I Wonder How Much This Real Estate is Worth

Medium’s main page has a lot of wasted space.

Screenshot by author

Seven recommended topics. Philosophy. Meh. TV. Pets. Self. Meh. Poetry? Don’t write it don’t read so nah. Film. I haven’t been to a movie since 2015. Family. Family? I moved to a different time zone to leave them behind so that’s a hard no.

And I’m sure the “Who to Follow” are quite lovely or not but frankly, I don’t care. I find enough people to find on my own.

Wanna know what I think should be placed there instead?

Dates.

Yes, dates. Today’s date at the top. You click that and you get every story that has been published up to that point regardless of who you follow or what publications you follow. Mute or block at will until you end up seeing only the people and pubs you want to see every. single. day.

Below that, yesterday’s date. Below that? The day before. Show maybe a week, two weeks’ worth of dates. By the time you’ve read, muted, and blocked then Al Go Rythm should have a better idea of what it is you really want to read so that the left side of your page has posts that aren’t months old from people you’ve never heard of published in publications you detest on subjects that make you puke.

Look, if Ev et all can have a roll on the left of your profile that shows everyone you follow then this notion isn’t far from that. Different roll, different side of the page. And no, I’m not an IT person and yes, I’m sure it isn’t as easy as that but, do it anyway.

Happy writers make for happy readers. Happy readers mean more $$ for happy writers. And if readers and writers are happy then Medium is even more profitable.

Win — win — win all the way around.