Beyond Medium’s Horizon

Embracing Substack’s new frontier of digital discourse

The essence of the following is that I will be winding down my writing for Medium and transitioning to Substack. Please consider following my newsletter there, Thaûmagaia.

I will be copying my list of email subscribers from Medium over to Substack. Feel free to unsubscribe, if you wish (though I hope you will not).

In the month of September, during the annus horribilis of 2020, I joined Medium, enticed by its claim to diverge from the deafening landscape of social media, a space that has grown ever more irrefutably pernicious. In its lofty conceptualization, Medium presented as a haven rewarding those who’s quill was civility and who’s ink was thoughtfulness, granting them an audience that extends beyond the superficial realm of endless scrolling. The art of crafting articles, in theory, aspires to stimulate rumination, summoning an atmosphere that reveres the protracted contemplation of ideas. Moreover, the nebulous realm of publications appeared as a crucible wherein thinkers intertwined and diverged and intellectual crafts were forged, embellished with the inimitable hues of contrast and fusion.

Alas, in the realm of this digital domain, the spectre of dissatisfaction looms ever more prominently for me, particularly over the course of the past year or so. It appears that the precipice upon which this site resides has succumbed to algorithmic entrapment, shackled by the relentless pursuit of clickbait. Once a flourishing bastion of unbridled literary audacity, wherein wordsmiths and publishers carved their trails amidst a boundless frontier, Medium has regrettably devolved into fragmented enclaves of ideological echo chambers. In this current epoch, the preoccupations which succeed at Medium have shifted away from the noble pursuit of crafting enchanting narratives, instead converging upon an odious spectacle of provocation, where the endeavor to incite the ire of others dominates. The allure of compelling ideas has waned, eclipsed by the insidious embrace of discord, thereby enfeebling the very essence that once animated this site.

On a more pragmatic note, I find myself confronted by the gradual yet significant desiccation of both the revered publications I once had the honor of writing for and the corresponding financial rewards given to me by Medium’s generous coffers. The winds of change have swept through this virtual realm, extinguishing the flickering flames of esteemed periodicals that once illuminated the consciousness of our cherished community — an irreparable loss, indeed, that reverberates through the very sinews of the site’s body. Moreover, as alluded to above, the nature of the pieces I yearn to write on this digital parchment does not align with the formula that begets boundless adulation (and, by extension, monetary wages). Regrettably, throughout the whole of 2022, an inescapable pattern began to crystalize before my eyes: the only pieces I wrote that resulted in any meaningful income where those that adhered to the sort of brevity of thought that is necessarily bereft of insight, steeped in ideological fervor, and tethered to the realms of banality. I cannot claim that a single dollar I earned from Medium that year evokes even a semblance of pride within me — no, those payment histories stand as silent reminders of compromised integrity.

I harbor no overt animosity towards Medium for changing into a such a different theater in light of unfolding circumstances; however, it does, certainly, kindle the question as to why I would elect to linger here for much longer. The very core of who I am as a writer finds its fullest expression in sprawling prose and long-form essays, transcending (or, at least, avoiding) the trappings of contemporary political partisanship. Alas, it is patently evident that the masses and management of Medium, despite all the site’s former grandeur, no longer extend a generous embrace to the type of writing I want to do. The site changing its trajectory is, of course, the prerogative of the multitudes who populate its virtual corridors and the managers. However, the prerogative to embark on an alternative path is solely within my own volition.

I will still venture the occasional forays within Medium, albeit in a rather selective manner, ensconced within the borders of a handful of publications that are especially interesting to me and well-curated — most notably, Catholicism for the Modern World and The Taoist Online (peculiar affiliations, considering my personal religious home is neither Catholicism nor Taoism). However, for the vast majority of my writing endeavors, I will be cementing my pilgrimage to the shores of Substack. It is a site I have read from with keen interest for a number of years, wherein a pantheon of exceptional thinkers have carved their indelible mark upon the collective consciousness. For a plethora of reasons, this platform resonates profoundly with the cherished values that I hold dear — a sanctuary where my written endeavors may yet find more fertile ground to flourish and thrive.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of my subscribers and readers here on Medium who have graced me with their presence, attention, and conversation. Truly, our dialogues have yielded a cornucopia of intellectual exchange that has brought me immeasurable delight. Medium will always occupy a cherished corner in my heart. It was a nurturing community that helped improve my ruminations and scribblings, and I wish it the best.

Should you be so inclined as to continue following my musings, please sojourn to Substack with me and follow my newsletter there, Thaûmagaia.