There are a plethora of words that can be used to describe the Internet, Tumblr, and its activities. Mellow, enraging, fun or puerile; all are viable words that turn the disconnected “space” into a more approachable “place”. However, depending on the meaning and emotion embedded in the word used, the ways of imagining this virtual space may be challenged and influenced.
In this week’s lecture, it was stated that narratives/communication establish a reality which “organises” or rectifies space and place (Kuttainen, 2017). Whether people are aware of it or not, the use of the linguistics allocates and modifies a person’s way of imagining the Internet (Tuan, 1991). For example, if I were to say that the Internet is filed with trolls and spammers, you’d automatically associate negative feelings toward the subject of my ire; the Internet. Alternatively, if I said that the Internet boosts creativity and innovation, you’d imagine the Internet in a more positive manner. The way we portray things through our speech ultimately establishes and shapes our image of place. Tuan (1991) best summarizes this idea through his comment of “a moral dimension to speech”, whereby language and naming can make or break a place (p. 684).
According to Tuan (1991), also, “language is a component in the construction and maintenance of a place” (p.694). This comment explains that, like the way concrete creates the foundations for buildings, linguistics is an anchor for the conception of place (Tuan, 1991). Language mechanisms in Tumblr are individualistic and unique to its platform. ANDC Researcher Jennifer Oxley (2014) studied the linguistics behind, what she calls, “Tumblr Speech” and discovered that it “is a mixture of Standard English (SE) and non-SE features…[,] borrowings from other languages…[and] new words and expressions, with their own unique spellings and semantic meanings” (para. 1-4). References to and mixing mainstream pop-culture has also become an integral part of “Tumblr Speech”, which can be seen in Image 1 (Oxley, 2014). Unlike Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or any other social media platform, Tumblr has created the virtual equivalent of a real-world accent through its jargon and exclusive intertextuality. An example of this can be seen here. Tumblr's language both makes and characterises a sense of place as it, despite the context, gives a sense of harmony amongst its users. Even if, say, two users were debating a topic, their shared sense of “Tumblr Speech” (Oxley, 2014) creates a mutual understanding between both parties.
Tuan (1991) states that, “naming is…the creative power to call something into being, to render the invisible visible, to impart a certain character to things” (pg. 688). Naming as a way of making place on Tumblr isn’t unique like its language mechanisms. In fact, its directory terms (such as “likes” and “followers”) are commonplace amongst social media outlets. However, while Tumblr’s sharing aspect, the “reblog” system, is essentially the same as Facebook’s or Instagram’s “share” mechanisms, its divergence from the standard “share” name creates a sense of place and a way of imagining this social network. If Tumblr had named "reblogs" something phonetically similar to “share”, the conception people have on Tumblr mightn’t’ve been as distinctive.
Image One: Mainstream Pop-Culture (The Titanic) mixed with the Tumblr "Shipping" Phenomena. (ismirkymeerkat, n.d.)
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Ismirkymeerkat. (N.D.). Title [Image]. Retrieved from https://ismirkymeerkat.tumblr.com/post/26490460063/i-ship-love-love-over-everything-in-this-world
Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place Week 5 Stories and Places. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Orsini, L. R. (2012). A Sincere Guide to Tumblr Slang. Retrieved from https://www.dailydot.com/society/sincere-guide-tumblr-slang/
Oxley, J. (2014). The Language of Tumblr. Retrieved from http://ozwords.org/?p=5759
Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative-Descriptive Approach. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 18(4), 684-696. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/stable/pdf/2563430.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A80e7c1e87eb2c56496e86a3b280395f2
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