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Abstract

rk</b> / Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@nate_dumlao?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Nathan Dumlao</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/couch-potato?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="d32d">But instead I become very <b>active</b> and <b>agitated</b>, searching for stories I’m actually interested in from writers I know and love.</p><p id="d656">So I have to completely ignore the whole feed and use the <b>search bar</b>, like I’m some random shopper on <b>Google</b>, and search for single writers at a time I might want to read. Or I will do a search under publication, which will at least give me a <b>few</b> stories that might capture my interest.</p><figure id="ab87"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*u6uZdirfvUIsnmFzWWcChA.png"><figcaption><b>Me having to do a search by publication</b> / Image by Author</figcaption></figure><p id="c5e5">Could this be one of the reasons all of our stats are <b>tanking</b>? If we’re on our mobiles, and we are passively reading, we aren’t even giving love to the writers we most enjoy.</p><p id="bd74">Instead of a meritocracy, we are <b>force-fed</b> an arbitrarily chosen handful of stories that are often plain bad or uninteresting, and should not be getting clicks. Or they are <b>lukewarm pieces</b> that you end up reading in full because you are a dead tired passive reader in full couch potato mode, and then you even end up <b>clapping</b> on it like a fully fried <b>zombie</b>, because you are so out of it that you are just going through the motions.</p><figure id="3ade"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*ucz5G_rqgJ3oVT9vPj2LGA.jpeg"><figcaption><b>Passively reading your arbitrarily chosen Home Feed </b>/ Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@heftiba?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Toa Heftiba</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/couch-potato?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="12a1"><b><i>And meanwhile this precious time could have been spent on writers you actually admire.</i></b></p><p id="56a5">And I’ve also

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noticed the Home Feed plays a great deal of <b>favoritism</b> to particular writers, recirculating and recycling their stories <b><i>ad nauseum</i></b>.</p><p id="77b0">Have you noticed this too?</p><p id="1b65">I won’t name names, but I’m sure you are familiar with some of Medium’s <b>favorites</b>. It is so bad sometimes, I start to wonder if these writers have <b>inside connections </b>to the top Medium Brass.</p><p id="96f7">Some of the names <b><i>I don’t even follow</i></b>. Never have. And yet I’m hesitant to block them, as I’m not a person who likes to close doors. Maybe I will start blocking them.</p><p id="dd4c">What is <b>your experience</b> with the home feed lately, especially when on your mobile? Are you a passive reader, or do you find yourself having to use the search function for writers and publications you like? Let me know in the comments section below.</p><p id="1ac3"><b>© Carlo Zeno 2022</b></p><p id="0ebf">__________________</p><p id="94e2">Thanks for reading, and thank you to Illumination for providing this space. If you’d like to support, you can do so <a href="https://ko-fi.com/carlozeno7575"><b>here</b></a>, or check out more work below.</p><div id="9c22" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/a-top-writers-unclapping-purge-3d2dcdd81826"> <div> <div> <h2>A Top Writer’s Unclapping Purge</h2> <div><h3>The revenge of an unhappy clapper</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*91Fz-XMqAWPvEQ_Q)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="7a50" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/mediums-hidden-gems-a6162aff03ca"> <div> <div> <h2>Medium’s Hidden Gems</h2> <div><h3>Some great writers you may have missed</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*hojCfM4QWb7Drk1c)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Medium App Blues

My Home Feed Has Gotten Worse

If this were a dating app, I’d be in trouble

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend lately. My home feed on Medium has been offering up less and less attractive crap on its platter. The feed tries to imply these recommendations are “based on my reading history” .

Never mind that my reading history includes whatever the home feed last time shoved in my face which I happened to click on in a moment of unguarded exhaustion after work.

Alternatively, the algorithm-infused feed will get really lazy and justify its recommendation with the carelessly flung phrase “popular on Medium” or “selected for you”.

Selected for me??

**Chosen by the algorithm just for you** / Photo by Slim Emcee on Unsplash

As if I’m supposed to feel flattered, or special, or seen and heard.

This is for me?

But then I find out the carefully chosen story designed for my eyes alone couldn’t be further from my interests. Now I’ve just wasted a scroll, view, click, and a precious minute of my time.

And if I’ve worked all day I’m tired and rely on the couch potato experience of passive reading.

**My attention span after work** / Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

But instead I become very active and agitated, searching for stories I’m actually interested in from writers I know and love.

So I have to completely ignore the whole feed and use the search bar, like I’m some random shopper on Google, and search for single writers at a time I might want to read. Or I will do a search under publication, which will at least give me a few stories that might capture my interest.

**Me having to do a search by publication** / Image by Author

Could this be one of the reasons all of our stats are tanking? If we’re on our mobiles, and we are passively reading, we aren’t even giving love to the writers we most enjoy.

Instead of a meritocracy, we are force-fed an arbitrarily chosen handful of stories that are often plain bad or uninteresting, and should not be getting clicks. Or they are lukewarm pieces that you end up reading in full because you are a dead tired passive reader in full couch potato mode, and then you even end up clapping on it like a fully fried zombie, because you are so out of it that you are just going through the motions.

**Passively reading your arbitrarily chosen Home Feed** / Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

And meanwhile this precious time could have been spent on writers you actually admire.

And I’ve also noticed the Home Feed plays a great deal of favoritism to particular writers, recirculating and recycling their stories ad nauseum.

Have you noticed this too?

I won’t name names, but I’m sure you are familiar with some of Medium’s favorites. It is so bad sometimes, I start to wonder if these writers have inside connections to the top Medium Brass.

Some of the names I don’t even follow. Never have. And yet I’m hesitant to block them, as I’m not a person who likes to close doors. Maybe I will start blocking them.

What is your experience with the home feed lately, especially when on your mobile? Are you a passive reader, or do you find yourself having to use the search function for writers and publications you like? Let me know in the comments section below.

__________________

Thanks for reading, and thank you to Illumination for providing this space. If you’d like to support, you can do so here, or check out more work below.