I wrote about this a while back too. It's a platform just like the others. And while everyone coming here is thankful it's not the other ones, the only way for it to grow is for more people to migrate from other places. Meaning the platform will inevitably change. The golden era will come to an end like it does for every platform we've witness come to market. It's important for creators to understand what these platforms stand for -- it's traffic.
Good analysis, though I think Medium is finished in terms of any significant income for the great majority of writers since changes made there in January. It is a real shame that there is not a platform owned and run by writers - it would need a lot of backing, technical expertise and very deep pockets!😀
I think Medium is actually in the process of reinventing themselves a bit and making a lot better, just not for the AI crap and low quality writing. But for good writing, readers, and, most importantly, subscribers which they will focus a lot more on.
Yes i read that. I don’t agree with everything. Some statements are false. But overall the point is valid. Obviously Substack is trying to grow their ecosystem with all the things they do and add. Some of those feature help us grow an audience. Some don’t. There’s always a tradeoff.
Your article makes a lot of sense - the relationship between creator and platform will always be a pro-parasitic one. The biggest advantage seems to be that your content nestles alongside other related pieces which in turn reduces friction on behalf of the consumer, but comes with the downside that your content nestles alongside other related pieces.
With this in mind would you recommend a cross platform approach- posting the same content on different platforms? If so which platforms would you recommend?
Yes, definitely crosspost. That’s always smart. I use Medium. And I think everybody should crosspost to Medium because it is a different system and you can make money there. If you can, it is also not a bad idea to cross post to a WordPress or Ghost blog.
Burk, what are your thoughts on Ghost? I've been debating it recently, does it have any real advantages over other alternatives or just self hosting my own blog/news site?
I wrote about this a while back too. It's a platform just like the others. And while everyone coming here is thankful it's not the other ones, the only way for it to grow is for more people to migrate from other places. Meaning the platform will inevitably change. The golden era will come to an end like it does for every platform we've witness come to market. It's important for creators to understand what these platforms stand for -- it's traffic.
Good analysis, though I think Medium is finished in terms of any significant income for the great majority of writers since changes made there in January. It is a real shame that there is not a platform owned and run by writers - it would need a lot of backing, technical expertise and very deep pockets!😀
I disagree.
I think Medium is actually in the process of reinventing themselves a bit and making a lot better, just not for the AI crap and low quality writing. But for good writing, readers, and, most importantly, subscribers which they will focus a lot more on.
Lex Roman, creator of Journalists Pay Themselves, has written about this too.
"How Substack steals your audience and your revenue—They're not just bad for humanity. They're bad for business."
https://journalistspaythemselves.com/p/how-substack-steals-your-audience-and-your-revenue
Yes i read that. I don’t agree with everything. Some statements are false. But overall the point is valid. Obviously Substack is trying to grow their ecosystem with all the things they do and add. Some of those feature help us grow an audience. Some don’t. There’s always a tradeoff.
Your article makes a lot of sense - the relationship between creator and platform will always be a pro-parasitic one. The biggest advantage seems to be that your content nestles alongside other related pieces which in turn reduces friction on behalf of the consumer, but comes with the downside that your content nestles alongside other related pieces.
With this in mind would you recommend a cross platform approach- posting the same content on different platforms? If so which platforms would you recommend?
Yes, definitely crosspost. That’s always smart. I use Medium. And I think everybody should crosspost to Medium because it is a different system and you can make money there. If you can, it is also not a bad idea to cross post to a WordPress or Ghost blog.
That's why even though I thought of deleting my blogger site, last minute, I listened to my conscience and decided to keep it
Burk, what are your thoughts on Ghost? I've been debating it recently, does it have any real advantages over other alternatives or just self hosting my own blog/news site?
It’s open source. It’s independent. You can host your blog there. And if you know your way around tech a bit you can even use it for free.
Have been thinking the same thing myself. It’s inevitable.
Enshittification is definitely coming. No telling exactly when, but eventually.
Interesting and inevitable, as you say. For now, I'll continue to connect, engage, and enjoy - when the changes come, I'll assess then!
Seems like we’re on the same page today! Good stuff.