The Glorious Reason I Joined Medium

(and why you should too)

I might have been living on a deserted island, but I didn’t really pay attention to Medium until February 2021. It was during that month that I began seeing Medium articles regularly pop up at the bottom of my blank Firefox browser tabs.

I always make a point of looking at the articles, “Recommended by Pocket” when I open a new tab. Although I know that it can waste some of my precious work time, I find amazing subjects to read and think about.

And, so it was that I ran out of Medium’s “free articles” in one day.

Slight Digression

Let me digress for a minute though. Running out of free articles happens to me a lot. I run out articles on Bloomberg, The New York Times, and many other sites on a regular basis.

What makes Medium unique?

So what was it about the Medium platform that made me want to pay the monthly fee?

Bloomberg and the New York Times have professional staffs with fancy photographers and fact checkers. These sites are also very reputable and can provide rich information about finance and world events. They have authors that have won Pulitzer prizes.

Yet, I signed up for Medium and not these other sites for one main reason: YOU.

YOU

Yes, I decided to become a Medium member because of the community, but not only that. Medium’s massive amount of writers (you) keep publishing fresh perspectives.

Of course we may have hundreds of stories about why XYZ person bought their first crypto currency or why someone started a side hustle. However, that not a weakness. In my view, that’s Medium’s strength.

I may read 10 articles written by 10 different people about the exact same topic, and by doing so, I will get 10 different perspectives on that topic. That’s awesome! The social scientist in me says, “That’s a focus group I didn’t have to put together.”

Basically, Medium’s community creates a collective intelligence, one that we can all tap into by reading each other’s articles, commenting, clapping, and following.

Reading is key!

Read articles from people you have read before, read new people’s articles, read articles on things you already know, read articles on subjects you know nothing about, read articles to inspire, and all this reading will help you become a better person.

How will Medium help me become a better person?

That may not become apparent immediately. It might be several days before something you have read “clicks” or, you might get lucky and read something that solves a problem you have right now. Either way, the power in Medium is in the varied community of writers from all walks of life, with all types of education, experiences, and world views.

When I joined Medium, I didn’t do so with the intention of writing articles, but the more I read, the more I felt compelled to join in the writing too. Finally, a month ago, I did, and I’m glad. I just hope that you get value from what I write, just as I do from what you write.

If you are not yet a member, please think of doing so. The benefits are great and beyond the scope of this particular article. Suffice it to say, I have learned so much, and each day I have the privilege to see new articles from authors whom I admire (i.e., Jan Sebastian, Yousuf Rafi, and Edina Abena Jackson). The real reason I joined Medium is that reading all your ideas helps me be a better person.

In the midst of all your reading today, please take care and enjoy your day.

If you do decide to become a member, please consider using my referral link by CLICKING HERE. Full disclosure: I would receive a $2.27/month for your subscribing. That would help me keep writing things that I hope you will enjoy.

If you liked this article, I would really appreciate you take a look at some of the few others I have written. I would love to get your feedback, as I just started writing on Medium.