Hey, Ev Williams. Have You Got A Minute?
We need to talk.
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Hey there, Ev. It’s been awhile. First let me say I love that you kicked all the dead weight from the platform. Bravo! And thank you! I have yet another wish list I’d like to run by you if I may.
Editing
I wish I knew how many times I was already editing a piece when another editor clicked on the same story link and began “editing”. I say “editing” for two reasons. First, seldom does the story ever get published by the other editor. I hit refresh, and it’s still sitting there. Unpublished and unedited. Don’t ask me. I think it’s beyond silly as well. A waste of time-mine and the writer waiting to be published.
Second, I’ve hit the refresh button and gone back in and edited the piece only to discover that the person who walked on my grave had already published it. Unedited. Sigh.
So how about a lock out? Is there someway your Medium tech crew could lock a submission once an editor is in it? If another editor tries the link, “This submission is being edited at this moment.” Or words to that effect.
If you don’t know about the great Cock Soup Recipe Disaster of 2021, then I won’t be the one to tell you about it now. But a lock out function would have been an excellent feature to have had in that case, let me tell you! #embarrassing
Searching
I literally have to use Google to find some of my own stories and stories of other writers because no matter how hard I try I can’t find them using Medium’s search engine. I’m sorry, but that’s just nuts.
I try searching by my name, by tags, by dates, and publications. I use the page that lists everything I’ve ever published in the last year. That’s nearly 500 articles, Ev. That’s a lot of digging trying to locate a story.
I searched for a co-editor’s article as I wanted to back-link it in one of my own. Couldn’t find it. And neither could he. To quote our currently sitting president,
Come on, man!
I don’t mind (much) not making (that) much money on the platform. I love to write. Always have. But does it have to be so hard?
Another search issue
How do I know what tag I’m a Top Writer in when I can’t locate that information anywhere? Even Google rolled its eyes at me when I asked. It just shrugged its shoulders and gave me no info. How can I brag and boast and write about my Top Writer status when I don’t even know what it is?
Come on, man!
Speaking of searching, one last thing…
Is there anyway that you can archive dead publications? And by dead I mean no longer actively publishing? And can you have a way to search for active publications so I don’t have to use TopPub because frankly, they suck.
The number of followers isn’t up to date when I thought it updated them daily. I’m on page six of TopPub currently looking for new-to-me publications because I am, once again, frankly bored silly with what I’m seeing on Medium.
Same old, same old, same old. *yawn*
This is how I made X last month!
This is how I gained X followers last month!
I got the Medium bonus!
I didn’t get the Medium bonus!
I lost X number of followers because of the purge!
I’m happy about the purge!
I’m mad about the purge!
Uck. Give me a break. Aren’t there any storytellers on this platform? At all? Have they all died off or walked away or never existed so I’m the last and only woman standing? Hard to believe. I’m good at what I do, but I don’t kid myself into thinking I’m special.
“Special” maybe but that’s a different story for a different time.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute….
Ev. Ooooooooh Ev.
I see you.
I think I see what you’re doing and what you’re about to do. Tell me if I’m right.
You purged dead/fake accounts from “users”. Are you about to do the same with publications? You said you wanted a more relational Medium and that the focus was going to be on us indie writers and less on publications.
Oooooo Ev. I just got excited for the first time in a very long time at just the thought of this.
I don’t suppose you have a spreadsheet of publications that holds the number of infractions so that Purge #3 will boot them to the curb as well?
Be still my heart! Dare I hope? If this is the case I support you 100%. I love it when the trash trucks come around and haul away the garbage!
Now can we work on my wish list pretty please?
PS-thank you for the coupon. I appreciate it.
