Writing in a Globalized Medium
Medium, as is the internet in general, is already a globalized environment. This means no matter where you are from, you can get an account and start typing.
Luke is just saying that Medium has official publications in some languages other than English. But, Cameron, trust me, the platform itself is already global. I’m Spanish and I’m writing this from Spain, and in the POMQA community there are people from all over the world, from New Zealand to Italy, from the UK to Russia, or Spain. Also, we have created a POMQA in Spanish, which gathers people from Spain, North, Central, and South America.
So, yes, there’s more to Medium than what you might see, because Medium is about the communities, and not just about writing or reading.
As for the sporting analogies, I’m pretty sure baseball is a sport that only matters in the US, Canada — and maybe in a couple of the Caribbean islands and in Japan. There’re only a few sports that might attract a global interest, like basketball, swimming, maybe athletics? And yes, maybe only during the Olympics.
As for the neighborhood, Palo Alto is a very well-known place. The US has been exporting movies and culture for a century, so unless you live in the jungle, you probably have quite a good grasp of American geography. So we know the Bronx is a New York neighborhood, we know Miami, Las Vegas… we even know Albuquerque. That’s the TV sitcom culture. If we are techy enough, we might even know where Palo Alto, Cupertino, Menlo Park or Mountain View are.
You can always insert a link in Wikipedia or Google Maps if you’re not sure your reader knows what you are talking about. Those who do know just won’t follow the link, but if we do, we might learn some new things.
As for the slang, again, I completely agree with you. Write whatever, and if you believe you’re using too many weird expressions, just explain — footnotes, margin notes, or any other way.
The main point here is that you are expecting people to write in English, and not in their local languages. Or maybe your post is only addressed to Americans? Because, Cameron, people from all over the world — such as myself — are already writing on Medium; in English, and in our own languages too! We can choose the publications we follow, in our local languages or in any other language we speak or understand. What we can’t choose is the language of the platform (yet), but we’re working on our own ways to gather our communities and make our posts as visible as any other. Everybody is free to sign up to Medium and start writing and join any conversation(s) they like.
If you want to engage with people globally, talk about global issues.
We all have the same problems here and there, the same worries and concerns. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing from Israel or from Thailand and utilizing local examples. If the concern is global, it will engage a global audience.
What are global issues?
Love, hate, pain, grief, health, wrath, depression, beauty, sex. Also education, pollution, global warming, social justice, art, poverty, war, traveling, technology, writing, photography, food, culture, even social media is something that might worry readers worldwide. So if you are on Medium, talk about Medium, this will grant you readers too.
Talk about any of these topics, and despite the local examples you use, you will engage a global audience.
More than this, talk to your readers in their own language. I’m not talking (I wish) about you learning Spanish, French, or Chinese. Relate to things your readers might know, relate to universal emotions, relate to your own emotions. Your pieces will resonate with a wider audience. It’s the only way.