Are There Words That Are Not Permitted on Medium?

Or if permitted, by some secret understanding are ignored or shunned by readers? C’mon, let me in on the secret?

It’s not fair, I know

I have a simple and straightforward question for Medium readers. Unfortunately, the question is fundamentally connected to a specific word — and I’ve begun to think that the mere appearance of the word is itself some type of hex or spell or zombie-creating utterance. So, I have to cheat a little and withhold the actual word for awhile in case I am right. If I am, nobody will read past the word because they have zombied-out — so I’ll say it later.

The tale of two articles

This word has appeared in the title of exactly 2 of my articles — both in May 2021. It is a word much in the news these days in the field of politics generally, and specifically pertaining to the gridlock in getting things done by our elected government.

Both articles were, I thought at least, well written, timely and thoughtful. Maybe I’m wrong, though, and they were appallingly awful. Because the first one (which ended on a positive, hopeful note) still has only 4 views, 0 reads and 0 fans. About two weeks later, noting this and in light of later events, I published the second article (a less hopeful conclusion) with the word in the title — and a week later it has 1 view, 0 reads, 0 fans.

Now, I don’t really obsess about numbers, knowing that anything I write can either get views & reads & fans, or not, for many different reasons. Naturally, I try to make sure the articles are well written and all that. Having reviewed them both again, I am still having trouble discerning why they have both panned.

The only other article I’ve published that got similar non-attention was a short poem about walls — and since I know nothing about writing poetry, I’m fairly sure that’s why it’s the only other totally-panned article I’ve published. It should have been ignored, and let me say thanks, since it saves me the trouble of de-publishing it out of embarrassment that many people saw my bad poetry.

But these other articles…I’m still puzzled. So now I’ll say the word: BIPARTISANSHIP

What, is it really some sort of verboten word? Is it evil? Is it code for something verboten or evil? What? Come on, let me in on the secret? Or does the word have some magic effect like a flashing light sometimes has on an epileptic? Is that why the word seems to have the same effect in the House and the Senate, as well as on Medium? That’s terrible — a single word turns the Congress into zombies?

Frankly, to me it’s much worse that the word has become evil, or is by secret-cabal deemed unspeakable, than if my articles were just very bad. Sounds crazy right?

But it really is much better if those articles were just ignored for being badly written — don’t you see? The other explanation will absolutely become yet another conspiracy-theory for the far right. There’s already enough of those, right? The headlines on OAN and Faux News would be appalling. Imagine the attacks on those “lib-tards on Medium”; and a week later there is a new conspiracy-theory by Gaetz and Greene at the very next America First rally.

So, come on, admit those two articles of mine were just badly written and that’s why they were ignored. It won’t hurt my feelings at all; and it could spare America another conspiracy-theory banging about.

But…I just had an awful thought…if those 2 articles were ignored because badly written, and there is nothing evil about the word bipartisanship, why the zombie-like behavior in Congress whenever some bipartisanship is required?

I guess I’ll stay confused for now.