From: [redacted]
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
To: Julia Allison
Subject: new domain name idea

I’d suggest thinking about ditching the Tumblr altogether (altogethr?) [ha!]

I just have an ordinary blog, so for all I know Tumblr is the most amazing user experience ever. From the reader’s perspective, it’s like any other blog, but with less usable navigation. And it’s associated, in my mind at least, with a certain techno-hipster-douchebag culture, possibly a culture you’d be better off distancing yourself from. (I graduated from MIT at the height of the dot-com boom. I know from techno-hipster-douchebag culture.) Like Jakob’s insistence that he only links to people with Tumblrs. To a normal person, this is like saying “I’ll only link to you if you use Wordpress 2.1.3. 2.1.2 is for posers.”

Plus, remember how cool the first people who ditched Facebook were? You can be that for Tumblr!

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From: Julia Allison
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
To: [redacted]
Subject: new domain name idea

My new blog won’t look at all like Tumblr and will have all of the navigation you’d expect from a “real” blog … Patrick basically designed an interface just for me, which is amazing.

But, re: Tumblr - well, the user experience is great because it’s so simple, but quite honestly, I have more than a few issues with it.

Tumblr is at a critical point in its young life - this is the point where he either takes it to the next level, or he doesn’t. Unless he hires more people, YESTERDAY, there’s no way he can keep up, and the brutal truth is that if he doesn’t, users will leave, and Tumblr will not be able to get them back. You only get ONE SHOT.

In fact, as much as I love Tumblr, I’ve gotten so frustrated with it that I very seriously considered going back to my slightly-more-difficult but-at-least-it-has-the-features-I-need Movable Type.

Tumbr’s at the level where it could blow up, but David won’t be able to take it there if he neglects the users who NEED IT to be a professional tool.

Besides last weekend, when they were switching servers, I’ve had a TON of trouble over the past four months with Tumblr shutting down, or not uploading my files, or not receiving my emails. This can happen once or twice - even an entire weekend. But dozens of times over the course of months and I start to get fed up. It’s just not professional.

I know, he’s only 21, it’s a startup, etc. But that’s why David got V.C. dollars - to form a REAL company! To hire more people! To get enough servers, to make sure it’s functioning properly!

I believe in Tumblr, and I really want it to develop beyond where it is. I just can’t wait much longer.