Tumblr's concept is a simple one: to make blogging easier. The massive community uses the site to share opinions, news, art and funny animal GIFs. The site expands the limits of traditional blogging by using a hashtag system similar to Twitter's, allowing users to see content from around the world.
See also: 11 Tumblr Tips for Power Users
Tumblr mainly contains public pages anyone can view; therefore, blogs sometimes attract unwanted attention or anonymous lurkers. Many users create separate, private blogs to customize their Tumblr experience outside the prying eyes of others. Here are several reasons you should consider making one, too.
Image: Awkward Thoughts
The most common use for a private Tumblr is as a venting mechanism. While you can create individual private posts on a public Tumblr, a private one allows a user to see his personal posts all together, rather than having to search for them amidst ones he's openly shared.
An online diary is not a a new concept, but with Tumblr the addition of pictures, music, and other media is much simpler than services such as LiveJournal.
Image: Tumblr
Any artist will tell you constructive criticism is essential for creative growth. While Tumblr is designed to add commentary onto posts when they are reblogged, most users will just pass the image without commenting on its quality. Using a private blog as a workshop, a group of authors or artists can post works-in-progress and critique their peers' projects.
With this method, no artist has to post a half-finished work in the hope some far-off user will take the time to contribute a detailed assessment or review.
A private Tumblr is not restricted to personal use. Groups of friends often share private blogs as forums to relay messages and share images and music with one another. It's essentially the online version of a clubhouse — a secret place where friends meet away from the prying eyes of parents and peers.
Tumblr is a big, open space where users can share virtually any type of media, which can be both good and bad. For personal or professional reasons, some users can't afford to risk their Tumblrs interfering with their brands. But they still want to use the social network to communicate with friends.
Big-name bloggers might use Tumblr as a personal space to converse with friends, preferring to leave drama out of their main blogs. Other users maintain blogs dedicated to specific TV shows or to topics like social justice, so they create private Tumblrs to highlight other interests or share with a few trusted friends.
Image: Sara Roncero-Menendez, Mashable
The issue of blocking people is one very familiar to Tumblr and its users. A blocked user could easily obtain another username, and changing your blog's URL won't guarantee it remains invisible to the offending user.
Creating a private Tumblr is a more concrete solution, since no matter what said user does, he or she will not be able to access any content or contact the person who owns the blog.
Not everyone has a stable computer at home, so some users make private Tumblrs to store Word documents, links, music and more. They can edit that media wherever they can find an Internet connection.
Plenty of other services do this, including Google Drive, but users like that Tumblr's mobile apps make it easy to access accounts and edit posts on the go. Plus, they can add friends in order to share what they have uploaded.
For some families with younger teens, a private Tumblr is the perfect solution, especially if parents are concerned about their online safety. Since all private blogs are password-protected, kids or parents can share a Tumblr password to people they know in real life.
Parents don't have to worry about their kids receiving solicitations from strange bloggers, and teens can enjoy the full experience of Tumblr with their friends.
Note: Tumblr's terms of service encourages users to "maintain the confidentiality of your Account password." Mashable does not endorse Tumblr users to share passwords, but is simply commenting on Tumblr trends.
How do you use Tumblr? What are your reasons for keeping a public or private Tumblr? Share your tips in the comments below.
Image: Tumblr