To Highlight or Not, and I Don’t Mean the Hair Type.

Here’s why I highlight and why you should too.

Actually, that’s not true, I’ve never highlighted or added any colour to my hair, (like ever!).

But that’s not the highlighting I mean.

I’m talking about highlighting articles here on Medium.

I have to admit that there’s some debate out about this one.

Non-Highlighters

There appears to be a group of firm non-highlighters. They never do and never will. It’s ah ah for them.

Jimmy Misner Jr. wrote a post about whether highlighting affects the algorithm — I think he is not so keen on highlighting and queries the value of it.

No Harm Highlighters

Then there are some who don’t see the harm in highlighting.

They dabble. A highlight here and there.

And then there are the rest.

Damn, Where is My Highlighter Highlighters.

In the real world, I was encouraged by tutors to highlight my textbook guides (I know! Shock. Horror. But the guides weren’t going to be used by anyone else afterward anyway, so don’t judge me).

Highlighting made it easy to find relevant information when I was writing assignments. I remember those textbooks covered in pretty pink highlights.

Let’s unpick this highlighting thing.

Is there any value in highlighting anyway?

Here’s what Medium says on the subject.

Medium has this highlight feature so you can use it to let the author know you like the passage.

When I read, I will highlight sentences. Maybe I found them interesting. Enjoyed the use of language. Play on words or something connected with me.

I do highlight, not as much as David Perlmutter (you can carry on David, I don’t mind, I know some don’t like it, but it does not bother me). BichoDoMato really gives David deserved due

What happens when you highlight someone’s work.

You will get notifications when someone highlights.

This could be when they highlight your work.

Or when they highlight someone else’s work which you also highlighted.

Then you get an email from Medium saying well done for elevating the best work. You get this warm glow inside but when you go and look, you realize it was not your work they were talking about. (Sigh.)

Does a highlight count as a read?

I have no idea. I wish I knew. A read means that the article has been read all the way to the end. I figure whilst I’m reading, if I leave a highlight at the start, it says I’ve begun reading. Midway — means I’m still reading and towards the end, means I have finished.

I wish we knew how Medium measures the reads or if highlighting has any value in this. If someone knows the answer please let us know.

Here are 3 reasons why I think highlighting is still a useful thing to do.

#3 It Helps You To Continue to Build Your Reader Engagement.

Here’s how.

What do you do with those highlight notifications?

I go and check out that writer. I see what they have written. I try to engage with them. They obviously liked what I wrote. I need to see if we connect and get them to come back again.

I will read something they wrote (I highlight their work of course) clap several times and leave a comment. I may even follow them if I think we are a good fit.

I have had readers come back to me this way and engage with other stories I wrote.

#2 It Helps To Keep Track of Articles Read.

I’ve been reading a lot. But sometimes, I can’t always remember everything I have read already.

Here’s what happens. I see an article and think that’s interesting. Although it sounds familiar I can’t be sure I haven’t read it already. It is only when I start to read, I realize I have already read it, (lol maybe clapped and commented). The story was so good, I had come back again. (Just me?)

Also thanks Medium (not) for suggesting something I have read already. I wish they wouldn’t do that. Makes me wonder if they do know what I have read? And if that read I already did has been counted as a read?

If I have highlighted before, then as soon as I start to read, then I know I have read this article already, as the highlight will show up. I can then go and read something else.

It is as simple as that, it helps me to keep a track of the articles I have read.

There is probably a better system out there and maybe someone will tell me, but for now, this works for me.

I have started to keep a list of stories I have read in a certain week thanks to the advice of Justiss Goode and her fab list system.

But I would have to go and check through those lists to see if I have read that story, so in my opinion, highlighting is useful.

#1 It Helps When Commenting.

If I have highlighted, then when I respond to a comment, I can use what I have highlighted to engage in a comment with the author.

Sometimes I get to the end of a story and think there was a phrase or sentence that struck me that I want to discuss with the writer. I have to go back and find it.

But if I have highlighted it I can go in click respond and that highlighted piece will show up in my comment. It is also useful if you want to tweet.

I’m a firm highlighter and I’m going to keep turning your articles into pretty colours. What do you think, are you are highlighter or not?

Thank you for reading.

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