http://tumblr.com
As I was reading through Shneiderman’s “Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design”, I wondered weather these rules were applicable to all websites. One comparative example is Tumblr, which is mostly used by teenagers. One of the things that makes Tumblr valuable is its highly customizable format. Although it is probably not an appropriate platform for a scholarly project, Tumblr is a nice, simple gateway into the cyber world, and the user believes they have complete control over the site. All of Schneider’s points basically hold up except, to same extent, number 1.
Sure, I admit there are icons and word repeated in the official help screen and dashboard literature (the stuff that’s written by the Tumblr staff). We all know the mail icon means message, for example. The quote, photo, and text icons are recognizable as well. It’s in the metadata where Tumblr becomes a veritable mess. Rarely are the hashtags used to classify and make it easy to find a picture. To be honest, it’s only bloggers who are thirsty for followers who use hashtags in the traditional way, for classification and simple retrieval. Most bloggers use the hashtags to comment on a picture they have posted, even talk to themselves about it. For example, no reputable blogger who posts about Harry Styles is going to tag their posts as #HarryStyles #OneDirection #1D. They’re more likely to write “#after all ive done for him #i named your nipples” (http://lust-truth.tumblr.com/post/103429129212/ok-honestly-do-you-see-what-taylor-does-for-all) And you can be sure that the more authoritative the source is, the less trackable their hashtags will be. Metadata gives way to musings, and although these hashtags can be endearing, funny, and overall good material, there is no way you’ll be able to find what you’re really looking for by typing a tag into the Tumblr search bar. In a way, it makes the website more fun and exciting, but I can understand why many people say they don’t “understand” Tumblr in light of these ridiculous tagging practices.
And finally, I’d also like to comment on Shneiderman’s 7th pillar, “Support internal locus of control.” This certainly occurs on Tumblr. Not only are the themes, etc highly customizable, but with Tumblr extensions like x-kit, you can even change the way your dashboard is displayed. You can change certain given labels (for example, you can change every instance of the word “followers” to “chickens” if you so desire (also overwriting the first pillar of consistency). On the site, you are God, and none of the traditional website constraints really apply. This is why Tumblr works so well for some, and is a horror show for others. In this way, most of Schneiderman’s points fall at the feet of the seventh, and there is a hierarchy of what is important as far as usability and site deign. In this example, the internal locus of control comes out on top.