BLOGGING + TWITTER = TUMBLR!

Always wanted to blog but never did? Now it’s easier than ever to self-publish.

Make your presence, likes, dislikes, thoughts etc known to the world (and not just to your friends, as in Facebook) with free microblogging platform, tumblr.

It’s called micro-blogging because posts tend to be short texts, ideal for viewing on your smart phone. You can also upload pictures, quotes, links, dialogues, audio, video, slideshows or links without needing to know html.

Unlike blogging but like Twitter though, you get a screen which aggregates posts from all the people you “follow”. You can also write much longer than 140 characters which is the limit for Twitter.

Most wonderfully, there are no forced ads and you get a url like yourname.tumblr.com.

So far, Tumblr has garnered more than 3 million users and boasts a higher retention rate, 85%, than the 40% of Twitter (as of 2009). Tumblr has also been named one of Obama's Top 5 Tech Tools.

In fact, some tumblrers have gone on to sign book deals. Cases in point, Postcards from Yo Mama, a tumblr made up of emails from moms, Garfield Minus Garfield, a site which uploads Garfield comic strips but with the Garfields removed, and Hipster Puppies—a repository for photos of dogs dressed in Ray Ban Wayfarers and fake moustaches.

Celebrity tumblr blogs include katyperryblog.tumblr.com, blog.johnlegend.com and
http://petewentz.com. Some interesting local tumblrers meanwhile include mischievousmalaysia.tumblr.com and polytikus.tumblr.com.

According to Li Tsin who authors polytikus.tumblr.com, “I have been blogging since 2002, from Blogger to Wordpress, from free to paid hosting. Then I stopped blogging… but went back to blogging because I discovered how cool Tumblr was.”

“I signed up because I was so impressed by its simplicity and it being an amazing multi-publishing platform and multi-format micro-blogging tool. I am unlikely to ever go back to archaic Blogger and Wordpress ever again,” continues Li Tsin whose blog includes great exposes of cars doing awful things on Malaysian roads. “The best part about Tumblr is the fact that it syncs to Blackberrys and iPhones with such ease that it is almost effortless to create original content.”

“My fave Tumblr blogs include thedailywhat, photojojo, legoexpress, f**kyeahstreetlights and effyeahrats. And I follow these few tags: Angry Birds, Malaysia and Banksy. Tags are great. I get to follow all the Tumblr blogs in the world who are blogging these tags. Too cool.”

So then, whether it’s the repository for your creative impulses, your dream virtual scrapbook or the new aggregator, welcome to the world of micro-blogging!

More info on www.tumblr.com.