Summary

The article discusses the frustrating and often absurd experiences of writers on Medium, highlighted by instances such as the platform's algorithm recommending erotic content to the President of the United States.

Abstract

The piece, titled "Don’t Feel Bad, the Algorithm Hates EVERYONE," emphasizes the universal struggle that writers face on Medium, from the unpredictability of the algorithm to the lack of financial reward despite high viewership. It recounts an embarrassing incident where Medium's algorithm suggested inappropriate content to the @POTUS account during a White House collaboration. The author reflects on their own experiences of anonymity and the arbitrary nature of success on the platform, despite previous writing achievements elsewhere. The article also references other writers' experiences, such as Reuben's advice on achieving viral success by sacrificing one's soul and Rolli's account of Medium attempting to shut down his profile. The Verge's coverage of Medium's internal issues is cited, painting a picture of a chaotic environment. The author concludes with a sense of dark humor, acknowledging that if the President's feed can be filled with soft porn, then everyone is indeed dealing with Medium's shortcomings.

Opinions

The author believes that Medium's algorithm is flawed and indiscriminate in its recommendations, as evidenced by the inappropriate content suggested to the @POTUS account.
There is a perception that success on Medium is not tied to the quality of writing but rather to the whims of an unpredictable algorithm.
The article suggests that writers on Medium often feel undervalued and financially unrewarded, despite their content attracting significant views.
The author implies that Medium's internal issues, such as algorithmic failures and account management problems, are symptomatic of broader organizational chaos.
A sense of camaraderie is conveyed among writers who share similar grievances about the platform, indicating a collective feeling of disenchantment.
The piece humorously downplays individual complaints by comparing them to the absurdity of the President's feed issues, suggesting that everyone is equally affected by Medium's algorithmic missteps.

Don’t Feel Bad, the Algorithm Hates EVERYONE

Even the President’s feed is a hot mess!

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

On the surface it may sound shallow, but there is something comforting in knowing you’re not the only person suffering with a particular problem.

I’ve written what seems like a billion words trying to figure out how to succeed as an online writer on this platform that shall remain nameless.

Part of the problem is that my experience here is so radically different from my professional life as a copywriter, or my online life writing for that other site where views are determined by the best answer to a question. Even though I don’t get paid on Quora, there is some validation in knowing my work is viewed by thousands¹ of people.

The response from that site shows me the absurd and arbitrary nature of being an online writer, as I have become virtually anonymous on this writing platform.

You all know about curation jail, or Curgatory™ (my permanent digs since 2019). And you all know that the feed is so bad it seems like something the Russians cooked up.

But how about serving up soft porn to the President of the United States?

While sharing his screen with the White House, the staffer logged in to @POTUS and saw the first article recommended to him by Medium: “A is for After,” which a sub-headline described as “a cuckold love story.” — Casey Newton, The Verge

There are experiences here that seem to bizarre for even this place.

How about going viral and still not making any money?

My friend Reuben has a proven track record of viral success, writing that you have to be willing to destroy your soul to have a hit.

I did it purely by accident.

How I Climbed to the Top and Beat Time Magazine, Rollingstone, Reddit, and Pinterest…

Purely by accident

medium.com

Then my friend Rolli wrote an article on the continued horrors of writing on this platform in “Medium is Trying to Shut Down My Account.”

While he was explaining his difficulty as retaliation for his criticism of the platform’s founder, someone responded in the comments that the same thing happened to them last year. So maybe the problem was a temporary programming glitch that other people experienced.

The fact is, this place is too messed up for there to be any organized form of conspiracy going on.

The thing that made my day was the article he linked to, which reported all the problems with this site.

From “The Mess at Medium” comes the story about a Medium staffer working with the White House.

I hope this will make you laugh as much as I did.

The manager was in a video conference with a White House staffer to discuss how Biden, who had used Medium as a campaign blog in 2020, could begin posting to the official Medium @POTUS account. While sharing his screen with the White House, the staffer logged in to @POTUS and saw the first article recommended to him by Medium: “A is for After,” which a sub-headline described as “a cuckold love story.”

After the meeting, the person who works for Medium tried to improve the President’s feed:

He followed political topics; he “read” posts by President Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris while logged in as the president. When he refreshed his recommendations, Medium recommended another piece of erotica: “Getting a Piece (and Some Pizza Too),” a story that carries the sub-headline “step sister taboo erotica.”

Here’s the full article.

The mess at Medium

Last week, a partnerships manager at Medium working with the White House found that there was a strange problem with…

www.theverge.com

Why do I feel this place is like going to a buffet where every dish is a shit sandwich?

The answer, my friends, is because EVERYONE actually is being served shit sandwiches!

If the President of the United States is going to be subjected to a mindless stream of soft porn and worse², I’ve got nothing to complain about.

Enjoy the weekend and if you’re into college basketball, Go Bruins!!

FOOTNOTES

¹As of this writing, it’s 3.4 million views, with about 100–200 K per month

²They didn’t mention the self help, tech bros and snake oil salesmen, but I’m sure they were in Joe’s feed, too