Six Apart creates Tumblr-type microblog

[charmian]

elena informed me that Six Apart has released Typepad Micro, which is basically a Tumblr knock-off plus native commenting.

This is met with some snark: http://twitter.com/gruber/status/5807355462

An employee of Six Apart's main rival, Automattic, talks about it: http://terrychay.com/article/typepad-micro.shtml

"The biggest lesson learned from P2 is that if you are looking for “micro” style content, you must put a content add page in the reading page: just like Twitter, Tumblr, and P2 do." (P2 is a Wordpress 'microblog' style layout)

http://www.stoweboyd.com/message/2009/11/typepad-goes-after-tumblr.html
An interesting assertion is made: eventually, users will demand reblogging EVERYWHERE, including in regular Typepad and Wordpress. Also some interesting comments on the "veil" of Tumblr; I have to say, you CANNOT understand Tumblr's appeal without going "behind the veil" and seeing it from the perspective of a logged in user.

It's an open question whether this will work: it's supposed to be free because the objective is to promote the Typepad platform. Yet, will people still want to pay for Typepad when they can use Wordpress.com for free? Or Tumblr for free? Do people who microblog even want to do regular type blogging and thus become Typepad customers? (I think what we're seeing is the casual/personal component of blogging basically leaving for microblogs and Twitter)

Anyway, I have a post brewing on Tumblr's discovery features and promotion. (BTW, how many of you use Tumblr?)

Comments

[charmian]

Sure, why not. :)

I really did notice that when I saw the staff blog. There seemed to be very few improvements to the site; it seemed as if they had just decided "ok, it's finished" and then gone off and done other things, except for the editorial.

Hmm, then we'll see how Typepad Micro goes. So far they seem to be doing some kind of Avatar promotion, but the whole effort really doesn't distinguish itself from Tumblr much.