avatarFrank Ontario | empathy, logic, love.

Summary

The website content is an author's reflection on their experience with Medium's community, emphasizing mutual support, engagement, and learning through reading and writing.

Abstract

The author welcomes Medium community members and discusses the platform's role as a support system for writers and readers. They express enthusiasm for discovering excellent writing and actively engage with the community by reading, commenting, and clapping for others' work. The author shares their journey on Medium, from being a sporadic poster to a more involved participant after joining a publication. They value the diverse range of content available on Medium, from advice and personal stories to science fiction and poetry, and consider their followers as part of a community. The author advocates for reading to follow, preferring to engage with writers who have a passion for their subject matter. They also discuss the significance of claps on Medium, sharing their evolution from giving a single clap to embracing the 50 clap practice as a form of support and encouragement. The author acknowledges the importance of respectful dialogue, learning from criticism, and the joy of community-based learning.

Opinions

  • The author views Medium as a community-based platform that supports writers and readers, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support.
  • They appreciate high-quality writing across various genres and believe that even a mildly interesting subject can be captivating with excellent writing.
  • The author emphasizes the importance of engagement beyond just following, such as commenting, clapping, and participating in discussions.
  • They have a positive view of the feedback and learning process that comes from community interactions, including constructive criticism.
  • The author has a generous approach to clapping, choosing to give 50 claps to show support, unless they don't understand the writing, which is rare.
  • They see followers not just as numbers but as part of their community and are more likely to read the work of those who engage with their content.
  • The author values respectful debates and is open to admitting mistakes or expanding on their ideas based on community feedback.
  • They have a philosophy of letting go and forgiveness, both for themselves and others, recognizing the futility of insisting on being right.
  • The author is a proponent of lifelong learning within the context of the Medium community, finding joy in the exchange of ideas and perspectives.

Medium Community Members, Welcome

Making the Most of Medium’s Writers/Readers Community

Photo by "My Life Through A Lens" on Unsplash

Feel The Support and Give Back

Medium is a support system for promoting the reading and writing of community members’ works. We are a community-based system for supporting all writers and readers; a social media platform for writers. As a community member, I read others’ works and I hope that they read my work. I love exploring through reading. I feel electrified when I read superlative writing on a subject I love. Even if the subject is mildly interested, dazzling writing that flows, that plays with words is such a gas.* I spend quality time commenting on and supporting others in their work through responses and 50 claps for all (unless I don’t understand the writing- a rare occurrence). To date, I have written almost 3,000 responses to others’ works.

How I Came to Be on Medium. And What of It?

One of my clients recommended that I write for and read stories on Medium. Originally, I wrote old-school essays that were easily a 20-minute read. I posted one piece every three to four weeks or so. I had a wee bit of followers. Likewise, I do read advice pieces to find the gems. Being the “Old Coot” that I am in my 70s, I’ve been around the block a few million times, I feel I have understanding and maybe some wisdom. Do the advice stories offer something new that is not in my toolkit? Oh Yes, oh yes, oh yes… One such “advice” person based on his experiences is Alberto García 🚀🚀🚀. He offers good advice and I learn new gems from him. I may know plenty of tidbits, but the mysteries of life I know little, and consider myself a student of everyday life. I began writing in earnest on March, 21st of 2021 with Know Thyself, Heal Thyself publication. My first piece of writing within a publication on Medium had more success than when I sporadically posted. I felt supported and encouraged by the first story (and still do):

On Reading

In people, I read regularly, I find their writing is very good to excellent and their subject matter is highly engaging from advice, personal stories (like Ravyne Hawke), slice of life adventures (am thinking of Rebecca Romanelli stories), inspirational (Diana C. & Melanie J.), fiction, science fiction (Lee David Tyrrell is a world-builder in the science-fiction genre), fantasy, channeling (Jean Carfantan and Out Of Thin Air), poetry (Marcus aka Gregory Maidman & jules - Miz Mindful), science based stories, fictional (Blaine Coleman) and non fictional vignettes to name a few. I love stories on spiritual topics, especially about energy. Energy could be alternative energies in tech fields such as batteries, geothermal power to 5D ascension energies, the cultivation of light and love on higher planes. I am a top writer in Energy — personal and spiritual energies.

On Followers

Pene Hodge once wrote that she considers the people who follow her as part of her community. She transformed my thinking about followers. What do you think Tony Stubblebine about “Community Participants” instead of followers? Publications are a kind of community within the larger Medium community.

When somebody follows me, I often wonder why they have not read any of my writings. Has Medium become like Facebook in some small part, where many are hungry for followers? Do they deny themselves the richness of reading for wondrous participation by focusing on followers exclusively?

I read to follow. If who I follow has a joy and a purpose for writing, I am thrilled to share with them, and feel inspired. I may offer suggestions for expansion on their marvelous premises and so on. I love a good Socratic dialog / questions and answers. Probing a topic with questions and answers sometimes leads to deeper and consciousness expanding answers — that in-turn led to more questions. Learning in the context of community is so much fun. I love the people that dialog with me in the responses.

After all, “Life is for Learning”. Right?

Of the people who follow me and read my work, I feel they are part of a community, (our community). And those that comment / respond to my work favorably or with accolades, I am more likely to read their work to what kind of exciting topics they are offering. Even if they are critical, and I have been blind to something in my story — I am willing to admit to mistakes. Or if people engage with me in a respectful debate, I will engage (time permitting). When people do not behave respectfully and don’t get or refuse to get it out of a lack of ethical behavior, I have blocked one person.

I’ve learned to let go and forgive myself and others for hanging on too tightly to being right.

On Claps

I wrote two stories on claps; one was an attempt at humor:

When I started on Medium I clapped only 1 time — the newbie thing. In the above piece I forgot to clap for the responses. I have remedied that with the 50 clap solution (it was during my sleep deprived nights that seemed to last for years).

The second claps story is a kind of rags to riches story (my 1 clap to 50 claps):

I had rules about clapping. Read the above piece if you want to know why I threw out the rules and clap 50 times for everyone — as long as I can adequately understand the writing. When I think about all the negative criticism I’ve gotten since 6th grade when I started writing, I’m so relieved for the support I get for my writings now on Medium in publications like.

Know Thyself, Heal Thyself Illumination and all the the publications within the Illumination Family My Unpopular Opinion Writers’ Blokke Our Soul in Words

and many, many more…

Thanks all. I’m sorry I may not have mentioned you. If you’d like to be included write me a note in the responses.

*Correction

the error in bold italic: Even if the subject is mildly interested, dazzling writing that flows, that plays with words is such a gas.

the correction in bold-italic reads as: Even if the subject is mildly interesting, dazzling writing that flows, that plays with words is such a gas.

Medium
Support
Sharing
Community Engagement
Life Lessons
Recommended from ReadMedium