Tumblr Purge: What To Do Before Dec 17

[morgandawn]

We need to backup our blogs. And get our friends to do the same. And look for other people's blogs that need to backed up. We need to do all three to keep our communities from being erased.
 

1. We need to find a new place to 
A. Archive our existing blogs and 
B. Home for our  new blogs (moving forward)

 

Backup Options:

1. Use Tumblr's backup - it may not back up everything: https://tumblr.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005118894-Export-your-blog (it may time out after 2000 posts)
 

2. Import our blogs to Wordpress - they have similar adult content restrictions so it would be best for an emergency only and make certain it is set to private until you can find a new home http://gallusrostromegalus.tumblr.com/post/180776360793/save-the-blogs 
 

3. Use a Python backup software tool which will back up most everything - it is tricky to install but there are fans willing to help.   https://github.com/bbolli/tumblr-utils/blob/master/tumblr_backup.md  and https://fiction-is-not-reality2.tumblr.com/post/180825573402/hi-ive-been-using-python-to-backup-which-has

 

Garfield is also offering to backup anyone's blog who needs it:  https://backuptumblr.com/

 

(Personally I think everyone should do both a Tumblr Export as well as find someone to do a Python Backup because none of these backups are perfect/complete)

 

4. People can use the Python backup software to back up any blog - not just theirs. Very important to push this message. If you love a blog that  is NSFW and the owner is not around, back it up now. Or ask for help backing it up.

 

Even if you don't have time/energy to backup your favorite blog, people should nominate their favorite NSFW blogs for archiving  by the Archive Team here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoYnlweKF-5iQ2G0FB9s7pDV_Le61dDU-gMMDsc8CQ50YBjQ/viewform?hl=en

 

Where to go?

 

Moving forward

1. If you host a Big Bang, you can set up a new Big Bang Challenge on AO3. But anyone.....writers, artists, vidders can post their fanworks to AO3. Artists  and vidders will need to figure out where to host their art/vids, but that can be done later. For now get everyone to backup their blog and its contents
 

2. Dreamwidth- they allow a limited amount image hosting, and are looking to increase the storage amounts
 

3. Pillowfort.io may also be a new home for us

 

Historical preservation (archive mode)

1. We can each get our own website and post the archived version of our blog and then use another platform moving forward (pillowfort.io? Dreamwdith AO3? ) with a link back to the old archived blog.  Example of what an archived  version of a blog would look like  is here:

"I was able to take the folder of files created by the Python Backup and upload the folder to my website and it looks great. Feel free to browse and let me know if there are problems or items missing.

New home: https://zinedom.org/zinedom-tumblr/index.html

Tumblr version: https://zinedom.tumblr.com/

 

Comments

[cesperanza]

Hey MD, how big is a tumblr export? TBH I hadn't thought about backing up my Tumblr at all - it always seemed to me ephemera, you can't ever even find anything! - but the zip file as they describe it including all the reblogs and everything seems like it would be huge? Is it?

[morgandawn]

Mine with 14,000 posts since 2015 was around 13GB. But think of it...everything you reblogged, all that fan art...saved.

It is saved in a very easy to navigate folder (if you download it va the Python method). And I was able to upload a smaller sideblog as a test to my website and it looks snazzy.

I have not yet tried the Tumblr export. It may time out after 2k posts, but I've been told you may be able to save your messages?

So yes, everyone should back up their blogs. And if there is a blog you love and the owner is not around to back it up, check out the options listed above.

[dvnkdvnk]

Thank you, this post was so helpful!

[cesy]

There is an alternative Python one at https://github.com/alexwlchan/backup_tumblr which is not so easy to browse, but has an option to save all your likes as well, if that's a thing that's important to you. I like a lot of stuff that I don't reblog but want to save, so it was helpful for me.

[morgandawn]

You can save likes with the one I am using. It timed out at 2000. need to test it on someone else's blog.

question: any suggestions on where to host the folders (looking for an ISP, most blogging and image platforms won't accept the folders as is). You can import via Wordpress but it charges $25 month for larger installs and of course is not as adult friendly. My own webhost (Bluehost) with my domain name has its own Wordpress install and offers 'unlimited' storage but not really and is also dicey about explicit. Standard cpanel required (sorry Dreamhost) and accepts NSFW is a must.