So how useful is Tumblr after all?

By Nick Bilton, The New York Times | Updated: 5 June 2012 02:21 IST

Highlights

To tumble or not to tumble, that is the question. Well, it’s a question I hear often from friends and people in the tech world: “Do you use Tumblr?” My response is usually the same. I explain that “I try to use Tumblr — that I want to use it —

To tumble or not to tumble, that is the question. Well, it's a question I hear often from friends and people in the tech world: "Do you use Tumblr?"

My response is usually the same. I explain that "I try to use Tumblr -- that I want to use it -- I just can't find a use for the service."

According to its Web site, Tumblr is a service that lets people "effortlessly share anything," including photos, quotes, videos from all over the Web and interesting links.

But every time I try to get on the Tumblr bandwagon, my interest usually putters out after a day or two as I go back to my own blog, Twitter or Facebook.

Last year Paul Boutin wrote on Gadgetwise that Tumblr "makes blogging blissfully easy." Others have praised the service for its simplicity, ease of use and community. It is clearly a popular service, with more than 2.5 billion posts cataloged on the site since its launch.

I've asked friends who use Tumblr why I would want another online social service in my life. Many tell me it's a great place to share the mundane or comical, to post funny images and interesting links, or to collect something random they like to find online, like pictures of chairs or fishing boats.

But Nic Rad, a Brooklyn-based artist, answered the question most succinctly in a recent post on his own Tumblr, noting that "Tumblr is designed for daydreamers."

So with 2011 around the corner, I'm going to give it another try, venturing out into the Tumblr blizzard to see if I can find a place to daydream, or collect something ... or maybe I'll just post photos of my dog? Either way, I'll report back soon.

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Further reading: blogging, online sharing, photo sharing, social networking sites, tumblr, tumblr facebook

So how useful is Tumblr after all?

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