Medium | Features
Use The Blocking Feature If You Need You Use It
That’s why it’s there
I’ve been writing more about myself and opening up to my feelings lately. One of my articles I left off of the paywall went semi-viral. It gained over 10 hours of member read time in less than a week.
My other article, The Ramblings of a Tired, also did well. I remember reading some articles saying the more you open up, the more you’re open to criticism and trolls. I haven’t had too many negative comments. Some were of the constructive criticism type. After several days, I looked at my article again, and the person made a valid point.
I can only guess some accounts were made to troll others and write nasty comments. I wrote consistently for about ten months and saw about everything.
99% of the comments were civil, while 1% were bad.
Many people read but don’t write on the platform. However, there are some whose follow-to-follower count is disproportionate. They follow people, but no one follows them. They could also be readers, but writing negative comments is a good indication of their intentions on the platform. I’m always aware they might be trolls in this subset of accounts. I encountered one tonight.
I’m still new at writing because I’ve been writing for less than a year. However, I have learned what accounts are serious, and some had different intentions of reading and writing on Medium.
Here is a tip for the new writers just starting their Medium journey.
- Don’t hesitate to use the block feature.
Go to the profile of the account you wish to block. Click on the ellipsis or three dots and choose block author. You will never have to worry about the person trolling you again.
Well, that is sort of true. The trolls can still create multiple accounts and continue to follow you and troll you, but at least you have the block feature if you need to use it.
Final Thought
My account has been growing in follower count, views, and reads, and I earn between $20 and $30 per month. I knew with the increase in followers, I would attract my fair share of accounts whose intentions are other than to read or write on Medium.
The person you blocked may or may not be a paying member. If the person is a paying member, you lost something like 2 cents on the read. I think it’s a nice tradeoff. Letting go of two cents is a nice price to pay for not being bothered by the person, troll, or whatever is making stupid comments on your articles.
