It is Thanksgiving afternoon and I am stealing a few minutes to do some writing and to flip through some of the online ads about Black Friday.
Even though you won’t see me fighting the hordes of shoppers on a day devoted to commercial consumption you will find me running a quick search to see if there are good deals on things I want/need.
Bright and shiny toys and gadgets warm a boy’s heart but they can also take up valuable real estate in closet, garage and home so I try to be careful about what I do or do not buy.
But today instead of buying something new I took a moment to grab something I have owned for a while but haven’t used much.
Yeah, I am on another platform and yeah, it might be one too many.
Should You Use Medium?
I haven’t decided yet if it is going to be a standard part of my writing/social media routine yet.
My time is divided between too many projects already so if I do choose to take it on I’ll have to let go of something else.
If you ask me if you should use Medium and I’ll say maybe.
Ask me why I joined and I’ll tell you the gadget guy likes trying things out and I’ll mention something about how I like what they said on their About page:
Medium is a different kind of place to read and write on the internet. A place where the measure of success isn’t views, but viewpoints. Where the quality of the idea matters, not the author’s qualifications. A place where conversation pushes ideas forward and words still matter.
I like their writing editor and the idea that words have meaning, that community is important and the push for discourse.
That is a big part of what I want to have happen here and why I agree with Danny about the importance of blog comments.
The only real question I have is whether it is going to add to or subtract from what I am working on here.
I am not going to give this place up because I don’t want to become a digital sharecropper. I like owning my name on the web and having a digital hub that I have some control over.
This probably didn’t provide you with any specific reasons why you should or shouldn’t use Medium, but it should give you some insight as to why I am.
And sometimes my friends that is all you get from an online review, a brief snippet of opinion and nothing more which is why I tell my children you need to take some time to try to figure out what questions you have to have answers to so that you can make an educated decision.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it.
I haven’t tried Medium out yet Josh. It’s something on my long list of things to try. Maybe one day…
I like owning my name on the web too. I wish I could pick up the domain without a hyphen but it seems I’d have to pay almost $900 for the privilege!
Hey Tim,
I think I got lucky with the name and not having a hyphen.
You’ll like Medium and how easy it is to use. The big question is whether you find it adds to your online experience or leaves you feeling over extended.
Hi mate,
I have a Medium account, had it for about three years or so, I think. I’ve posted now and again on it, and I first started using it mainly for the reasons you mention (awesome editor, focus on content, inline comments).
I’ve primarily used it as a testing ground for older posts to test traction, as well as design features and tricks I want to use on my own blog (hence my move to the kind of design I use on my blog).
Still undecided about it, though I think it’ll be a place for secondary content, where I might want to test an idea and then move to my main blog.
We’ll see.
I have to say, though, their mobile app is outstanding. I published a post via the app last night, and the writing and design UI is perfect. The desktop/web version of WordPress could learn a thing or two from it.
Happy Thanksgiving, mate!
Hey Danny,
I haven’t tried the mobile app yet, but I have heard from a couple of other people too that it is pretty good. I figured I would use it as a tool for testing too and see if it served as a good way to drive additional traffic.
That editor is nice, simple and clean. I like that. Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes, I am enjoying the break.
Hope you are having a great day.