Tumblr has just made the Internet a sadder place. They just introduced a new feature that lets users hide their content from everybody else except their followers. This is different from the block feature but pairs pretty well with it, according to the Tumblr blog.
The block feature was introduced a couple of months ago and lets a user block activity (messages, likes, etc) from a follower from going through. The new toggle is more general and lets users choose whether their blog is viewable on the web or not.
Once switched off, outsiders basically do not get access to any and all links to the blog. All they will see is a 404 error since browser links will not work. Also, the hidden blog will also be accessible via the native app only, making it doubly hard for non-followers to get to a user's content. Followers of a blog will still be able to see all activity on their dashboards.
The driving forces behind the two new features are trolls and abusers of the service. With this, Tumblr joins Twitter, Instagram, and a lot of other social media platforms that allows control over who sees what on their profiles. Another effect of this new feature is the creation of "walled gardens," according to The Verge.
A "walled garden" is defined as "an environment that controls the user's access to Web content and services. In effect, the walled garden directs the user's navigation within particular areas, to allow access to a selection of material, or prevent access to other material."
One other thing. Since users are pretty much forced to use the native app, this might be a calculated move to deliver and scour targeted advertising. Whether this is the case or not is just an afterthought as the new Tumblr toggle can basically put an entire block of the Internet away from the general public.
Do you like this new feature? Do you think it will be good or bad for Internet? Share this article and let your voice be heard.
