Dear Medium
I became a member, so what happened?
I get it. You’re a start-up trying to reimagine the blogosphere and disrupt online publishing. I also love your platform and the affordances it gives me to publish my thoughts and ideas quickly and painlessly. There’s a few features I’d like to see so that I can create new reading experiences (I still don’t understand Series by the way) and independently monetise my writing but, after a couple of years, I’m hanging in there because it’s better than anything else at the moment.
Then you had to let people go, made some dubious hirings to your board, introduced some new bugs, and asked me to pony up some monthly $ to be a member
Which I gladly did and to be honest didn’t read Ev’s flannel because, heck, I get it, I really do. Raising social, financial and user value all at the same time without succumbing to crappy advertising is the Holy Grail that we’re all looking for.
But a few months in and I’m wondering what happened. Keep taking my money but what has really changed for me other than you’re still here to platform my etchings?
I see that some people (not me) are getting paid to write stuff that I don’t read or listen to. I see that the content and the editorial slant from the human and algorithmic curators remains US focused. I actually seem to receive less of the articles that I used to enjoy (or maybe my favourite writers have given up without telling me). I haven’t noticed my etchings being discovered in any greater number or by new readers (although that could be because my shit isn’t as good as I think it is). I haven’t discovered any new and exciting writers. As a result, apart from the times I am writing, I’m spending less time inside Medium.
Please don’t think I am shit-mouthing you, I’m genuinely concerned because I’m still in love with the platform even if as a “critical friend”. I just need some words of comfort so that I know everything is going to be ok.
Anyone else in here feel the way I do?
Sending hugs
Graham
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