robchandhokJul 9, 2023
Anil Dash
Here’s an interesting statement from Medium that I missed last month. Fairly stark contrast to that email newsletter platform a lot of folks are still inexplicably using. https://blog.medium.com/medium-stands-for-lgbtqia-rights-ee4d63e8052e
Jul 9, 2023 at 6:18amWeb
Show threadRyan SingelJul 9, 2023
@anildash
Oh you mean the hate-speech allowing platform that pretended to offer community ownership by offering shares that equated to a total of less than 1% of ownership and hid its financials?
Show threadKyle NazarioJul 9, 2023
@anildash Funny how this decision will actually enable far more free speech than Substack’s policies
Show threadJessamynJul 9, 2023
@anildash It's a good statement but like other commenters, I'd sort of like an acknowledgment that it hasn't always been this way there. I like Medium and I use it as another place to put my newsletter, but I always think it's more honest to say "We are making a change" not "Yo we've always had your back" when they haven't.
Show threadAnil DashJul 10, 2023
@jessamyn @coachtony wanted to make sure this was on your radar, I think you’d seen other similar sentiments
Show threadTony StubblebineJul 10, 2023
@anildash @jessamyn I'm asking internally when we actually cracked down. It was such a well established policy and process when I joined a year ago that I assumed we'd had it for awhile.
Show threadJessamynJul 10, 2023
@coachtony @anildash It's useful information. We definitely have had to go through some reconciliation discussions on Metafilter where our policy now didn't always used to be our policy in the past, or more to the point it may have been a policy that wasn't as enforced as it should've been. They're tough conversations, but important conversations.
Show threadDan KennedyJul 9, 2023
@anildash Well, good for Medium, which has also changed business models the way most of us change our underwear and has left independent publishers out in the cold several times.
Show threadNate BarhamJul 9, 2023

@anildash I applaud Medium for this and hope they continue to do all the things mentioned in the post.

However, the replies make me sad.

There are still SO many people who can’t admit or don’t realize that asking “Why do I have to see this! You’re forcing your agenda on me! I just want us all to be equals and never have to see anything about LGBTQ people!” is just them not wanting to see representation (and I like Medium’s choice of word “protection”) because of their own discomfort with it.

Show threadMiramar VessJul 9, 2023
@anildash They need to do more promotion rather than take a passive approach. During the last rush to join a few weeks ago someone was talking about how they found the Mastadon/Fedi thing very active. I countered that it was active only in particular areas. He told me politics and tech are very active wondering if it was me. I told him I came from Medium looking for areas like business (not crypto) and sports (hockey, football, etc). Those areas are quite dry in terms of engagement.
Show threadMiramar VessJul 9, 2023
@anildash Granted you have to do most of the marketing yourself but Medium needs to do a better job of curating engagement on and through their Mastodon server.