Curated Collection and Daily Updates
Look What Aiden Found Today — Episode #102
Favorite stories I read plus community-nominated pieces tailored for avid readers of ILLUMINATION Publications on Medium
Non-members can read this story via our friend link.
Dear avid readers and prolific writers! Welcome to my episode #102. Thank you for your feedback on the previous collections. This collection is shorter, but it has powerful pieces that you may enjoy and find valuable.
I couldn’t believe my eyes as the scammers even cloned the profile of Medium’s famous director, Buster Benson. They got crazy with the new tactics. Our editor, Mike Broadly, DHSc, wrote a story inviting the community to be vigilant.
And our consulting editor, Marcus aka Gregory Maidman, wrote a humorous poem about this unusual cloning, giving us a few chuckles. But it is a serious matter folks. They cloned me twice and I had a nightmare in the first one and celebrated the death of my clone.
Last week, I compiled weekly boosted stories. We had 21 new boosted stories last week that you may enjoy. I will create another one tomorrow as several more stories got boosted. I got very busy with work and family commitments today.
So, if you are interested in the boost of your stories, the attached story by Dr Yildiz is a must-read definitely.
Gamers have asked me on Discord and Slack questions about how boosting works for ILLUMINATION-Gaming. To answer their questions, I created a short video on YouTube and added it to a story with transcripts for those who can’t watch videos. I hope this piece answers the fundamental questions about boosting.
Recently, I wrote a piece about my predictions for the 2024 Academy Awards. I finally wrote a new piece about the winners. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to your comments.
As this bulk account suspension is an important matter for the community, our chief editor, Dr Yildiz, wrote a story about it. You may share your thoughts on it as he showed empathy to victims but also highlighted the challenges of Medium.
I read a heartfelt testimonial from Dr Yildiz about Lanu Pitan, one of our editors and avid readers whose account was suspended. We wrote an editorial bulletin about the suspension issue a few days ago.
Our editor, Mike, also wrote about it from a different angle.
I will give a few quick updates for new readers.
Recently he also introduced some of my favourite writers, Matt Lillywhite, Genius Turner, Shirley Willett and David Mokotoff, MD.
Interview with Dr David Mokotoff, MD, a Retired Cardiologist
You may check his previous interviews from this collection.
Recently, ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled all stories boosted in February. We are proud of them as we put a lot of effort into birthing them. Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION Publications — V5
I also included 13 new boosted stories and linked older ones to give some flavor to our exceptional stories, mainly published on ILLUMINATION-Curated. Here is the link for interested readers and writers.
Weekly Update: Boosted Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated (18–25 Feb, 2024)
Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech) sent an update of Technology Hits publications, including some stories published in February. Technology Hits Updates — February 2024
As a boost nominator, after introducing the boosted stories of Dr Joan Naidorf recently, I also covered the exceptional stories of Jozsef Kovacs as part of my boost education initiative to increase the chances of further distribution for our writers. I believe readers will enjoy reading these beautiful stories and aspiring writers like me learn from them. Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories : Episode #4
Our newsletter is ready. It was posted by the tech account of Dr Yildiz on Medium, and it is also on Substack now. Please share them on your socials. These newsletters provide monthly updates on our progress and can answer many of your questions, especially for new writers. Monthly Updates from ILLUMINATION Editorial Team: February 2024
For those who missed the heartfelt and inspiring open letter by Dr Yildiz inviting many non-members to become members, I suggest you engage and share it on your socials. I hope his story reaches a broad audience so we bring more readers as our views significantly drop.
Like me Mike Broadly, DHSc loves reading these interviews and he recently compiled the ones he read. Here is the link to his beautiful collection.
As I mentioned before, every engagement and share can increase our collective chance for visibility. Please don’t underestimate the power of your engagement and shares of these stories. The goal of my collections is to increase reading times and engagement for these stories. So please choose a few pieces that are interesting to you and support these writers.
You may check out (avid reader and our senior curator) Mike’s captivating collections as an avid reader and a proud FoM contributing to the earnings of our writers.
He also compiled boosted stories he read. I Read 100+ Boosted Stories and Here’s What I Learned
Another hardworking editor The Sturg started curated collections. Please take a look at his excellent collection. The Sturg’s Illumination Editorial Picks: First Edition. I will share his second one in the next episodes.
Recently, I updated this piece which aims to inspire writers to post their bios as our readers love them as they keep asking me more personal stories like in this collection. I look forward to reading and promoting your writer biographies. Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies
ILLUMINATION-Curators create a new collection for our Reading Club. It is full of engaging stories. ILLUMINATION Reading Club #8
Invitation to Upgrade for Friends of Medium
I hope many more avid readers upgrade their subscriptions. These avid readers have good reasons like me. If you are an avid reader and can afford to consider upgrading your subscription by taking the plunge like many early adopters whom I introduced you to in this story.
I Took the Plunge and Became a Friend of Medium (FoM) Yesterday.
Why I Became a Friend of Medium
ILLUMINATION editors interviewed Dr Yildiz on how Friends of Medium can share links on out tailored social media platforms. I tried them, and sharing these stories took only 10 minutes. I hope they bring many new readers to Medium. We all need to attract more readers to make this platform more vibrant and sustainable.
How Friends of Medium Can Amplify Important Stories Via Customized Social Media Sites
Our editors and curators also explained how we promote non-boosted stories, which are more than 99%, so I take a significant role in this process to create visibility for such stories. Thanks, everyone, for the support that keeps me trucking on this fabulous journey.
During my breaks, I wrote a few short stories around 3 minutes read about tech and gaming to remember writing. I hope you enjoy them.
‘Crackgate’ Is Here With Apple Vision Pro’s Seemingly Cracking Out of Nowhere
Default Female Skins Might Be Coming to Counter-Strike, Thanks to Open Letter From Pros
Daily List for Sharing — Volume 102
I volunteered to create a list of this collection. So you can easily share this collection on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Quora. You can find all our sharing platforms from this story link by Dr Yildiz.
Please note that “these stories are a combination of what I enjoyed and those which nominated by volunteering editors (also writers and readers) on this platform, so the stories in this collection reflect their collective tastes. As a publication, ILLUMINATION keeps a neutral position for all published stories, and it is impossible to feature over one million published stories. But we will do our best to amplify as many great stories as possible almost daily from now on based on the availability of our volunteers.”
Here are our wonderful and nominated stories today! I believe you will find something that will satisfy your reading needs.
Chosen Stories from ILLUMINATION Writers Today
New Generation Neuroscientists Asserts that the Brain Isn’t Triune But Adaptive Dr Mehmet Yildiz
The Striking Adverse Effects of Night Light Exposure on Mental Health Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Does Physical Activity Lead to Varicose Veins? Bruno Soriano MD PhD
Here’s How I Improved My VO2max After My 60s with Persistence and Guidance. Mike Broadly, DHSc
Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media’s Grip on My Life Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
What Science Tells Us About How To Have The Right Amount Of Confidence Celia Fidalgo, PhD
On Yellowstone National Park Dr. Seema Patel (PhD)
At 50, studied computers. At 77, speaks around the whole world. The amazing story of Linda Rising. Aninda Baruah
The Questions Are More Important Than the Answers Jill Ebstein
Being reckless is a sign of hastiness and the inability to think carefully about anything. 2bebetter
This is the only KPI Sunugal needs to “dieum kanam”. Ahmadou DIALLO ✪
I Was Wrong About My Oscar Predictions, But I Enjoyed the Movies a Lot Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
Gig Economy Jobs Ali Alzahrani, M.Sc., Editor
99% of Relationships Don’t Have Sex Because of This Amanda
Under a Velvet Moon Amy Christie
Is Rishi Sunak and The UK Recruiting Slaves? Annelise Lords
I tried the Paleo Diet for 1 month and this happened. Anton Lacheta
Conquer Fear: Look Forward, Then Look Back. Antony Kalogeropoulos
Finding Self-Worth Outside of Acceptance Aurora
How To Remember Everything You Read Axel Casas
Your Dream is Already Yours Bayinnah Shah
Are You Smart Enough To Find The Area? Bella Lockhart
History of the Ides of March Bill Petro
This Is The Best Pre-Workout! Blake Shields
5 Best Cities To Visit in Tuscany Bryan Dijkhuizen
The Homeless Population Is Growing Rapidly And There Seems To Be No Way To Stop It. Carlos Jeronimo
Leadership Mastery: What Does Emotional Intelligence Have To Do With It? Carmel Cayouf
How A Romance Novel Taught Me About Trauma Carrie Kolar
Stop Perfectionism. Just Write Cat S Guan
β-Hydroxybutyrate: 2 Vital Role of Ketogenesis in the Brain for Dementia Prevention / Treatment Dr Mehmet Yildiz
”I was found in violation of the Medium Rules” CerebralInkWell
Leveraging Local Resources for Educational Enrichment Charlene Ann Mildred
Illuminating The Lone Wolf Colin Douglas
How to Tackle Mountain Sized Problems Crystal Garrett
Candy Apple Haiku Daphsam
Rusted David Graham
The Hidden Benefits of Curiosity and Mindfulness During Spring David Hip
I was diagnosed with ADHD… Part III Dem'preneur
How to Get Abs in 60 Days: A Fast, Effective, and Science-Based Approach Dennis Kiplimo
An Introduction to Moon Signs destinyann
Gaza, Dogs, and Human Cannibalism Dillon Melet
My Mum was Scammed as a Teen by a “Financial Advisor” — I’ll Never Stop Fighting for Financial… Dinah W
Does Your Partner Treat You Like Property? Doug Utberg
β-Hydroxybutyrate: 2 Vital Role of Ketogenesis in the Brain for Dementia Prevention / Treatment Dr Mehmet Yildiz
ADHD Behaviours I Failed to Change Time and Time Again Eliza Lita
“Cosmic Serenity in 10 Minutes: A Stellar Meditation Guide for Busy Beginners” ENFINITE BALANCE
Why Living Below Your Means is a Poor Way to Live Evan Crosby
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Family Responded About Awardees Floyd Mori
Let’s Keep our Identity, for….Touristic Reasons! Foteini Ntelopoulou
Celebrating Ms. Gray’s 90th Birthday: A Testament to a Life Brimming with Vitality! Freda Savahl
Mastering Mastery; Three Thoughts on Applied Fluency Greg Lynas
Why I Fired My Best Employee (And It Made My Business Stronger) Hammad Hassan
Tennessee Doldrums Harry Hogg
NeoFeudalism: Wealth’s Chains Hive 42
Is Your Pharmacy a Lion or Hummingbird? Jason Chenard
Making Your Life That Is Pretty Good Now Even Better James Boylan
Fail Your Way to the Top — How Failure Fuels Success Jenn C ✅️
This “Wanting Approval and Asking Permission” Life. Jo Ann Harris, Writer of Daily Musings
Let’s fast together and experience how and why it clarifies and detoxifies me. zizi majid
Why I Firmly Believe Lanu Pitan Is Not a Fraud But an Avid Reader and Valuable Community Member Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Thank you for reading these beautiful stories.
Quick Updates for Highlights of Our Pubs for New Writers
Here is our onboarding pack covering everything you need to know.
ILLUMINATION-Curators introduced some recently boosted stories. I believe you will find some great stories in that collection. Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION Publications — V2
By upgrading his main profile, Dr Yildiz inspired our readers to become Medium Friends. I hope many readers join this inspiring journey. Celebrating My Reading Anniversary with My Upgraded Subscription to New Medium Friendship
Boost Education:
Here is Episode 2 introducing boosted stories of Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D. Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #2 and Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #1. You can learn more about Matt’s background from this interview. An Interview with Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D.
Recently, I added several new writers. I look forward to seeing their stories in these collections soon. You can meet them from the attached post. I also added their profiles at the end of this post so you can follow them easily if you want to. I will add more writers later today. There are many applicants. Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28 and #27
For new readers and writers, I have also joined the ranks as a Friend of Medium (FoM). From now on, stories I read from other writers will earn them four times the previous ones. Details are in the attached story. I Took the Plunge and Became a Friend of Medium (FoM) Yesterday.
Dr Yildiz also wrote about it to invite our readers to become Medium Friends and support our writers. The more FoMs the merrier. Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
But scammers spammed his beautiful story and tried to deceive our readers. Here’s his sad and important story: every writer and reader needs to understand and act cautiously. They act too realistically! Scam and Spam Accounts on Medium Are As Bad As Hate Speech and Defamation for Writers
How to Identify Them? These fraudulent accounts typically lack followers and haven’t authored any stories themselves. They are non-members with no star or heart icons in their profile names. Urgent Notice: Beware of Fake Accounts Impersonating Influential Writers
If you are into gaming, I also wrote about winners of 2023 for popular games. I will introduce some of those games in my forthcoming stories for game lovers. The Winners of The Game Awards 2023 Have Been Announced
Talking of gaming, if you plan to craft stories about these remarkable games, consider submitting them to my publication, ILLUMINATION-Gaming. I’m here to elevate your narratives, ensuring they stand out and increasing their chances of a boost. I wrote about my goals and how I can help our writers in a story titled ILLUMINATION Gaming Is Part of the Boost Program Now.
To inform new writers, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, now is a boost nominating pub You may learn about How ILLUMINATION Publications Support the BOOST Program.
I’ve bundled up all my lists into one tidy little story. It is a treasure trove of fantastic reads waiting for you. Please consider sharing the love on your socials and dive into these gems! You won’t regret it.
Shareable List Links for Curated Collections on ILLUMINATION
Dr Mehmet Yildiz introduced a writing duo known as Pernoste & Dahl. You will love this introduction as he reveals the mystery behind these interesting writers who writes inspiring and engaing content on Medium.
Meet Pernoste and Dahl: A Writing Duo of a Neuroscientist and an Artist
ILLUMINATION editors introduced a great writer, Somil Gupta. I hope you check his profile and explore his delicious stories. Meet Somil Gupta on Medium
Our team of volunteers is working through the influx of stories, aiming to review and publish each piece while welcoming new writers into our fold. It’s a labor of love that demands time and effort. Please remember that we support 27K+ writers, as mentioned in our Monthly Updates.
If you missed this recent interview featuring Luay Rahil, here is a link for you. His stories can nicely surprise you. An Interview with Luay Rahil, MBA
For those who missed my Vocal saga, here is the link. I hope new writers don’t make the same mistake I made for 18 months. Here’s How I Miserably Failed Vocal Media But Have No Regrets
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled boosted stories in December, so you might find some fascinating stories from this collection. I also chose to publish this collection on ILLUMINATION-Curated as our readers enjoy curated collections. Here is their treasure trove: Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated
ILLUMINATION-Curators wrote about that exceptional story. I hope you will get a chance to read it and pay attention to your privacy. An Exceptional Story on Privacy Every Reader May Find Helpful
Our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz, upgraded our publication accounts ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curators, as well as his tech account Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech), making them Friends of Medium. Reading from these accounts will allow writers to earn four times more. While curating stories, we read many stories from these accounts, so it will be great for writers. Details are in his story by Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech): Why I Became a Friend of Medium
Today, I was busy as it was the last public holiday in Australia. I helped with onboarding around 100 new writers, so I was able to find around 60 great pieces and listed them.
As I grappled with the hedonistic treadmill pursuing money and fame, which eventually led to burnout, Dr. Yildiz’s a story deeply resonated with me. It offers valuable insights that can shift perspectives on material possessions and money, perhaps even making it easier to integrate money effortlessly into our lives. Why I No Longer Chase Money & How I Escaped Hedonic Treadmill to Find True Joy
The cloning machine struck again, attempting to cast its shady duplicates in my blockbuster movie. But let me clarify — even if they get down on their knees and beg, these scammers won’t be snagging a role in my soon-to-be award-winning cinematic masterpiece. Yay, I Was Cloned Again but I Know the Scammer Will Kick the Bucket Soon.
I learned that scammers targeted Mike’s beautiful curated collections again after 5th time spamming all the readers pretending to be him. But this time, they used sophisticated methods that Mike revealed in a masterpiece. I think those scammers have no clue that Mike is a seasoned professional and will not allow them to win. That dubious writing club might kick the bucket soon. Battling Scams: My Heartfelt Struggle Against 5 Medium Attacks in a Week, Unveiling Their Latest Tricks
One of our consulting editors, David B. Grinberg 🇺🇸, wrote an interesting story about the critically important reasons why Medium should be more transparent with users about these phishing scams. Why Medium Should Be Transparent about Clone Phishing Attacks.
During our conversations, I gained a deeper understanding of Dr Yildiz’s challenges, and I hope those who sometimes take our volunteer service for granted read this story. Running these Medium publications is no walk in the park. I believe that it’s not all roses and rainbows in the editorial team.
A Rollercoaster of My Saturday: Challenges, Surprises, and Joyful Insights
As I curated these gems, I encountered numerous “aha” moments — some inducing fits of laughter, others coaxing tears, all painting my journey with vivid emotions. I’m excited to pass on these emotional roller coasters to you, hoping they’ll add a sprinkle of joy or even a smidgen of uncontrollable giggles to your day. Enjoy the ride.
ILLUMINATION editors created an important bulletin for increasing spam, scam, and bot accounts, contaminating the platform and causing grief to writers and readers. Please be careful as I was cloned and felt bad about it.
I read an interesting story from Dr Yildiz related to Mike’s story and his findings from the spammy topics pages.
The Reason I Didn’t Publish a Science and Health Article on Medium Today
Those who missed my Vocal saga can read it from this link. But I highly recommend the story of Dr Yildiz as it is concerning for new writers like me trying to make Medium our home.
Our newsletter for Illumination informing of our progress and plans was released on both Medium and on Substack. I link both so you can share with your relevant audience. Sharing is a wonderful community trait. Here’s the Substack version.
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled and published the collection of boosted stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated. I believe you will find amazing stories from that collection. It is a labor of love between writers, editors, nominators, and Medium curators to delight our readers.
December 2023 was an excellent month for me. In addition, a story near and dear to my heart got a boost. Many thanks for the comments on this story: Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media’s Grip on My Life.
I recently self-curated my monthly stories for my loyal readers and as a sample for fellow writers. I look forward the same success this month so I keep working hard. Please also check our strategic approach for 2024, which is aligned with Medium’s direction articulated by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, our chief editor.
He also mentioned that only 5% of his stories performed well in 2023 and other 95% hardly got any views.
Dr Yildiz also added many new writers during his holidays.
Please find his collections with the associated lists and share them on your socials so we can bring more readers to Medium. Here are links to Mike’s collections: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16
Our supportive editor, famous nutritionist, Elin Melaas, created her second collection earlier. Elin also created the Invisible Series. Elin’s Chosen ILLUMINATION Stories — #2
And our lovely editor Surekha Chandrasekhar also created a collection of her delicious pub ILLUMINATION’s Nutrition which is also our virtual kitchen. 20 Curated Stories From Illumination’s Nutrition -2023
ILLUMINATION editors introduced some great writers. You may check out their profiles and explore their fabulous stories.
Meet Seda Anbarcı, Meet Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi, Meet Jozsef Kovacs, Meet Davor Katusic. Meet Thomas Allen Moon, Meet Sneha Nagre, Meet Zondra Dos Anjos, Meet Ani Vals Meet Ammara Hassan. Meet Sridhar Pai Tonse — Leadgen Coach- Tech Startups Chosen Stories from Omni Essence, Editorial Profile of InYah
Our editors enjoy stories and nominate them for these curated collections. You may check editor profiles in this collection.
I love reading writer biographies and curating them. If you write any bio story please let me know so I can add them to my collection. Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies
Dr Mehmet Yildiz reviewed an interesting book of Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi. If you are a book author, you may contact Dr Yildiz as he really does great reviews. He even wrote the foreword of my gaming book. Here is his great review today. “Nobody Will Tell You This”
As mentioned a few weeks ago, I created a Discord server for our writers to collaborate and share their story links, so you are all welcome to join. We already have great fun there. It is not as big as our Slack, but it will be one day, as Discord is a lot of fun.
Introduction to New Writers
Now, let’s welcome the new writers who joined us yesterday. Please explore their stories, and they resonate with you may connect with them. This is a great opportunity for writers and readers to meet. I followed most of you today but I couldn’t follow more than 150 profiles so I will continue the rest tomorrow.
A Special Welcome to New Writers on New Year’s Day from the Chief Editor
A Special Welcome to New Writers on Christmas Day from the Chief Editor
New writers, when you need help please don’t hesitate to contact me on Slack workspace or Discord server. I introduce these services below.
I also enjoy introducing writers on YouTube. So if you are interested you may contact me on Slack or Discord.
Here is some info about Slack and Discords
About Me
I write articles in my field covering gaming, film-making, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to get notifications when I post on Medium. I created a new website to share my content for free and promote stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I also have a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.
I own two publications on Medium. One for video gamers and another for YouTubers and Podcasters. I also support Illumination Integrated Publications as a volunteer editor and participate in collaborative activities in the Slack Workspace.
Writer applications for my publications can be sent via this weblink. Please add your Medium ID. You may consider being a Vocal+ member to monetize your content. I also enjoy email marketing using Cliqly, which is my affiliate link.
