Self-hosted Tumblr?
January 19, 2012 3:13 PM Subscribe
Is there a CMS that works much like Tumblr that I can install on my own server space?
What I liked about Tumblr was its ease of posting different types of media, allowing for a variety of post types. What I didn't like was its toxic environment and drama, and I eventually left.
I miss the functionality, and would like to recreate it in my own space. I liked how Tumblr automatically added the links to the content and how it made it easy to upload media on the New Post page itself. I'm not too worried about ask/reblog/like at this time.
I hate Wordpress with a passion, greatly prefer Textpattern though am not sure how to get that to work like Tumblr. I'm open to other CMSes.
What I liked about Tumblr was its ease of posting different types of media, allowing for a variety of post types. What I didn't like was its toxic environment and drama, and I eventually left.
I miss the functionality, and would like to recreate it in my own space. I liked how Tumblr automatically added the links to the content and how it made it easy to upload media on the New Post page itself. I'm not too worried about ask/reblog/like at this time.
I hate Wordpress with a passion, greatly prefer Textpattern though am not sure how to get that to work like Tumblr. I'm open to other CMSes.
If what you hate about WordPress is the back end, Cinch turns your back end into a Tumblr dashboard. Here are 19 more Tumblr themes for the front end.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by DarlingBri at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
Chyrp has been through some upheaval (as a project), but is built to do exactly this - custom post types, simple backend, etc.
posted by misterbrandt at 3:44 PM on January 19, 2012
posted by misterbrandt at 3:44 PM on January 19, 2012
Response by poster: I'm afraid there's no plugin available for crappy tech support (I used to be on WP.com and any attempt at suggesting a new idea got you an angry response from Matt saying "Get your own server"). Also I've noticed from past experience that WP's not so great with embedding video.
posted by divabat at 3:44 PM on January 19, 2012
posted by divabat at 3:44 PM on January 19, 2012
I've seen others do this with Textpattern though your needs regarding the admin workflow (uploading within a post) aren't available that I know of. However, adding custom fields is a cinch, and pasting embed code from e.g. Youtube is a cinch.
What is your technical skill level? Comfortable creating your own markup? Comfortable with basic PHP If so, that puts other software (that does upload right within the post) within reach.
posted by circular at 3:56 PM on January 19, 2012
What is your technical skill level? Comfortable creating your own markup? Comfortable with basic PHP If so, that puts other software (that does upload right within the post) within reach.
posted by circular at 3:56 PM on January 19, 2012
WP.com may suck, but a wordpress install on your own server is very different. But you won't know that till you give it a go. Grab some cheap hosting with auto install and you'll be on your way in minutes.
There are heaps of Tumblr style wordpress themes out there - here's a few (via 15sec of googling).
posted by Kerasia at 6:58 PM on January 19, 2012
There are heaps of Tumblr style wordpress themes out there - here's a few (via 15sec of googling).
posted by Kerasia at 6:58 PM on January 19, 2012
I don't really have a recommendation(we'll get to that), but some advice: If you do find an app built around this concept, check very carefully into how it's been doing when determining if you want to commit. There were a lot of these around a certain period, and all the ones I knew of are dead or long-stagnant.
Gelato has been at 0.95(current download) since mid-2009, and the discussion list is...less than active.
Chyrp is getting some attention at the moment and is likely your best bet, but the developer's serial mis/management, abandonment, resurrecting, rearchitecting, etc of the project ran a lot of people off and made them stay away.
posted by Su at 9:54 PM on January 19, 2012
Gelato has been at 0.95(current download) since mid-2009, and the discussion list is...less than active.
Chyrp is getting some attention at the moment and is likely your best bet, but the developer's serial mis/management, abandonment, resurrecting, rearchitecting, etc of the project ran a lot of people off and made them stay away.
posted by Su at 9:54 PM on January 19, 2012
What I didn't like was its toxic environment and drama
I would stick with tumblr CMS, and use your own domain, but just dial down the social features, both at the tumblr dashboard, and in your template.
posted by roofus at 5:42 AM on January 20, 2012
I would stick with tumblr CMS, and use your own domain, but just dial down the social features, both at the tumblr dashboard, and in your template.
posted by roofus at 5:42 AM on January 20, 2012
Maybe SquareSpace? Not sure how Tumblr like it is, but I've heard good things.
posted by backwards guitar at 8:45 AM on January 20, 2012
posted by backwards guitar at 8:45 AM on January 20, 2012
Response by poster: Wordpress self-installed is just as annoying and crappy, and it's the same people for tech support. I'm looking for something that will inspire me to post and I can pretty much guarantee WP won't do it.
roofus: you can't really dial down the social features as such; there's no "opt out" button (except for the ask feature). People will reblog you anyway, there are folks who follow searches for certain words/terms, and the sort of stuff I write about tends to have the most drama-filled communities.
I did look at Chyrp, but for some reason their demo won't let me access the admin side of things (or the link wasn't clear)...
posted by divabat at 12:09 AM on January 21, 2012
roofus: you can't really dial down the social features as such; there's no "opt out" button (except for the ask feature). People will reblog you anyway, there are folks who follow searches for certain words/terms, and the sort of stuff I write about tends to have the most drama-filled communities.
I did look at Chyrp, but for some reason their demo won't let me access the admin side of things (or the link wasn't clear)...
posted by divabat at 12:09 AM on January 21, 2012
Response by poster: circular: not terribly confident with coding myself, but my boyfriend is a web developer so I could ask him.
I'm not as concerned about the themes looking Tumblr-like, I'm more after the quick multi-type microblog functionality. (I was using Posterous for a while but it seemed too buggy for my liking).
posted by divabat at 12:11 AM on January 21, 2012
I'm not as concerned about the themes looking Tumblr-like, I'm more after the quick multi-type microblog functionality. (I was using Posterous for a while but it seemed too buggy for my liking).
posted by divabat at 12:11 AM on January 21, 2012
With Posterous' likely imminent demise, I am poking around a bit. Divabat, did you ever find a good solution?
posted by misterbrandt at 3:04 PM on March 12, 2012
posted by misterbrandt at 3:04 PM on March 12, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
Alternately, there's this which I have no experience with at all, but claims to be a Tumblr clone.
Or you might be able to get something like this to function similarly on TextPattern.
posted by toomuchpete at 3:38 PM on January 19, 2012 [1 favorite]