Summary

The author reflects on the mutual benefits and personal growth experienced through engaging with other writers on Medium, emphasizing the importance of appreciation and community.

Abstract

The article titled "5 Ways I Benefit from the Writers I Meet Online" delves into the author's positive experiences with online relationships, particularly with fellow writers on Medium. The author highlights the value of showing appreciation to others, which in turn has led to feeling appreciated themselves. Through activities such as clapping, highlighting, and commenting, the author has formed meaningful connections, learned to communicate more effectively, and found inspiration in the stories and lives of their followers. The piece also encourages other writers to focus on the community and the relationships they build, rather than getting discouraged by platform-related issues. The author concludes by reminding readers of the supportive nature of the Medium community and the potential for writers to earn money and make a difference, as exemplified by their own efforts to support Ukrainian refugee efforts.

Opinions

The author believes that showing appreciation to others is key to feeling appreciated and fostering positive online relationships.
Engaging with the community through comments, highlights, and other interactions is seen as beneficial and enriching, not a nuisance.
There is a strong emphasis on the importance of listening and understanding fellow writers, which has been a source of joy and learning for the author.
The author suggests that writers should focus on the people and the positive aspects of the Medium community rather than platform-related frustrations.
Self-reflection is encouraged to ensure that one's voice and personality contribute positively to the community.
The author expresses gratitude towards their core group of followers who provide motivation and support, making the writing experience worthwhile.
The article conveys a sense of optimism and resilience, advising writers who feel discouraged or burned out to remember the valuable connections they've made online.

5 Ways I Benefit from the Writers I Meet Online

Do you ever stop to think about the relationships you form online?

Feeling appreciated is something that every one of us longs to feel, whether we admit it to ourselves or not.

The key to feeling appreciated is learning to show appreciation for others.

This is a bit of self discovery that I learned from first-hand experience, and I’ve seen it in action here on Medium.

I often stop and think about the relationships I’ve formed online.

Here are the benefits that I’ve gained from relationships online

I can’t begin to tell everyone how I’ve really benefited from performing different activities and tasks, to help me engage more in the community.

Clapping, highlighting, commenting; I realize that some writers find these and other activities to be a nuisance. Not me.

I want you readers to know just how much:

I’ve enjoyed talking and learning to communicate on a regular basis with more and more Followers.
I’ve gotten up and gone to bed with thoughts about the conversations I’ve had with various Medium Followers.
I’ve started looking forward to reading and commenting on the interesting stories that my Followers are writing.
I’ve learned to read with a listening ear, and really pay attention to who my Followers are, and what their lives are about.
I’ve learned to laugh and appreciate the differences AND the similarities that writers and human beings all share (don’t quite know why I chose to make that distinction between writers and humans, but oh well…).

Realizing how much I get out of reading and interacting with other writers, prompted me to wonder about what I’m giving back.

How is my voice and personality coming across on the platform? Am I providing anything of benefit to the community?

When I considered this objectively, I was able to feel good about myself, knowing that all my comments and stories are sincerely meant to inspire and uplift readers.

I smiled at myself before I began writing this story. I recognize that my self acceptance was based on, and mirrored by my ability to be accepting of all my new online friends.

Questions all online writers should consider

Make no mistake, for all the grumbling and complaining that goes on about my Medium stats and the algorithm, I still appreciate my readers.

Judging from the way they continue to engage with my writing, I can honestly believe that many of them appreciate me as well.

If you’ve been writing on Medium, and feel yourself getting discouraged by things associated with the platform, instead, try to focus on the people here.

Think about the relationships you’ve built or are starting to build. Ask yourself the following questions, to help try and gauge your standing in the community.

Do you feel appreciated by your readers, followers and fans?
Do you show appreciation for your readers, followers and fans?
Do you appreciate yourself and the writing you share?
How do you show appreciation for those who support your work?
What can you do to show more appreciation for your online relationships?

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that not everyone is happy about the way things continually change on Medium, and seemingly for the worse.

There are times when many of us, myself included, wonder if the site really appreciates us writers or not. This seems to be an ongoing conversation, if not a debate.

But while we debate about Medium’s true motives and objectives, we can’t deny that there are lots of appreciative readers who follow us and become fans. Their willingness to show up, read, comment, and help increase our earnings is proof of that.

Even when it seems that way too many followers are missing in action, there is always that core group that you have managed to bond with, and who somehow makes it all worth while — at least for the time being.

For all you writers who band together and show support for one another, I truly appreciate you.

Thinking about the online relationships that I’ve developed, helps provide the motivation I need to stick things out, even when I start to get discouraged.

If you start to feel yourself getting burned out or tired of the platform, why not think about all the awesome people you’ve met.

Do yourself a favor and hang in there baby!

FYI: Your reading time on this story will help raise funds for the Ukrainian Refugee efforts. All my donations go to: DirectRelief.org

Not a Medium Member yet? Join now with my referral link: https://justissgoode.medium.com/membership and I’ll earn a few bucks when you do. COOL HUH?

That’s right, plus I can HELP YOU START EARNING MONEY TOO! Thousands of writers on Medium got started just like you — with nothing more than a DESIRE to write. You could be writing stories and personal experiences just like this, and getting paid! So what are you waiting for? Join us 😄