Curation — A Blessing, A Curse, Something Else?

Summary

A writer reflects on the impact of content curation on their work, considering both the benefits and potential drawbacks.

Abstract

The author expresses excitement over their articles being curated and selected for wider distribution on platforms like Medium, which has led to recognition in various topics such as HUMOR, HEALTH, FICTION, and SELF. Despite the thrill of curation, the author ponders its tangible benefits beyond the immediate exposure, noting that their non-curated work enjoys a higher read ratio. The article questions whether curation is based on faith or knowledge and whether the distinction between curated and non-curated content significantly affects readership and engagement over time. The author remains optimistic and open to the evolving nature of content consumption and acknowledges their relatively new presence in the Medium community.

Opinions

The author is enthusiastic about their stories being curated, as evidenced by their eagerness to share the news with friends and family.
There is a hint of skepticism about the true value of curation, as the author notes that non-curated content has a higher engagement rate.
The author muses on the nature of curation, suggesting it might be based on faith rather than concrete evidence or knowledge.
The article suggests a level of uncertainty regarding the long-term effects of curation on content visibility and success.
The author is intrigued by the possibility of a "catch up" effect where non-curated content might eventually outperform curated content.
There is an acceptance of the unknown, with the author expressing a willingness to observe and report on their findings as they continue to navigate the Medium platform.

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful! — Mae West

The quote below thrills me each and every time it lands in my inbox.

“Our curators just read your story, __Insert Awesome Title Here__, that you submitted for review. Based on its quality, they selected it to be recommended to readers interested in Humor [for example] across our homepage, app, topic page, and emails.”

Right after it pops up in my email box, my family, my FB friends and my fellow tweeters all hear about it. I can’t wait to get out the good word about my good words.

So far I’ve curation-scored in HUMOR, HEALTH, FICTION and SELF. Seems appropriate for a recovering ER Doc turned fledgling latter-day writer.

But I wonder, (picture me here loading a pistol and preparing to shoot myself in the foot) what does curation get me, aside from curated?

In other words, is curation based on faith or knowledge?

“Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.” ― Ambrose Bierce, The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary

My seven curated offerings enjoy a 45% read ratio.

Without going into specifics, let’s just say that the rest of my (non-curated) stuff finds its much higher read ratio even more enjoyable! OK fine … a solid 65%.

So, what does it all mean?

Honestly, IDK (to borrow a page from the texting world).

I do like the attention. So curators of the world, please keep doing your good deeds.

Will the gap between curated and non-curated read ratios narrow or even reverse over time? Again, I don’t know. Let’s wait and see. I’m still new to all this (I’m only 0.7 years old in Medium-years).

Will there be a “catch up” phenomenon, like in “The Tortoise and the Hare”? Who knows? That race is being run as I write this.

Another possibility … soon I’ll get to experience what non-curation on a permanent basis does to one’s stats.

I’ll probably write about that too.