The Pain of Losing Substantial Subscribers in a Single Day

Learning the truth behind this disappointment relieved my concern and enhanced my compassion, but we need action as a community.

Ever since I joined this platform, my profile has consistently attracted new subscribers with each new story or curated collection I post. Notably, I’ve never experienced a loss in followers or subscribers since I began writing here. Nevertheless, recently, I noticed a significant drop in subscribers, which naturally raised concerns for me.

At first, I was inclined to believe I had made a significant error, prompting me to scrutinize my recent stories and curated collections. Perhaps I overlooked some senior moments or encountered interruptions from my overenthusiastic grandchildren while working.

Later, I reached out to my long-term and insightful mentor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, who introduced me to this platform, seeking clarity on why I experienced a significant loss in subscribers. He taught me that subscribers are important to becoming a successful writer on this platform.

When I humorously mentioned the possibility of a ‘booboo,’ he chuckled before delving into a serious conversation. Dr. Yildiz reassured me, stating, “Mike, there’s nothing amiss with your writing or stories. Your thoughtfulness always shines through. It’s an external situation that has affected everyone.”

Intrigued by the situation, I pressed for more details. Given his rapid access to news within our editorial team, Dr. Yildiz informed me that Medium recently uncovered fraudulent activity, resulting in the suspension of accounts for a significant number of members. Similar fraudulent activity on Medium occurred last October, but it did not impact my subscribers. Perhaps it was a smaller scale.

The revelation eased my concerns about the subscriber loss yet left me with a sense of sadness. It became apparent that among the suspended members were individuals who had genuinely engaged with my content.

Learning that even legitimate members, including a good friend who has served as our editor for over four years, faced suspensions troubled me deeply. Knowing her as a professional accountant in the UK and a spiritual person, I find it inconceivable that she would engage in any fraudulent activity on this platform. I firmly believe that her account was erroneously suspended. Therefore, my compassion grew for the accidental cases.

I just read a testimonial about this editor by Dr Yildiz and I want to link it here for those who know this valuable member.

My Main Reason to Write this Short Story

This narrative transcends the count of my subscribers. I am not driven by vanity metrics like follows or claps. My aim is genuine engagement, seeking collective insights, and nurturing communal happiness.

After reading Dr. Yildiz’s story titled My Informed Perspectives on Recent Account Suspensions on Medium, my views on victims and Medium underwent a significant shift. Like him, I hold deep empathy and compassion for those who become victims of circumstances.

My own experience of having my account accidentally suspended last month left me feeling terrible. Concerned for my well-being, my adult children urged me to quit Medium, fearing it could negatively impact my mental health during my retirement years.

I acknowledge their concerns, but I find community involvement to be invaluable for maintaining my sanity, honing my writing skills, and contributing to the well-being of fellow members.

As a retired scientist, I understand that everything in life carries inherent risks. Being part of a community on this platform is no exception. It’s a global community, and unfortunately, there will always be individuals who attempt illegal actions, undermining the integrity of the platform and causing distress to members, as I’ve experienced multiple times.

For instance, my account has been duplicated six times by spammers trying to deceive my readers, an experience that left me feeling awful. Additionally, some spammers persistently post irrelevant content and self-promotions, polluting the topic pages. Same thing happened to Dr Yildiz multiple times and he informed the members.

However, what struck me most profoundly in Dr. Yildiz’s new story about significant suspensions was related to the massive challenges that Medium faces, challenges of which I was previously unaware.

In essence, Medium is being abused and misused by numerous individuals who exploit its open, inclusive, and diverse platform.

These bad actors continuously strain the resources of the organization, causing not only financial burdens but also tarnishing the reputation of a legitimate and inclusive platform. As a result, my empathy and compassion for Medium have grown after reading Dr. Yildiz’s well-balanced account.

Most importantly, Dr. Yildiz highlighted the appeal process by quoting the important message of Director Buster Benson regarding an appeal process. It is through help.medium.com, as Dr Yildiz clearly pointed out with clear explanations without being defensive.

I am very encouraged to learn about a fair appeal process and firmly believe that Medium will thoroughly assess each appeal, making informed decisions to retain the good actors and remove the bad ones.

As my following is still limited, I kindly ask my fellow Friends of Medium to share this vital story so that it reaches the victims and they can benefit from the appeal process, and hopefully the accounts of good members will be restored timely.

I would also appreciate your feedback on how we can enhance this platform to be more secure, reliable, and enjoyable for legit members.

Lorwen Harris Nagle, PhD, Derya Gungor, Ph.D., Dr. Gabriella Korosi, David Mokotoff, MD, Antonio Segovia, MD., Dr. Julian Barkan, Dr John Frederick Rose, Martha Manning, Ph.D., Wayne Stelk, PhD, Dr. Christine Chuckle, Michael Burg, MD (Satire Sommelier), Livia Dabs RN,MSc, Ali Alzahrani, Editor, Rebecca Romanelli, David B. Grinberg 🇺🇸, Pernoste & Dahl,Gill McCulloch, Rui Alves, Marcus Musick, Annelise Lords, Elaine Hilides, Bill Abbate, Luay Rahil, Jill Ebstein, Libby Shively McAvoy, Tom Kane, Deborah Camp, Marcus aka Gregory Maidman, Scarlet Ibis James 🦩, The Sturg, Øivind H. Solheim, Brian Dickens Barrabee, Sherry Atkinson, Haimish Mead, Seda Anbarcı, Elizabeth Emerald, Dawn Ulmer, Sven Vandenberghe, tarun bhatt, Angie Mangino, The Bumble Life, Zeem, Barbara J. Martin, Jay Squires, Fiona McDerment, Rick Allen, Akaahan Terungwa, Britni Pepper, Tree Langdon, Mariana Busarova, Daniela Dragas, john creed, Meghan E. Gattignolo, Britt H., Shanté Nixon, Darlene López, Arosa Jabein, James Boylan, Ivylockewrites, Kashi Writes, Robin Christine Honigsberg, Lysandros Lysandrou, Alina Pitt, NADINE H, Senetta Diane, Misty Rae, Wesley van Peer, Hira Chaudhry, Anshul Kummar, Charles Davie, Ani Vals, Cancer Husband, Pete J J, Jake Roper, B.R. Shenoy, Sweet Honeylu, Yana Bostongirl, Alyce, Nedelcu Alina, FranMorelandJohns. Lovely Poems, Sanjay Singhal, Michael Zwierzanski, Patricia Ross, Matthew Bamberg, Leon Macfayden, Justiss Goode — 2.0, Prasanna Srinath Subhasinghe, Harry Hogg, Stories From the Mountain, Vasilena V. Delaney Patterson, David Rudder, Javad Oftadeh, Ruby Noir 😈, Momentum,✅ Doc Samurai Sam, Frank Ontario | empathy, logic, love. Jamel Hendley/Greenviool/PawProfits, Oksana Kukurudza’s Sunflowers Rarely Break, diana swezy, and my favourite collaborator Aiden (Illumination Gaming).

Many thanks also to ILLUMINATION editors and ILLUMINATION-Curators for amplifying this story in editorial bulletins.

Thank you for reading and sharing my story. I wish you all the best.

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