I think since you are able to make so much money writing code, and have the technical know-how to do the outreach beyond Medium you’re talking about, you may not appreciate how those of us whose talents are limited in the technical and marketing areas see things. I used to post a lot of my Medium articles on ManyStories, but I have no idea whether or not it was of much benefit to me.

My Medium stories only make money if members read them. I have a free newsletter on Substack and a website, but I’m not interested in spending a lot of time on that until I have something to promote like a book, or (God help me) a podcast or YouTube channel. I’m not much of a candidate for a blog since I write on a wide variety of topics.

For many of us, Medium provides a great learning experience. In just over 18 months on the platform, I’ve come a long way. There have been only two months where I didn’t make at least $100. I got the $500 bonus for June. Fingers crossed for July. My membership fee is a bargain. I’ve had access to information a lot of people pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for in paid courses just by reading stories on Medium.

I’m in my 60s. I’ve worked for startups and going concerns and I’ve learned one thing. The people at the top are always, first and foremost, in it for the money. Their investors demand it. If they do really well, they start non-profits, which might do a bit more good for others, but even they are primarily a vehicle for preserving wealth and wielding power. I don’t kid myself that Medium is going to have my best interests at heart unless it’s in its best interests to do so.

You’ve provided much food for thought here, but many of us just aren’t the right audience for it. I don’t have the desire or very likely the ability to obtain the technical knowledge for me to understand the platform as you do. I’m happy here at the moment. If I ever get too big to benefit from writing here, I no longer will. In the meantime, it’s paying my property taxes and that’s just fine with me. I do appreciate your efforts on our behalf, however.