Hey, here’s a list of some of the great things which have happened on Medium over the past decade! Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?
Matter, Medium’s original flagship publication, joins the platform.
Matter last published on Medium in December 2016, and never said goodbye.
The Message — a self-described “anarcho-collective writing group” featuring authors such as Sloane Crosley, Tressie McMillan Cottom, and Virginia Heffernan — launches on Medium.
The Message last published on Medium in May 2016, and never said goodbye.
Former Minnesota Viking Chris Kluwe weighs in on Gamergate for sports publication The Cauldron.
The Cauldron last published on Medium in February 2017… although they did finally say goodbye two years later.
We spin up the Medium Coronavirus Blog to share expert analysis, and The Verge dubs Medium “the best and worst” place for Covid-19 news.
The Medium Coronavirus Blog last published on Medium in June 2021, and never said goodbye despite the fact that this is an ongoing news story.
For OneZero, Matt Stroud exposes the CEO of Banjo’s neo-Nazi past, leading to his resignation.
OneZero last published on Medium in April 2022, and never said goodbye.
For Marker, Will Oremus explains why all the toilet paper went missing (and goes on MSNBC to talk about it).
Marker last published on Medium in April 2022, and never said goodbye.
When memoirist Elizabeth Wurtzel passes away in January, GEN publishes her final year, in her own words.
GEN last published on Medium in – guess what – April 2022, and never said goodbye.
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I’m sure with some of the above, you might be able to find a goodbye post from someone who worked on them. But that isn’t the point. The goodbye should obviously be on the publication itself where everyone will read it, not hidden away in a post elsewhere.
So, why is the above important? Let’s take a look at Medium’s about – sorry, “Our Story” page:
“The best ideas can change who we are. Medium is where those ideas take shape, take off, and spark powerful conversations. We’re an open platform where over 100 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Our purpose is to spread these ideas and deepen understanding of the world.
We’re creating a new model for digital publishing. One that supports nuance, complexity, and vital storytelling without giving in to the incentives of advertising. It’s an environment that’s open to everyone but promotes substance and authenticity. And it’s where deeper connections forged between readers and writers can lead to discovery and growth. Together with millions of collaborators, we’re building a trusted and vibrant ecosystem fueled by important ideas and the people who think about them.”
Authenticity? Connections? Trusted? All lovely words.
But how can you be authentic as a publication, if you just disappear without warning? Was what you were saying worthwhile, or not? How can you build connections between readers and writers, if you suddenly don’t hold up your end of the bargain, without explaining why? And how can you be trusted, if… well, I think you get the point.
Time and time again, the above happens on Medium. And let’s be clear – a load of publications suddenly disappearing at exactly the same time is nothing short of hilarious. But it is also an absolutely fantastic way to make it look like you have utter contempt for your readers. Sure, just abandon them without even telling them what’s going on. Again. And I would point out that Medium isn’t just a place where normal writers show up, write, and then get bored and drift off; many of the above publications were edited by people who work or worked for Medium.
If you never bothered to say goodbye to your loyal readers, did you ever really care about what you were doing at all? If you don’t want to communicate with your intended audience, can you really call yourself a writer? And if that’s unfair to individuals – and actually, the weight of evidence seems to suggest that it probably is – what the hell is the institutional problem at Medium that allows the above to happen over and over again?