Washboard

What is Washboard?

Washboard is a web app that provides an alternative frontend to Tumblr. Its primary goal is to give mobile users a way to blacklist keywords, since mobile devices don't have Tumblr Savior or XKit.

Does Washboard hide posts in the official Tumblr app?

Unfortunately, there is no way to modify the Tumblr app's behavior. You'll need to use Washboard through your device's browser. However, you can add Washboard to your home screen (iOS: tap the box with the up arrow, then choose "Add to Home Screen") to make it look like an app.

Tumblr says that Washboard will access my data and make posts to my account. Should I be worried?

Washboard never posts to your account and only stores the most basic of your account info (i.e. your username). It never sees your password and can't do anything scary with your account.

Why do I need to choose a password?

It's a way to keep track of your account even if you change your Tumblr username. If you change your primary blog's name, you'll need to enter your old name and your Washboard password the next time you sign in.

Okay, so I changed my Tumblr username. What do I do?

When Washboard prompts you for a password, click the link under the password field to connect your new username to your old Washboard profile. You'll enter your old username and the password you chose for Washboard to migrate your settings to your new username.

Does Washboard work with 2-factor authentication?

Not yet, sorry (Washboard was written way before Tumblr added this feature). Support for 2FA is planned for the future, though!

How does blacklisting work?

The Rules page allows you to manage your blacklisted and whitelisted keywords. Each keyword has options to show / hide the notification upon blacklisting and to match whole / partial words.

You can also import your blacklist and whitelist from Tumblr Savior using the link at the bottom of the page.

What if a post contains both blacklisted and whitelisted keywords?

First, look at the matched blacklist keywords. If none of them have "Show notification" unchecked, the whitelisted keyword(s) will cause the post to be displayed as if it weren't blacklisted. However, if any of the blacklisted keywords have "Show notification" unchecked, the whitelisted keyword(s) will cause the notification to be displayed anyway — a compromise between completely hiding and completely showing the post.

Will the blacklist stop working if Tumblr updates the layout?

Nope. Although this happens occasionally with desktop browser extensions, Washboard uses the Tumblr API, which is relatively stable. In the event that something critical breaks, Washboard will not display posts at all, rather than displaying all posts indiscriminately.

What do I put in the "Hidden posts" fields?

You generally shouldn't need to add hidden posts manually; instead, while browsing your dashboard, touch the post's "info" icon and select "Hide this post". If you do want to hide a post manually on the Rules page, enter its source URL.

I enabled "sessions" and now refreshing the page doesn't do anything. What's going on?

While sessions are enabled, you can refresh the page by clicking on the page's header (the part after the W logo).

Sessions are intended to work around iOS's memory limitations that force tabs to refresh when they aren't looked at in awhile.

What does Safe Mode hide?

Safe Mode hides all images and iframe elements (which includes videos, some audio posts, and other dynamic content).

How can I configure which reblogs get shared on Twitter / Facebook?

There are options on your Settings page to show or hide buttons that toggle posting to Twitter or Facebook. If a button is hidden, your blog's default options (see tumblr.com/blog/[your-blog-name]/settings) will always be used.

Currently there is no way to change a Tweet's contents, but I may add such a feature if there is sufficient demand for it.

How do I view my Inbox?

Go to one of your blogs using the dropdown menu in the header; there's an Inbox button under your blog's title and description.

The Tumblr API does not provide a unified Inbox yet, so you have to check each blog's Inbox separately (much like the official Tumblr app).

How do I view my blogs' drafts and queued posts?

There's no way to do this from Washboard yet, but it's planned for the future!

How do I view notifications on my posts?

Unfortunately, the Tumblr API does not provide a way for third-party apps to view notifications yet.

It's not working! What do I do?

Please email me or send me an ask with as many details as you can provide. Your feedback is critical!

Does Washboard comply with Tumblr's API License Agreement?

Yes. There are two grey areas: the first is the clause that prohibits "substantial replication" of services like the Dashboard, but it explicitly permits "specialized views" of such content, which Washboard falls under. The second is the clause prohibiting removal or insertion of content, but this is a non-issue because Washboard only removes content that the user explicitly requests to be removed.

As an aside: right now the API does not insert advertisements into the stream, but when this changes, Washboard will always display the ads as a measure of good faith.

What is Washboard's license?

Washboard's code and original design elements are licensed under the MIT license. Of course, any content delivered from Tumblr belongs to the original creator.

Is Washboard open-source?

Why, yes it is! Feel free to contribute if you're comfortable with Python / JavaScript.