MEDIUM

The Medium Purge — Why I’m Sticking to My Unusual Ways

My perspective on engagement without worry or panic

It’s been almost a week since the “Great Purge” of Medium. I’ve known many who have been banned and reinstated. Some of those wrote about being happy to return. Others felt violated and decided to leave possibly.

I wasn’t going to write anything on this topic since the ban didn’t personally impact me. After reading many different articles, views, and comments, I had some ideas swirling around. I decided to jot them down and put them out there.

I saw a lot of anxiety and angst within the community about not knowing what to do. Here’s what I have decided for myself. I’m not changing a thing.

I will continue reading the authors I’ve always read and commenting the way I previously have. Highlighting and clapping will always be a part of my engagement.

My erratic behavior

I read all different types of authors and genres. Generally, I clap 50 times, particularly if I subscribe. However, sometimes I read an article and don’t clap at all. Sometimes, I will extensively provide my thoughts and highlight. Other times, my responses are more brief. On rare occasions, I read without any engagement at all.

I always reply to those who respond to my stories and will continue to do so. I’ve never reached the 100-comment limit and do not plan to.

I read many of the same authors but also explore new ones. Sometimes, they read me back, and sometimes, they don’t. I continue to read them sporadically if I like them, regardless. I may even follow and subscribe to get their stories.

I usually don’t read everything an author writes, even those I subscribe to. But there might be a rare few. I only follow those individuals I want, and I do not subscribe to follow for follow. Therefore, my followers/following ratio is not way out of proportion.

The pattern in my behavior is pretty clear. It’s unpredictable. It doesn’t feel like bot behavior or read-for-read.

What we can do

Here’s what I would suggest:

If you participated in any kind of reading group, especially those on the platform where the rules required clapping 50 times, highlighting, and leaving a comment with specific reading assignments, I would suggest you stop doing that immediately. That is the definition of manufactured engagement.
If you tend to skim articles, maybe leave a comment, clap, or highlight, and consistently stay on the page for under 30 seconds, please don’t — just don’t. That suggests either bot behavior or you’re just looking to get a read in return for your minimal effort.
If you’ve encountered challenges with comments and find yourself needing a lawyer on retainer, you might consider adjusting your approach to minimize potential issues.
If you use any automated system to clap, comment, or for any other purpose on the platform, you should worry and cease any related behavior.
If you tend to ONLY interact with those who read and engage with your material, that can appear as a manufactured type situation. You may want to expand out a bit.
Mass following without ever reading the author and hoping to get a follow-back could be considered spam. Many of us started blocking and reporting this.
Constantly clapping and running on articles or clapping on articles without ever opening them — also spam.

What does the algorithm look for? For those of you hoping Medium will provide that information, I don’t think they will. Explaining what they look for will allow individuals to work around the filters.

This is likely why they didn’t say anything before implementing the massive sweep.

What’s next

I am in no way blaming any author who was suspended. I believe that somehow, fairly or not, the filter was triggered.

For those of us who aren’t prolific engagers, we have nothing to worry about. You can highlight, clap, and comment to your heart’s content. Unfortunately, those who spend significant time on here may need to modify their behavior to avoid being caught in the crosshairs again.

I know the pushback will be, but I pay to be on this platform to read and interact with authors.

I get it — believe me, I do. I worked in higher education, where I had little control over anything, including the implementation of software that directly impacted me and my work. I can say, without fail, it never went as planned. Unfortunately, I had no say and either had to adapt or quit my job.

What we can control

While adjusting our behavior due to recent changes may seem frustrating, it’s important to remember that, at its core, Medium is ultimately a business. Even though we pay a subscription fee, they decide how they regulate content and accounts.

It is, however, our decision on what we do with that:

We can go on with business as usual, as I plan to.
We can modify our behavior to avoid triggering any filters. Remember, this is only needed if you are engaging in behavior that is likely to trigger it in the first place.
We can decide to leave altogether.

I hope that my Medium peeps decide to stay. But I totally understand if they choose not to, and I support their decisions. In the end, we must do what is best for ourselves and our well-being.

The only guarantee I’ve found on Medium is there are none. My experience navigating the constant and ever-changing landscape here is that our only control is our choice to adapt and move forward — in whatever form that takes.

P.S. — If you found this relatable or interesting, why not hit the follow button and subscribe? It’s like building a little community, and you’ll be the first to know when there’s something new.

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