Is It Me or Is It Medium?

Summary

The author, Kimberlee, is experiencing issues with their Medium stats, which have dropped significantly despite receiving engagement notifications, leading to uncertainty about their content's performance and a reliance on analytics for self-assessment.

Abstract

Kimberlee, a writer on Medium, reached a milestone of 1,000 views in a day but then encountered a sudden drop in their stats, causing confusion and concern. Despite continued interactions such as comments, claps, and highlights, the lack of "accurate" analytics has left them struggling to gauge their success. They question whether their reliance on stats is a matter of motivation or merely chasing vanity metrics. In an attempt to resolve the issue, Kimberlee has taken several troubleshooting steps, including removing Chrome extensions, clearing cookies, and verifying the issue across multiple devices and browsers. They even resorted to a symbolic act of stress relief by creating and destroying a piñata resembling their monitor with Medium's logo. A support ticket has been submitted, and an update is pending. The situation has caused significant distress, prompting Kimberlee to seek solidarity from other Medium users who might be facing similar problems. Additionally, they invite readers to support their writing by buying them a coffee or signing up for a Medium membership through their referral link.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the potential shallowness of vanity metrics but also sees value in analytics for understanding performance and audience engagement.
There is a recognition that while obsessing over stats is not ideal, they can be a useful tool for writers to measure their work's impact.
The author's actions suggest a mix of frustration and humor in dealing with the issue, as evidenced by the piñata anecdote.
Kimberlee is open about the impact of this issue on their mental state, describing it as making them "a tad crazy."
They believe that reader support, both moral and financial, is crucial for writers to continue their craft and strive for financial freedom.

Motivation or vanity metrics?

created in Canva by the author, Kimberlee

I hit “1K” views in one day last week, and the very next day, my stats completely bottomed out. I’m still getting notifications of comments, claps, and highlights, but without “accurate” stats, I’m struggling to know how things are going without the analytics.

created in Canva by the author, Kimberlee

Many folks write about how we shouldn’t check our stats so much, and I agree to a certain level, but I’m not sure I’m a good judge of how well I’m doing without the stats.

Vanity metrics make you look good to others but do little to measure or understand your performance correctly? Or is it validation for understanding what you’re doing? And analytical data to aid the writer in knowing what’s working well, what’s not, and where to put your focus?

Steps I took to fix the problem:

Removed all Chrome extensions

Cleared my cookies

Verified from different devices, different browsers, different wifi

I made a pinata in the shape of my monitor, hot glued Medium’s logo on both sides. Took it outside and hung it from a tree, then commenced to beat the hell out of the pinata until confetti and candy rained down all around me.

I also submitted a ticket on Friday. I will update this thread when I get a response.

Either way, it’s making me a tad crazy! Is anyone else having this problem?

If you’d like to experience Medium, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership.

Help! My Stats Are Broken, and I Can’t Get them Up!

Is It Me or Is It Medium?

Motivation or vanity metrics?

P.S.S. If you’re reading this article on a mobile (phone or tablet) and want to join Medium through my link, the above link won’t work — please copy and paste the address below into your browser, and join from my page there. I appreciate your support.