To Highlight or Not to Highlight — Why is this a Question?

Summary

The article discusses the controversy surrounding the practice of highlighting text on Medium, particularly focusing on the figure of David Perlmutter, a prolific highlighter, and the community's varied reactions to this behavior.

Abstract

The Medium platform has been embroiled in a debate known as #highlightgate, where the act of highlighting text in articles has become contentious. The central figure in this debacle is David Perlmutter, who is noted for his extensive use of the highlighting feature, leading to him being labeled a "serial highlighter." While some writers appreciate highlights as a sign of engagement and resonance with their work, others find the practice excessive or annoying. The article delves into the perspectives of different writers, the potential implications of highlighting, and whether it has become a social faux pas on the platform. The author of the article, after exploring various humorous takes on the issue, concludes that highlighting is a personal choice and should be guided by authenticity. The author also expresses gratitude for the community connections formed as a result of the highlighting feature, despite the controversy.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the divisive nature of highlighting on Medium, with some writers valuing it as a form of appreciation and others viewing it as excessive.
There is a suggestion that David Perlmutter may be using an AI program to automate his highlighting, which could be a strategic move to increase his visibility on the platform.
Despite the debate, the author defends the practice of highlighting, seeing it as a way to foster community and show resonance with the content.
The author expresses gratitude to David Perlmutter for his highlights and recognizes his contributions to the Medium community, regardless of the controversy.
Highlighting is seen as a habitual and authentic way for the author to engage with content, especially given their role as a publication editor who actively reads, highlights, and comments on submissions.
The article's author admits to benefiting from #highlightgate by discovering new writers and content, which has enriched their experience on Medium.
The author encourages readers to maintain their authenticity in choosing whether or not to highlight, emphasizing personal choice over community norms.

Another debacle with Medium — will it ever stop?

Photo Credit: Pixabay

I am late to #highlightgate —Medium’s highlighting debacle, but I have discovered that David Perlmutter is the center of the scandal for being a “serial highlighter”.

Why is that even a thing? Some writers love the highlights, others have joked about them, but there are a few who find the highlights excessive and annoying.

I followed the rabbit down the hole — I will never learn

Unfortunately, I bit the carrot and went down the rabbit hole after reading To Highlight or Not to Highlight, That is the Question and Keeping David Perlmutter Busy and Off the Streets, and yes, Michael Burg, MD (AKA Medium Michael Burg) warned about going down the freakin’ hole. But, of course, my brain was like, “yaaay, we love rabbit holes,” so I leapt in…ugh, thanks to Doctor Funny 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️.

So, here I am with my own take on #highlightgate…no worries, there are no warnings as I am not linking any other stories in this piece. Well, perhaps one more, but not what you think.

So, what’s the deal with highlighting — why is this a thing?

I have always highlighted on Medium without second-guessing my actions. I assumed it showed the brilliant writers that I loved or agreed with their sensational words. Recently, after reading several funny stories about #highlightgate, I noticed that there have been a few stories with no highlights in them, yet they have a ton of comments and claps — what does that mean? Is there an option to turn off highlights or has highlighting now become faux pas? Or perhaps David Perlmutter unfollowed those writers, who the hell knows.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I understand, the beef is not about David’s highlighting per se — I have gathered that the beef is mostly about the fact that he highlights every single word or the first to highlight all the good parts of the articles.

Perhaps David created an AI program that tracks all the new stories for the writers that he follows, and it automatically highlights the articles for him — or perhaps at the click of a button. If so, that is fucking brilliant because his name will be everywhere on Medium — as it already has been lately. Hmmm, is this a #conspiracy?

With all the damn glitches that we see on Medium every day — claps disappearing, comments not registering correctly, skewed read and view stats — isn’t it better to highlight than not? I highlight all the time, especially because I run a publication — where I read, highlight, and comment on 95% of the submissions. And guess what, I don’t plan to stop because highlighting has become habitual for me.

In defense of highlighting — To highlight or not to highlight

I understand the frustrations that were expressed by some of the writers seeing their entire article filled with highlights, but as a writer, I embrace highlights because they mean that I said something that resonated with someone.

Isn’t that why we do this every day — connections that lead to reciprocity? I believe highlighting connects the Medium community. Hell, because of #highlightgate, I discovered some new writers that were not on my radar, so I am grateful that I leapt down that damn rabbit hole.

So, in defense of the great highlighter, David Perlmutter, I have no idea how many of my stories you have highlighted, but I am grateful for your highlights David — thank you.

After I discovered #highlightgate, I read your “About Me” story, and I found you to be an interesting person with some wonderful accomplishments. If highlighting is your thing, keep on doing what you do, and hey, if you have an AI program that can crack Medium’s algorithm, please send it my way.

To highlight or not to highlight — do whatever feels authentic to you.

Thank you for reading, and thank you to all the editors of ILLUMINATION for publishing my articles.

To Highlight or Not to Highlight — Why is this a Question?

Another debacle with Medium — will it ever stop?

I followed the rabbit down the hole — I will never learn

So, what’s the deal with highlighting — why is this a thing?

In defense of highlighting — To highlight or not to highlight

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