Better Than The Sum Of Its Parts

A few weeks ago I almost deleted my Tumblr account. I became frustrated with the many (and there are many) bugs, missing features, and the general bone-headed-ness (new word!) of the user interface. I bitched and moaned just like everybody else “ so much so that a few friends remarked on it. Apparently “me complaining” is a somewhat rare thing. Heads turned, people stopped talking, and an awful silence pervaded the vicinity. Something unexpected happened though. It turned out that Tumblr wasn’t about the system at all “ it was about the users. Unlikely friendships forged across continents “ people we will most probably never meet that we catch up with daily through idiotic photos, random thoughts, and shared experiences. Despite the means of forging the connections being hilariously flawed, we continue to do so “ because the relationships are worth so much more than the hassles involved in maintaining them. It’s similar to meeting somebody new at a loud party, where you shout in each other’s ear, attempting to block out the music, the sweaty guy stood next to you, and the pile of handbags all over the floor. You persevere because the person you’re trying to talk to is more important than everything else at that moment. You are more important than Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network. You are their life blood.