transpondster asked: One attribute of tumblr that you don't mention is its emphasis on 'interests' versus 'relationships' (FB) or 'celebrity' (twitter). Relationships matter, a lot. But interests evolve and leap and grow and change, and tumblr lets you move with those changes, like a really good, unpredictable dance partner who's with you wherever you go, whatever you do. FB is like dancing with your cousin at a family wedding, and that's a very different, if familiar, party.
Good point. Soft ties allow for evolution, while hard ties argue in favor of stagnation.
One of my very first ethnographic projects was documenting how Facebook was changing communities at UCSC, who had recently been granted access. At the time, the largest gripe was students were less likely to grow beyond their high school friends and make new ties. Facebook maintained those ties efficiently, lowing their cost.
