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Can we all stop using Medium now?

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Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#31

Post by joegahona »

regnerba wrote: post #24
_seemethere wrote: post #8

Not everyone has the time to create their own platform and curation network. That's the reason why people will keep using Medium. We need to stop acting like it's easy to build these types of platforms.

The struggle for me in understanding why people use Medium is that I am a reader of Medium articles, but I only find them when posted on Reddit, HackerNews, or when they come up on a Google Search. So as far as I can tell it wouldn't matter if it was posted on Medium or a personal blog on their own site.

Medium has a built-in audience so the number of people who will see a particular post and share it on Reddit, HackerNews, etc., is higher than if you just host it on Wordpress and do all the marketing yourself.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#32

Post by sdan »

_seemethere wrote: post #8

Not everyone has the time to create their own platform and curation network. That's the reason why people will keep using Medium. We need to stop acting like it's easy to build these types of platforms.

Use Ghost. It's free, given you have a server set up.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#33

Post by regnerba »

throw007 wrote: post #27

I'm writing on Medium because its rank well on Google. I have several articles about the product I'm selling that rank 1-5 on Google and it gives me a lot of customers. It'll take me a lot of time to build my own website and content that gives me the same result. So, there's that. Sorry, not a native speaker.

No need to be sorry. Your English is fine and what you said makes perfect sense. As someone who doesn't post on Medium this is great in helping understand why people use it. So thank you for sharing.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#34

Post by snazz »

throw007 wrote: post #27

I'm writing on Medium because its rank well on Google. I have several articles about the product I'm selling that rank 1-5 on Google and it gives me a lot of customers. It'll take me a lot of time to build my own website and content that gives me the same result. So, there's that. Sorry, not a native speaker.

That is an important feature. Not having to convince Google that your domain isn’t a spam cesspool is a major advantage of most any centralized blog/CMS platform (but especially one as major as Medium). Write.as doesn’t seem to work as well for this purpose yet, unfortunately.

And your English is plenty easy to understand, no need to apologize about that.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#36

Post by dickeytk »

DoctorOW wrote: post #22
knrz wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah man, I considered turning it on for no reason in particular. Asked me for bank account routing info. Wasn't interested about it that much. Definitely not on by default.

The partner program isn't on by default, the paywall is. You do not need to be part of the partner program for the paywall. Source: https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018834314-Stori...

What on earth are you talking about? From the link you posted:

> Stories become eligible to be part of the metered paywall if the writer selects that option in each story’s distribution setting. Medium will never meter a story without the writer’s permission.

> During the publish flow, you have the opportunity to check the box to be eligible for curation review and distribution across Medium. Checking this box means that your story is also eligible to be part of Medium’s metered paywall, and can earn money if you are in the Medium Partner Program.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#37

Post by _ps6d »

melling wrote: post #3

It’s halfway through the month and I’m blocked by Medium. It is a bit frustrating. I’m not sure about this comment though: “Learn to market yourself and your content. Quit being lazy waiting for Medium to do it for you.” Maybe I am lazy but there really isn’t an easy and inexpensive way to market your blogs or apps.

Just find a link to any article you want to read by searching Twitter (or even tweet it yourself). t.co links always bypass the paywall.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#38

Post by dickeytk »

troydavis wrote: post #12
dickeytk wrote: post #10

The main argument in this article doesn't apply unless the Medium writer enabled the partner program on the post. That's what enables the pay wall.

A huge percentage of the authors behind the paywall don’t realize that they are. It seems like Medium might have made this option less clear than it needs to be be (like by describing the benefits but not the drawbacks) or made it on by default.

Do you have a source for this "huge percentage"?

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#39

Post by gurlic »

sdan wrote: post #29
gurlic wrote: post #26

I'm currently working on an alternative to Medium. So far it has all the elementary things like a working editor, notes and highlights, a decent commenting system. There are publications too, with teams, submissions etc. User profiles and publications have custom domains, custom CSS for branding. There's also a somewhat half-working Github integration for advanced writers but I'll need to work on it a fair bit to pol…

As a person who blogs on certain areas in ML, the sole thing I look for in any platform is SEO. I tried going on Medium, but because of the lack of LaTex support, I had to go on my own blog, but I'd really like if there's an alternate to Medium with amazing SEO (as you explained).

That's definitely one of Medium's strengths and something I'd like to focus on when I find the time. I still have much reading to do about SEO in general.

LaTex, syntax/code was high on my priority-list while initially building my product since I wanted to primarily target technical writers.

Re: Can we all stop using Medium now?

#40

Post by MivLives »

regnerba wrote: post #28
ukulele wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Built-in audience of readers

I would be really curious how much of an effect that has. I have only ever gone to Medium because I followed a link to a post. Never because I was browsing Medium and found another article to read. I would be really curious if anyone who does post on Medium was able to offer some insights into where most their readers come from. Is it from people already on Medium or external. Don't know if they even have access to m…

I post on Medium. I don't really promote anything I write. I get around 50-100 views per thing I write. Why do I do it? Well honestly I have no where else in mind. I don't have any one looking for my blog, I'm not really going to spam Hacker News or Reddit, or Discord rooms with links to get organic outreach.

I just want somewhere nice I can post simple factual articles I enjoy writing. My articles aren't ones that show up behind the Medium paywall, I'm under no illusion there's money in it for me.

Medium can tell you where your readers come from.

Here's a Medium stat screen: https://imgur.com/a/8VhJEhJ

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