Don’t Take Medium for Granted

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It has been barely seven days since I’ve decided to let go of my fears and begin writing my thoughts publicly. (Well, not exactly. I wrote a few pieces in the months before, but I’ve been lurking Medium for a few years since it went public.)

Writing has been a gratifying experience — there’s an amount of catharsis and release you don’t gain when only writing privately.

As it stands right now, I get a view hundred views per day, and that’s exciting! This is mainly from comment responses as opposed to my original work, though — and that’s okay.

I can’t say my timing was the best, though. It’s probably just the newsfeed I’ve accidentally prescribed myself— the filter bubble we all unknowingly have — but a few people seem to be uncertain about Medium and it’s future.

I’ve been contemplating this for awhile, and I’ve firmly decided on my stance.

Don’t take Medium for granted.

I’m investing in Medium. Not because of limitation or lack of options — but out of freedom of choice. There are plenty of other platforms that exist that I could use instead. In fact, I know enough about web development that I could just make my own.

But instead, I choose to be here. For starters, what other platform is so well-designed? Creating content feels effortless and fun, there are zero distractions. It’s a minimalist’s pipe dream.

But more important than that, it’s a democracy. It doesn’t feel that way, sometimes, but ultimately this website and platform is only as strong as it’s writers and readers. If you want an improved, more diverse newsfeed, you have to actively create it, you can’t just wish for it.

I’ve already had great dialogues with some people — Lon Shapiro, Emily Friedel, Devon Henry and Hana Leshner to name a few.

We can’t ignore those we don’t like — and we shouldn’t try. But I think responding civilly and not taking it personally is vastly different from letting it get under your skin and retreating to another refuge.

Your Friends @ Medium are here, they exist. If you have concerns, communicate them directly to Medium. Don’t murmur your anxieties from the sidelines — that can just cause fearmongering.

At the end of the day, though, as much as I like Medium it is just a platform. It’s perfectly fine if people want to embark elsewhere so long as they keep creating content. That’s what is vital. The world is too full of consumers and curators. Too few have the courage to be original and display it publicly.

That’s all I have to say on the matter. I think ruminating about any more in-house drama will be fruitless on my part. I’ve witnessed and endured far larger trainwrecks. This feels too much like a mountain being made from a molehill. I need to move on, write about other things.

Irritatingly idealistic forever,
 — Brennan

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About B. Kenneth Brown