Tumblr is a rare safe haven amid all of the internet’s ugliness. Most people have written off Tumblr, but there’s still value that’s harder quantify.

Tumblr is still a safe space for many internet users.

On certain evenings every month, the Taylor Swift fandom of Tumblr hits the pause button on its usual business of sharing quotes, memes, artistically edited photos and analyses of the songwriter’s lyrics. Instead, users make room on their dashboards for “selfie nights,” when fans from minority groups post pictures of themselves — serving the dual purpose of increasing visibility and celebrating diversity.

For Elizabeth, 25, from Austin, Texas, who identifies as sexually fluid but isn’t out to her family and friends, Tumblr — and the LGBTQ selfie night in particular — has been a safe space for her to express her sexuality. “It’s important to highlight minorities and the LGBTQ community because it makes those feel loved and accepted when they might always not be,” she said. “I really feel the love.”

Creating a safe, inclusive place for people to connect is part of the platform’s DNA — a rarity at a time when most social networks offer more than their fair share of toxic comments and misinformation. 

But on Tumblr, you might find friends who are the first you’ve had who understand your hidden disability and are willing to listen to how it affects your life. You could find an audience for your art or writing, inspired perhaps by your favorite sci-fi franchise. Or your favorite pop star Taylor Swift might reblog a funny video you made, adding her own caption in the process. “Sometimes the internet is bad but in this moment it is truly good,” Swift said in just such a post back in July.

But now Verizon, which acquired Tumblr in 2017, has sold the social network-cum-blog platform. The announcement, which arrived in early August after months of speculation, also came with the news that Tumblr’s sale price was less than $3 million — significantly less than the $1.1 billion that Yahoo (now a Verizon property) purchased it for in 2013.It still, to me feels like this magical place, unlike anywhere else on the internet.Tumblr’s Amanda Brennan

That dramatic drop in value underscores how Tumblr’s parents failed to make the most of the site’s potential and its still sizable user base. It’s far from the only once-hot commodity to end up in the bargain bin — you need only look as far as AOL, Yahoo or MySpace to see how the biggest names on the internet can become obsolete without a rigorous plan in place for long-term monetization.

Read more: https://www.cnet.com/news/tumblrs-a-rare-safe-haven-amid-all-of-the-internets-ugliness/