Kick the thieves out
How Non-paying Members Are Screwing Over Writers
I hate that Medium is free to write. Anybody can just start writing and steal our money.
I’m a paying member, part of the lovely Medium community (love you all, folks!), and I’m sick to see so many freeloaders write here without green circles and STEAL from me and my good paying member friends.
What a shame.
Except for writing their articles, thieves do nothing to support the platform and the lovely Medium community.
As if writing interesting articles that make readers want more meant supporting the platform. Pfff.
As if writing kickass content was the only thing that would make Medium the definitive go-to place for online readers, therefore increasing the number of paying members, the revenues of the platform, and all its writers. Pfff again.
The proper way to support the platform and the community is to clap for my good paying member friends, read (skim) their articles, and leave powerful comments like “great read, dear paying member friend!”
Would you believe that NON-paying members can get top writer badges too?
It should be only for good paying members like me and you. Top Writers in stealing they are.
Incredible.
They can even get chosen for further distribution. CHOSEN! I am the chosen one. Me and (some of) my paying member friends are the chosen ones. Not the THIEVES. AAARGH.
And the Medium app doesn’t even show the green circle. Did you know that?
The Medium app doesn’t tell us who are our good paying member friends and who are our bad NON-paying member stealing enemies. The Medium app doesn’t give me THE most important information I need when deciding if I want to read an article or not.
That’s why I’m not using it anymore.
I mean, seriously? Does Medium want me to choose the articles based on my interests?
What’s next?
Removing alluring pictures and clickbaity headlines? No, thank you! I don’t want to read articles because they’re insightful and entertaining. I want to read ONLY the articles that loyal paying members like me wrote. Not articles from the thieves!
Yes! Thieves who aren’t paying their membership of $5 per month or $50 per year (or the same price, but I get a commission if you use my referral link). Thieves without the sanctity of the green light adorning their profile pictures.
Do you know what else is green? Laurel!
Laurels symbolize victory, glory, and HONOR. That’s not a coincidence.
My good paying member friends are loyal and honorable. They’re fair. They clap for clap and read for read.
Not like the thieves that cannot even read my articles because they’re limited to 3 per month (unless they use Twitter friend links, incognito mode, or are writers for the publication). And even if they read mine, it wouldn’t get me any money.
So why would I care?
Have a good day, lovely paying member friends!
And for the rest of you, NON-paying members, stop being thieves and use my referral link to become one of my lovely paying member friends and have a good day too (same price for you, commission for me, a good day is for free).
More in the screwing over writers series
Smillew is a Medium writer who writes mainly about leadership, his Medium newsletter, and his Medium referral link. No need to follow him; he’ll show up in your feed.
