avatarjulian rogers

Summary

There is an ongoing exodus of publications from Medium to other platforms, with many either completely moving or maintaining a minimal presence on Medium.

Abstract

The article discusses a significant migration of publications away from Medium. Notable publications like The Awl, The Billfold, The Hairpin, The Ringer, Thrive Global, Pacific Standard, Backchannel, and Film School Rejects have either fully transitioned to platforms like WordPress, Vox Media, or their own sites, or are in the process of doing so. Some, like The Hairpin and Think Progress, are still publishing on Medium despite announcements of their departure. The reasons for this exodus are not explicitly stated but are implied to be related to Medium's revenue model and the publications' desire for greater control over their content and revenue streams.

Opinions

  • The author implies a sense of urgency or bandwagon effect among publications leaving Medium, coining the term "FOMOOGO" (Fear of Missing Out on Getting Out) to describe the sentiment.
  • There is a hint of skepticism regarding The Ringer's move to Vox Media, with the author noting the continued use of Medium links and the slight redesign of their logo, which they found less appealing.
  • The author suggests that the publications' departures are not clean breaks, with some maintaining a presence on Medium while simultaneously establishing themselves on new platforms.
  • There is an underlying question about the wisdom of staying on Medium, as evidenced by the article's title and the repeated inquiry, "Are we idiots?"
  • The author points out the irony of Huffington Post's minimal use of Medium, treating it as a repository rather than a primary platform, and ceasing the publication of new content well before Medium's shift in revenue strategy.
  • The article conveys a sense of uncertainty and anticipation about the future of Medium and the next steps for those who remain, suggesting that the answer to "where are we gonna go next?" will also answer the questions of who will be next to leave and why some are still on the platform.

Will the last one on Medium remember to turn out the lights?

We’re still here. Are we idiots?

There’s an exodus going on. A real occurrence. Publications are leaving Medium en masse. Several are already gone. Some will be gone. Others still set up shop elsewhere and aren’t posting much — if any — new content on the Medium platform.

This isn’t FOMO. This is more like FOMOOGO: fear of missing out on getting out. To make this clear as mud, those that have left / are leaving aren’t making clean breaks.

The Awl was/is …

… now returned to WordPress.

The Billfold was/is …

… now returned to WordPress.

The Hairpin has supposedly left Medium:

… but is still publishing on the platform. And yet they’ve “moved” to Wordpress:

The Ringer moved to Vox’s platform (in May). I think. Google “The Ringer” and it takes you to:

Which is right here on Medium (Yes, you’re still on Medium right now, in case you’re wondering). The links from The Ringer’s Twitter and Facebook channels also take you right back to Medium, so I guess we’re still waiting for The Ringer to debut on Vox. (Can’t wait for all those ads!)

UPDATE Aug. 8: The Ringer is now “reloaded” on Vox Media:

The Ringer also decided to slightly redesign their logo on the news ite, and found a way to make it uglier.

Thrive Global is occupying dual spaces, on new solo platform:

… and still on Medium, but no new content since June 21:

Pacific Standard appears to have made a clean break. No longer on Medium, but here:

Backchannel, formerly on Medium, is now on WIRED as of mid-June 2017:

… but is keeping (for now) a placeholder landing page to redirect to the new magazine on WIRED.

The Huffington Post never really made the switch to Medium, but treated it like a repository for re-posting content:

It’s hard to tell what they were ever really doing here. HuffPo hasn’t added any new content to their Medium publication since Sept. 2016, so they quit (although they’re still hanging around) well before Ev Williams announced the new revenue(less) model for Medium at the beginning of the year.

Slated to depart Medium on Aug. 1 yet still currently publishing: Think Progress

Thanks to Caleb Ramsby for the Think Progress tip.

Film School Rejects is still here for now …

… but they’ve made the switch to WordPress for advertising revenue.

Thanks to Justin Cox 🍩for the Film School Rejects note.

So who’s next? And why are we still here? Perhaps more importantly, where are we gonna go next? The answer to the last question is the answer to the previous two.

Also by Julian Rogers

Follow Marketing Communications Leadership right here on Medium.

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