Tumblr Captures the Essence of Web 2.0

For those who aren’t indoctrinated, tumblr has a feature called “reblogging”. You see a post on another tumblr user’s blog that you like. There’s a link that says reblog. Click this and boom, it’s now on your blog with a little space on the bottom for you to say lol or wtf or this is so stupid.

As I browse the directory for some of the blogs with the highest “tumblarity” I find a common thread: they’re mostly pictures and the same pictures as you see on digg, reddit, etc and on each others’ blogs. Many of the posts you find on digg, reddit, and the like are simply references to blog posts talking about the thing that’s actually of interest.

v---<---<---<---<---<---<---<----+
+--> Tumblr Reblog Ad Nausem ->--^--> Original Tumblr ---> Twitter --> Reddit --> Random Blog -v
+--> Tumblr Reblog Ad Nausem ->--v--> Original Tumblr ---> MySpace --> Digg ----> Random Blog -+--> Actual Story
^---<---<---<---<---<---<---<----+

And this is really the essence of blogging, the essence of Web 2.0. It’s not that everyone participates in building new and exciting media. A few people make new and exciting media and others swarm around it and show it to you hoping that they can catch just the tiniest bit of fame or recognition for having brought it to you. Web 2.0 brings everyone the power to have their voice heard; puts a microphone in everyone’s hand. Alas, most people don’t have anything interesting to say but given the microphone you have to say something.

If this is Web 2.0, I think I’ll hold out for SP1.