It appears it's time to pay the Seapunk piper. In a move that is sure to upset its diehard fan base, TechCrunch reports that as of tomorrow social blogging site Tumblr will place ads on all its users' blogs.
The official announcement was made yesterday, and frames the platform-wide rollout as a way for users to make money off their sites.
"Tumblr is a place where brilliant, creative, funny, impossible people shape culture," reads the announcement. "Some of you have even turned your passions into jobs: book deals, music careers, paid gigs with the Creatrs program. Now, (soon!) that opportunity will be available to any eligible Tumblr—poet, musician, fan artist, and misfit weirdo memelord alike."
What this exactly means is unclear, as Tumblr, which was purchased by Yahoo in 2013 for $1.1 billion, says it's not exactly sure what the ads will look like. However, we do know via TechCrunch that the service is going to be opt-out — meaning ads will be turned on by default.
"This was a long time coming, and will be one of the biggest projects we’ve ever launched at Tumblr," Tumblr founder David Karp wrote yesterday. "It’s been a busy summer—a new GIF maker, live video, new messaging stuff—and there’s a whole lot more on the way. Next up: getting you paid for your work."
It appears that users who wish to do so will be able to register with the company, and receive some slice of revenue from ad sales. The exact mechanics of this have yet to be released — or possibly even figured out. "We’re still working out the details of the partner program but as soon as we have details to share, we’ll make announcements right here on trusty Staff," the Tumblr announcement explains. "Just so you know: You won’t be able to make money until you register for the program—which is coming soon."
I'm sure the millions of "misfit weirdo memelord[s]" will get right on it.
Related: Yahoo Officially Announces $1.1 Billion Tumblr Acquisition, "Promises Not To Screw It Up"