Summary

Sherry McGuinn expresses frustration over the poor reception of her recent Medium article about a CEO and contemplates the possibility of shadow banning affecting her visibility on the platform.

Abstract

Sherry McGuinn, a Chicago-area writer, is disappointed with the lack of engagement on her latest Medium story about a CEO's interests, which she believed would perform well. Despite including interesting details about the CEO, the article received minimal claps and comments, leading McGuinn to question her own popularity and the possibility of shadow banning on Medium. She observes a decline in the performance of her articles, with many receiving little to no attention, and she wonders if this is due to her not conforming to certain expectations. McGuinn also notes the success of other writers who may be more compliant, suggesting a correlation between conformity and visibility on the platform. She concludes by promoting her other works and inviting readers to subscribe to her newsletter.

Opinions

McGuinn is dissatisfied with the minimal engagement (300 claps and three comments) on her recent article about a CEO, which she felt deserved more attention.
She is skeptical about the fairness of the Medium platform, suspecting that she might be a victim of shadow banning due to not toeing the party line.
McGuinn believes that her content is being suppressed or overshadowed, as her articles are not receiving the visibility they used to, which she attributes to potential changes in Medium's algorithms or community guidelines.
She perceives a disparity in success between herself and writers who may be more aligned with Medium's mainstream or who engage in self-promotion (referred to as "boot lickers").
Despite her concerns, McGuinn remains defiant and encourages readers to engage with her work, suggesting that she takes pride in her writing and stands by her content.
She implies that the current state of Medium is not conducive to diverse voices, as evidenced by her own experience and the broader theme of "The Times They Are A'Changin'" by Bob Dylan, indicating a need for more significant change in the platform's treatment of writers.

SHITTY, SHITTY STATS

Someone Put Baby in a Corner

Ergo, I’m sharing my first screenshot here, ever

Geez. When I wrote my story about the boss of this place, which I’ve conveniently linked to below, I really thought it would take off. I don’t mean rocket me to Medium stardom or anything like that but for shit’s sake, 300 claps? And, three comments? Even in my poopiest months, I’ve done better than that.

Even the subject of said story failed to comment, although that didn’t surprise me. (Maybe he’d comment on YouTube?) And here I thought I was doing a nice thing by showing interest in the boss’s interests, you feel me?

What the ever-loving F is going on? Either he’s not very popular or I’m not. I’d prefer to believe the former because I’ve had some weak showings on this platform but what I’ve been seeing recently beats all.

You’ve heard of “shadow banning,” right? Well, if not, this is how Wikipedia explains it:

Exactly as the name implies, Wikipedia explains shadow banning thusly:

The practice of blocking or partially blocking a user or the user’s content from some areas of an online community in such a way that the ban is not readily apparent to the user, regardless of whether the action is taken by an individual or an algorithm. For example, shadow-banned comments posted to a blog or media website would be visible to the sender, but not to other users accessing the site.

Carumba. Do you think they would do that here? Practice such Dirty Dealings? I’m not the only writer who is fading into obscurity even while others are crowing about their success. You know. The boot lickers. Presumably, that’s why they’re successful and yours truly isn’t.

“The Times They Are A’Changin.” Not enough, Bob. Not nearly enough.

Now, the fact that the boss story tanked makes me wonder if I should, in the words of Bill Lumberg, “go ahead” and write another one. If he’s that uninteresting even though my inhuman friend unearthed what are supposed to be interesting factoids, perhaps that will reflect negatively on me, and shit, I don’t need that.

Look at this crap:

And this:

I just checked the story and there’s been virtually no new action. Nada. This started happening recently, to nearly everything I write. A story sits, gathers dust, and disappears. And, although I’ve never been properly compensated for my hard work, as far too many of us haven’t, the “situation” seems to be worsening before my eyes.

Now, I’ve never been one to obsess over stats and as I said, have never shared them, but my seemingly inevitable slide into the Medium abyss has me wondering just what the hell is going on. I’m not sufficiently tech-savvy in that I don’t understand the machinations involved in muffling writers but I’m certain many of you do.

Regardless, I don’t like being shoved into a corner because I don’t toe the party line. And, yeah, I’m taking it personally. Wouldn’t you? (All three of you?)

If you can handle it, read every one of my stories and those of other fab Medium writers. I’ll get a couple of shekels and you’ll have full access to this joint! https://sherrymcguinn.medium.com/membership Or, fuck it.

And if this story gave you goosies, please check out the ones I’ve conveniently linked to and my newsletter, Sherry Raw.

Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. She is currently pitching her newest screenplay, “The Month We Fell Apart,” a drama with dark, comedic overtones inspired by a true story, as well as “DEAD TIRED,” a female-driven, ass-kicking thriller.

SHITTY, SHITTY STATS

Someone Put Baby in a Corner

Ergo, I’m sharing my first screenshot here, ever

Getting to Know the CEO

Part 1: He’s into Ikigai, a Japanese concept that means “reason for being”

Where Are You, Writers?

I follow, but it appears you’re under wraps, much like me

How Low Can You Go?

Talk to my toilet.

Writers, Here’s the Best Piece of Advice You’ll Ever Get

And, it has nothing to do with making money

Concession

Own it