Curated Collection and Daily Updates

Look What Aiden Found Today — Episode #47

Favorite stories I read plus community-nominated pieces tailored for avid readers of ILLUMINATION Publications on Medium

Today, I reached out to Dr Mehmet Yildiz again because the ILLUMINATION queue was skyrocketing. He mentioned other administrative tasks, and I offered to lend a hand. When helping him with other stuff he added 130 new writers today. I will introduce them at the end of this collection so you may connect with them easily and explore their stories. Collaboration is a key success factor for our writers therefore we keep emphasizing it.

During our conversations, I gained a deeper understanding of his 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; it’s not all roses and rainbows.

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.

I couldn’t write a story for the last few days, but reading and curating made me happy. I plan to write a piece this weekend. As you might have noticed, I reverted back to the previous style, as some readers believe subtitles and images make the stories more appealing. So, I traded off the size for reader preference. But if I read more stories, I plan to divide them into releases to keep the size reasonable. Today’s collection is a bit smaller, around 50.

I helped ILLUMINATION-Curators to create a new collection for our Reading Club. It is full of engaging stories.

The duplicating and cloning frenzy got even more intense. After Dr Yildiz got duplicated three times now, Mike even surpassed him. Yes, he was cloned four times a week; most likely, he does curation work, and scammers seem to want to use his audience. He is right to be frustrated.

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. Rather than sharing his remarkable story on Medium, Dr Yildiz chose to publish it on NewsBreak because he got tired of spam affecting the performance of our stories. He explained the reasons in a post.

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 our progress and plans was released on both Medium and on Substack earlier. I link both so you can share with your relevant audience. Sharing is a wonderful community trait.

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.

Finally, yesterday, I wrote a short gaming story. If you are into Tetris, you may like this amazing news. A New World Record in NES Tetris Game: It Was Just Beaten By A 13-Year-Old

I also helped add many new writers. You may start exploring their content. ILLUMINATION editors guided them earlier to start writing for us. Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #30

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.

Here’s an interview with popular writer Tim Denning. You may enjoy what Tim said in this interesting interview. He is a source of inspiration for fellow writers and thousands of readers.

Last year, I wrote a story about Tim as part of an AI project. I believe you will love what AI thinks about Tim.

If you are an avid reader like me or Mike and can afford to consider upgrading your subscription by taking the plunge like many early adopters whom I introduced you to in this story.

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.

You may also check out the recent collection of Mike Broadly, DHSc, an avid reader and a proud FoM contributing to the earnings of our writers.

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.

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.

Daily List for Sharing — Volume 47

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.

Let’s all engage in this list and at least tweet it so that more readers can find these stories. It is the purpose of these curated lists. We appreciate your wonderful support for these writers who pour their hearts and souls into these stories to delight you. Here are the nominated stories from avid readers today.

Chosen Stories from ILLUMINATION Writers Today

As we mentioned before, “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.

Why I Make It a Priority to Identify and Avoid [Negative] Speculative Self-Talk Dr Mehmet Yildiz

The Plagiarism Pandemic: How AI is Infecting Academic Integrity Dr. Dominic Etli

My Two Years as an Author Joan Naidorf

Three Soothing Perspectives on Death Solveig Bjørkholt

Scientists are Beginning to Understand the Tool Healers Have Been Using Throughout the Ages Rebecca Romanelli

Dead 6 Months and No Funeral In Sight. Thomas (Don’t look for Meaning, Create Meaning)

How I Got My 5-Year-Old Hooked On Science Prashansa Gadgil

Maiden’s Petals David Pahor

Time Rifts 41 — All Stop Frank Ontario | empathy, logic, love.

It Is Traitor Time Warren Brown

A Utah Legislative Committee Voted Against DEI Floyd Mori

Here’s What You Do and Don’t Need When You Have A Baby Anastasia Frugaard

The Very Best Way To Elevate Your Wealth: Your Ultimate Guide To Essential Money Management For… Jamel Hendley/Greenviool

Outsmarting the Comment Censor AI on MSN Bill Myers

Does Artificial Intelligence Help or Hinder Mindfulness and Growth of a Mindset? jules — Miz Mindful

Doing What You Love Every Day PRIYANKA DAS

7 Facts About The New Boeing 777–9 Arthur Keith

Expectations: A Harbinger of Hatred. Chapter 1 Dmitry Potylitsyn

Best Self-Help Podcasts to Transform Your Year Seda Anbarcı

What We Really Do is Celebrate Existence Fatunla Samuel

Promoting Well-being in School: A Journey Through Positive Psychology Katherine Myrestad

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite? Don’t Let ’em in Your Home in the First Place! Martin D. Hirsch

I’m Done With Nostalgia Citizen Reader

A Journey Through The Market — Treacle Puddings And Evening Icicles; Tales To The Warm-hearted In… The Doctor — Joanie Adams

Finished Bathing Mom — Love, Tears and a Father’s Hug Maria Marmo

Lessons From a Tinder Date in Florence, Italy Kadrian Enyia

The Power of Writing @Quill Adventurer

Unlocking Virality: Mastering Medium with ChatGPT — 5 Tips for Creating a Buzzworthy Post A Grain of Salt | ElbyJames

One of My Favorite Writers Just Hinted I Had Found My Writer’s Voice. A Nkeonye Judith Izuka-Aguocha

Why 3 is more effective than 2 in your decision making? Ahmadou DIALLO ✪

The EVIL Couple AK WRITES

Free ETL Projects For Your Data Analytics Portfolio Ali Uzman

A Haunting Melody: Charting the Path of Lost Selves in The You Who Had Gone With the Wind Aurora

Time To Ditch Stock Images Avocado Jam Studio (AJS)

Read this if you want to rid yourself of self-doubt Boateng Sekyere

I’ve written an article a day for 14 days straight — 8 benefits I’ve reaped so far Brian Mak

The Pan-Indo-European Root *Sam Denotes the Concept of Togetherness Focus on Van Der Waals Forces… Cristiano Luchini

When is the Perfect Timing? Davor Katusic

The Gratitude Shift: Embracing Sober Living and Appreciating All We Have Diana Leotta

A Rollercoaster of My Saturday: Challenges, Surprises, and Joyful Insights Dr Mehmet Yildiz

What Are Signs You Have An Eating Disorder Ella Harris

The Truth About Living Authentically People Rarely Talk About Emogene Lukoye

Are Black Voters Supporting A Racist Candidate? Floyd Mori

Why I Keep Writing on Medium Despite Limited Readership Gabe Araujo, M.Sc.

The Retelling of a Favourite Family Story Made My Aunt Smile on Her Last Day Gill McCulloch

Exploring Ecuador: Unveiling the Best Places to Visit Global Compass

Preventative Detention Dr John Frederick Rose

Is work life better than college? Haden Pelletier

The more you read this email, the more you trust me Jibril Yusuf

5 Iconic Villains in Stephen King’s Horror Novels Jimmy Blakemore

Smithsonian and Hoax About The Giant Skeletons Jo Ann Harris, Writer of Daily Musings

The Big Bad: Chapter 1 Julian Hale

When Accidents Escalate: the Surprising Truth Behind Proximate Cause Kemal M. Lepschoq, LL.M.

Optimizing My Growth Hormone With 6 Lifestyle Choices Contributed to a Healthier and Defined Body Dr Mehmet Yildiz

8 Subtle Body Language Cues to Watch Out For Khan Writes

Will You Comply? — The “Asch Conformity Experiment” Konstantin Dikov

Believe In A Power Greater Than You? That Is Faith James Boylan

My 2023 Story Kushal Kumar Naidu

Breakfast casserole Larry Nowicki

Wishful Pond Light and Paper

Technical Writing Principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid! Magdalena Sz

Navigating Spiritual Tests: The Magic Beyond Awakening Marcus Rodrigues

The Love Prescription Mhstuart

Unexpected Encore: The Unforeseen Journey from Trio Concert to Broadway Extravaganza Michael Hollifield

5 Subtle Signs You’re Growing Into The Person You’ve Always Wanted To Become. Michael Lim

Liverpool’s Population: Where Have All Those People Gone? Miraç Yazıcı

Reflections Nedelcu Alina

The Demon Called Imposter Syndrome Paul Is Positive

The Power of Gratitude PixelTree

Unleash Your Potential: With These Recovery Tools!” Raine Taylor

A Far Less Harmful Source Of Power Raveen

My Notes from Becoming Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Certified Rohan J. Dani, CPT

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Sania Haroon

The Eyes Shamaima Irfan

Can’t Believe I’m Saying This… I Need YOUR Help! Shilpajaiswal

Side Hustles Aren’t Aspirational. They’re Survival Mode Spiritworth

5 Easy Ways To Start Reading More Books Sufyan Maan, M.Eng

One factor can make you like or hate something SURYASH KUMAR

‘Mastering The Morning’ Will Change Your Life Suvan Goel

Unlocking the American Dream: Achieving Homeownership Through FHA SwiftLearner

The Good Of This World And The Next Is With Knowledge: S.a.n.a.h

Making Good Decisions: What do we need to do it Tarek Rakhiess

Dreams of Innocence The Daily Updater

Money Talk — Trash the Stigma and Support Everyone’s Success to Financial Independence The FI Adventure

While The World Celebrated The Birth of Christ, Others Held Their Tears In Sadness The One Alternative View

-A Huntress’s Plight- The Smoke Shop Alchemist

A Modest Evaluation of “Interview with Gems of Medium Part 2” by Gurpreet Dhariwal Tara Desai PhD

Beyond the Myths: Unraveling the Truths Behind Common Misconceptions About Therapy ThirtyOneShades

10 Motivational Quotes to Elevate Your Mindset Tony U. Francisco

Wall Street’s Best Kept Money Making Secret Vic Danh

Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway Wendy Richards

The Circle of Woe Willow Reed

The bare minimum you must improve in your life! Yash Wasalwar

We Try to Find Escape Routes but Get Trapped in them… Zunaira Fatima

Thank you for reading these beautiful stories.

Quick Updates for Highlights of Our Pubs

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:

I’ve launched a new series to help writers hit the literary stratosphere. Dr. Yildiz got the grand opening gig because I’ve got the scoop on his stellar stories. Now that I’m peeking behind the scenes as an editor and boost nominator, I’m trying to put as many writers in the spotlight as possible. Your thoughts on the story would be cosmic — let’s team up and make these tales shine like stars! I will do it for every boosted writer as soon as I get a chance. 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

They did the same thing to me. For those who missed the excitement, two days ago, I was happy the scary scam account that emulated my profile and tried to deceive my readers was removed. Those who missed the drama can read it from this link. Breaking News: My Clone Kicked the Bucket, and I’m Gleefully Celebrating It🎉

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 25K+ 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

Our senior editor Mike Broadly, DHSc joined the curation team and created new collections from his favorite stories that you may adore. He has amazing taste as an avid reader and has already created seven collections in such a short time. I loved his new collection earlier today.

Mike’s Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #17 Mike Broadly, DHSc

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 recently. Please explore their stories and they resonate with you may connect with them. This is a great opportunity for writers and readers to meet.,

Barb Chappell, Waqar Ahmad Khan, Ian Worrall, Caroline Arnold, Cameron N. Conner, Phil Williams, Anadi Rajawat, Frankie Pendles, Chase Dalton, Ben Stone, Severen Henderson, Shreepada Rao, Turi Sue, Ethan Warhol, Lover girl, Avijit Nagare, Jay Jones, Syed Zikrae Ali, Jennifer Cains, Edmund Settle, Marios, Erdal Turna, Satori Savant, Samuel Valente, Sandra Mosley, S.K Bach, Simon Shepherd, AnzaMalik, Șener Ali, Purvi Jajoo, Siddharth Saxena, Sifawu Usikalu, Francis Taylor, Art Of Sensuality, Nimisha Tripathi, Jane Anne, Bryce Genson, Daksh Pathak, Gabriella H., Nick Ceschin, Alloysius Davida (Skyfallgirl), William Adams, CT Strange, Victor Zexi He, S ESOOF SIDDIQ, rustian, Thomas Oppong, Mindset & Finance, Anna Lipatova, Abi Vikram, Archie Bee, Jonathon Cooper, Beau Stanley, Sebastian, Luma Alo, Charlie J 🕊️, Stan Byrdy, Shruti Katoch, Peter Tilsen, Briana Derry, MBA, Infostream, Mary Papas, Brandon Landgraf, Noriko Yanyan, Atlas, Chad Harvey, Sheamus Aaren, Agata Szymula, Martin Reaves, Melanie Cole, Lambert, Cortex Chronicles, Jociehall, Edge Ruler, Simon Harbour, Progress Pulse, Heidi Pyper, Shaheryar Chishty, Kanak Agrawal, Sasha Desideri, Sean Chandler, Huajing Shi, Ally Muller, MK, Gregg Zambrovitz, Rudy LB, Lily in Tech, George Tinari, huan huan chen, Cristina N, Rose Aguilar, Antonio Parente Jr, Kai Wenzel, Rory Smith, Tony Bapuji, Eternal Heart Connections, LLC, Aleena, My5min, Carter Anderson Lee, Shirems, Anastasia Lebedenko, Ratna chandrika, Matt Fujimoto, Jameson Clark, Roxana Penciu, Shona Cugat-Davies, Ekene, Douglas Soares de Andrade, The Idealist, Sunny Sun, Andy B. Hahn, Sandeep Singh Balyan, Douglas Kwon, Karen Marie Shelton, Shirems, Mikey’s Memories, Jekaterina Uļjanova, Kit Desjacques, Roger O’Keefe, I write because I love words!, Tamer Aydogdu, Dwight Myvett Jr, Ekant Mate (AWS APN Ambassador), Alexandra Christensen, Romanitaaelita, Sheree Liao

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

You may also check previously joined writers in the last two weeks from the attached onboarding packs. You never know who to meet.

Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28

Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #27

Here is our onboarding pack covering everything you need to know.

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. I also enjoy email marketing using Cliqly, which is my affiliate link.