Is Breaking up Hard to Do After the Medium Platform Changes

Readers now battle to find their favorite writers

The rationale for the new design was to increase readership.

May I respectfully submit, that Medium’s strategy has had the complete opposite effect.

Why am I not publishing this in a publication?

Because the writer’s name no longer shows.

It’s simple psychology that if you don’t see the names of your writers, you skip the article, even though you follow that publication. You’re not tempted by the title if the author is anonymous.

Today I read a story by Bebe Nicholson published in Rogues Gallery — I follow both and contribute. But I would have moved on if she hadn’t included her name in the heading.

So how does that bring readers closer to writers?

If Medium doesn’t fix this, do I withdraw from the publications I write for and fly solo? These changes are pushing me in this direction against my will.

I don’t want to break up with my family — I don’t want a divorce. My relationship with others within the publications to which I contribute encourages me to continue writing.

Though I don’t run a publication, I believe the changes coming are a nightmare.

Read the first six paragraphs in this newsletter from Scribe for more info:

Latest from following

This only moves me a fraction closer to the writers I follow. Only eight thumbnails, or whatever the technical terms are, and they include publications I follow. I only want to see stories from writers, not publications.

When I click All from following, the next page says New from your network. But the format switches to a mix of writers in chronological order, instead of sorting by writer.

Why not keep the same layout?

The buttons are a welcome innovation. They allow me to click on the name and read their latest stories.

I call them the Lucky Eight because there’s no time to go beyond them.

How do they land up on the main page while Medium mixes up the unlucky ones on the next? I don’t have time or the eyes to scan and pick through that assortment.

From the image above you see default on the Latest from following is All.

Thank heavens it only shows 25 stories today, because on 24 September, the day I first confronted these unannounced changes, this page had over 250 waiting!

No way was I going to able to read that many. Excessive stress!

I went on a culling drive — cruel but necessary for my peace of mind.

First, I unfollowed writers who are no longer paying members yet write behind the paywall. I don’t support free riders. So that was a simple decision. Reducing the rest was time-consuming and painful, but I ended up with 257 — down from 769.

I wonder if it was worth the effort?

Correction: I wrote “Medium has advised non-paying members can no longer lock their stories.” Celine Lai correctly pointed out that they can lock their stories if they are signed up to the Medium Partner Program but are not eligible for further distribution (or what we knew as Curation.)

And when I select People, my New from people you follow page has over 400 waiting — I stopped counting when I reached back to 30 September.

I cannot possibly read that many. I prefer to pick my writers for the day and have no time for endless scrolling.

Why not sort by writer buttons?

I noticed too there’s no name of the publication in which the writer published — a reversal of the problem on Medium’s front page where I can view the publication’s name but not the writer’s.

Selecting Publications, my New from publications you follow page is easy to navigate. Sorted by publication, each with three stories visible and the arrow for More takes me straight to the publication. Full marks for that.

No more curation?

This article from Medium advises they are doing away with curation and topics for distribution.

Please read and let me know what they mean as it befuddles my little old brain!

Marriage or divorce — that is the question

I recall years ago when the bank I worked for was implementing a new Fleet Management System.

Feedback from customers drove the need for change. Managers at the coalface gave details on the management information systems we needed to oversee our internal operations.

Despite that, and the months-long teething problems, the final product was a disappointment.

I hope Medium helps readers and writers find each other again.

I love this platform and I’m sure they’ll listen, iron out the wrinkles and offer us a smoother ride.

Thank you for still being here.