Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic (wsj.com)

Article summary

Verizon is selling Tumblr to Automattic, with the sale price reported to be less than $3M. Automattic's CEO intends to maintain Tumblr's existing policy banning adult content. The acquisition's value proposition is questioned, with some speculating it may be an acquihire. The sale comes after Tumblr's user base and traffic have declined significantly.

Main themes

• Tumblr sale
• Adult content policy
• Acquihire speculation
• Declining user base
• LGBTQ community impact

What commenters say

• The sale price of Tumblr is very low, suggesting Verizon is looking to dump the platform ASAP.
• Maintaining the adult content ban may not be enough to revive Tumblr's declining user base and traffic.
• The acquisition could be a strategic move by Automattic to gain talent and technology, regardless of Tumblr's current state.
• Reversing the adult content ban could have drawn attention and users back to Tumblr, but this is not planned.
• Tumblr's decline is attributed to various factors, including its heavy and bloated design, as well as the adult content ban.
• The platform was significant for the LGBTQ community, which has not found a suitable replacement.
• The adult content ban was poorly implemented, with many false positives and a negative impact on users.
• Automattic's acquisition of Tumblr is seen as a pure acquihire, with the company gaining 200 new employees to work on its in-house projects.