The time has come. No walruses. Just me (my kids, maybe, think differently).

Thought one (1).
Five days ago, I was really concerned with the idea that there was an “us and them” dichotomy, but the one I was thinking of was between writers and readers. Of course, that exists as much inside me as out in the “Medium” world, but there are different needs. When I first came to Medium, it was as a reader, looking for content, and I was kind of disappointed in the whole process of “onboarding” into the vast realms and layers of writing(really, the categories just do not suit the experience), not to mention the swirling conversations of the different communities, several of which I (now) find myself a part of.

And this is such a brilliant community. All y’all are sweet, and supportive, and smart. What I’m getting at, in my rambling, self-centered way, is that Alexainie and elizabeth tobey and Oliver Shiny have largely made my first point for me. Thank you. Serves me right for taking so long to get back to it.

Thought two (2).
Writing is an odd activity, in the whole spectrum of art, and craft, and artifice. It is, the most connected activity (to our actual thoughts) we have. So, there are the people who express themselves by sharing — call it “curating” — the activities of others; those who make lists of things; those who must express their feelings; those who have the need to tell stories; those who unburden themselves truthfully and through some pain. Often we do several of these things at once, and others as well. And some of us need to earn money this way; some find money and “monetizing” abhorrent.

I notice, when reading back through the comments and reasoning that led to me jumping in, that it seems like someone is always feeling left out. (The reason I caught it, initially, was because the someone was me.) What I mean is that no matter how specifically inclusive we are, the specification always leaves someone feeling under-served. Maybe that’s part of what you were saying, Elizabeth, when you said the bit about not believing in “us vs. them.” And that’s good. But. I don’t get the “curated by humans” feeling from Medium, and I shouldn’t, because it’s not.

We are a pretty inclusive group, I think. That’s really where the solution lies. Include who we can.

Thought three (3).
So much feeling on this topic.

I am a fundamentally non-competitive person. I do not care who wins. Still, some of my best-est people simply cannot engage unless there is a possibility of winning. I “get” that. And I also understand that, in any “win-able” enterprise, some will game the system. I can even accept it, as a person who has “gamed” games so that their hyper-competitive friends can win and thus, keep playing (subtly, of course; part of the game … okay, yes, I lose on purpose — not that often, though; I have pretty capable competitive friends).

It comes back to what I value. I persistently engage with the parts of Medium that are valuable to me. I ignore the parts that don’t. (I understand that this is not the portrait of a community activist.) I have pushed on the subject of “value” for my entire life. I still don’t always get it. But I have rules for myself:

Don’t make bad trades.
Give more than you get.
Don’t take everything for yourself.
Help others, if you can. Don’t stand in their way.
If you love someone, or something, don’t hide it.

I’m not sure if this is all of the rules, but these make for a navigable economy. I can do this, most of the time.

And, yes, “value” means economy, to me. My medium (ha!) of exchange. Somehow, Medium must have an economy that works so that it can survive. I hope (purely selfishly) that it chooses to follow some of my rules.