIOM rally in downtown Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni on Saturday. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP - Getty Images)

The last few years have left many in the European Union dubious of not only the hardships that austerity policies often visit on countries, but also of its practical efficacy, or lack thereof. This will be a paramount issue for the incoming coalition government in Italy.

"To resign would be to flee. I don’t know if Kerry or anyone else has received the power of the..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:10:00 -0400

“To resign would be to flee. I don’t know if Kerry or anyone else has received the power of the Syrian people to talk in their name about who should go and who should stay. That will be determined by the Syrian people in the 2014 presidential elections.”

- Bashar al-Assad • Insisting, in an interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin, that he will not relinquish power over Syria until the 2014 presidential election (that is, unless he wins the election). This spurs a number of questions, chiefest among them whether Syrian presidential elections are fair and open, and whether such an election is even truly possible in the midst of a brutal civil war. In the first case, the answer is almost certainly no, sad to say — not many fair and open elections feature an incumbent netting better than 97% of the vote, which Assad accomplished by referendum (itself a bad system for democratic outcomes) in 2007. He also denied, in a very roundabout way, his government’s alleged use of chemical weapons: “If they were used in a city or a suburb with only 10 or 20 victims, would that be credible? …[It] would mean the death of thousands or tens of thousands of people in a matter of minutes. Who could hide something like that?” source

North Korean missile tests draw attention from the South

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:47:00 -0400

3North Korean short-range guided missiles launched into the waters to the east, according to South Korea. Such tests are not uncommon, to be clear, but these few missile launches come during a period fraught with tension, aiming to tamp down the North’s aggression through diplomatic means after a particularly belligerent couple of months. source

New York State legislator Vito J. Lopez says he will resign Monday, amid sexual harassment allegations.

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:16:00 -0400

New York State legislator Vito J. Lopez says he will resign Monday, amid sexual harassment allegations.:

The scandal surrounding Lopez is centered around his career as a legislator, as he’s accused of sexually harassing female legislative employees. The claims against him were made public last August, by way of a censure by Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver. On Friday he had said he planned to hang on for five weeks, and then run for a City Council seat — whether that quick return to politics remains the plan is unclear.

nbcnews: ‘I couldn’t stop screaming’: Witnesses describe Texas...

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:52:29 -0400

nbcnews:

‘I couldn’t stop screaming’: Witnesses describe Texas tornadoes

(Photo: Ralph Lauer / EPA)

Survivors of the tornadoes that devastated two towns in Texas on Wednesday night described their terror as the violent storm tore apart their homes, killing six people and injuring dozens more.

Read the complete story.

The spate of extreme, hazardous weather we’ve seen over the last year or so has been truly disturbing, which is not to say the people of Texas aren’t in the know about tornado threats. Regardless, though, the damage and human toll here is deflating. Our thoughts are with the victims, stripped of their homes, and for some, their lives.

Report: Tumblr May Reject Yahoo’s $1.1B Acquisition Offer For Being “Too Low”

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:32:53 -0400

Report: Tumblr May Reject Yahoo’s $1.1B Acquisition Offer For Being “Too Low”:

Tumblr feels that Yahoo’s $1.1 billion offer as “too low” and view it as “only a first offer”, according to sources close to to acquisition talks. Yahoo may have to significantly increase the offer to close the deal. An acquisition by some tech giant is likely in the cards for Tumblr, though, as sources say the company only has a few months of cash runway left.

… still hope yet, according to TechCrunch.

You might remember Aimee Copeland as the twentysomething who...

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:35:00 -0400

You might remember Aimee Copeland as the twentysomething who went through a harrowing experience last year, losing most of her limbs after a zip-line accident exposed her to flesh-eating bacteria. Fortunately, though, technology is giving her a second chance. Copeland recently received bionic hands from a company called Touch Bionics—devices which are so effective that she can actually grab things and do tasks that most people take for granted. Amazing stuff.

To the people complaining that "Yahoo will ruin Tumblr like it ruined Flickr"

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:55:56 -0400

seldo:

I am super bored of hearing this.

Could Yahoo have done a better job of managing Flickr? Absolutely.

In retrospect, if they’d been patient and poured money into it like Facebook did with their own photo-sharing features, Flickr might have been a lot bigger. (Facebook is by far the world’s biggest photo-sharing site, and tagged photos was key to its early growth, something Flickr didn’t add until 2007)

But that’s in retrospect. In 2005, it wasn’t at all clear what to do. Everyone in the industry was still feeling the burn of gigantic, unprofitable acquisitions prior to the great crash of 2001, so paying money for an barely-profitable site like Flickr still seemed like madness, even within Yahoo. So Yahoo focussed on making it profitable — and succeeded, which is no mean feat.

Could Flickr have done better staying independent? Absolutely no way.

And the way you can tell that for sure is that they let Yahoo acquire them. It’s not like Yahoo in 2005 had a great reputation; the only reason you’d do it is if you were out of money and out of options. In 2005, nobody was going to give Flickr the hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh capital they needed and hope for the best: it was exit or die.

On top of the bare financial reality, it is an open secret at Yahoo (my former employer) that Flickr’s internals are and have always been an architectural nightmare. They had no idea how to scale and needed huge investment just to dig themselves out of the technical debt they’d accrued. It could have been better, sure, but without Yahoo it would have been much, much worse.

Yahoo didn’t kill Flickr; Yahoo saved Flickr from itself.

Here’s a lesser-heard take on the Yahoo/Tumblr thing from Laurie Voss, who is a former Yahoo employee and has some good insight on the matter as a result.