My experiment with the writer's platform Medium continues.
Anyone who is a creative can become a slave to the little bell icon. That little bell icon. Twitter X has one, YouTube has one, Medium has one. I assume that all the social media platforms have them. It is a reminder of how popular, or not, you are.
Let me explain.
There was a reply in my Twitter X notifications the other day, which told me that I should celebrate my one-year anniversary on the platform with a post.
Here's the message.
I chose not to use it. I couldn't see the point of it, as other than being a post, it did not offer any special privileges. I did not get the impression that it would be seen by many people.
In fact, one of the reasons why I did not post it, was because of the Twitter X algorithm. To coincide with using the platform for one year, the algorithm had been playing games again. I had noticed a dramatic drop in the number of views on posts that I had sent. Apparently, and judging by the number of "do you see this post", many others have noticed this as well. Interaction numbers are well down, and there are times (many times) when you feel like you are talking to yourself.
I was left wondering, what was "big" about it? I have gone from averaging about 50–100 views on a post, which isn't that many anyway, to 5-10. Perhaps they were all bots?
I only feel encouraged to post less, and go and do something more productive than scrolling the Twitter X feed, like actual writing.
The following article and story can be found on Medium.
I have, what you might call, a love-hate relationship with grammar check software. We all make mistakes when we write. I know that I do. The mistakes are corrected during editing, but...
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I was on Twitter X the other day, when I came across a post about the comics that were a big part of life for children back in the 1970s. The question was asked, how many did you buy? There was a picture of the comics available at the time. Not sure if it was all of them, but there were a lot. Most of them were for boys, some, like Sally, Bunty and Diana, for girls.
Here it is.
It's an impressive number. The ones that I remember buying were the Beano and Dandy. I also remember Look-in, Joe 90, Marvel and Spider-man. Most of the names here are familiar to me, and the chances are that I occasionally bought them. It has to be said, though, that I couldn't afford to buy all the ones that I probably wanted.
Well, that looks ominous.
Then I looked at the word count.
Find links below to all current stories and articles that I have posted on Medium to date.
If you like, you can leave a clap. Apparently, you can clap as much as you like (I think so)!
You can also leave a comment.
My Journey to Bedsit-Land Part Two: Welcome to the House of Misfits
Walk More, Live Better: The Health Benefits of Going For a Walk
So, what is happening to Twitter X? I don't think that I will ever understand the way the algorithm of Twitter X works. I'm not the only one, given the comments from others that I find in my timeline.
Here are some things that I have noticed recently.
1) I keep seeing a lot of posts over and over again, often twenty-four to forty-eight hours old. There is no option on Twitter X to see posts in time or date order. There is also no option to see recent posts in chronological order.
2) These old posts seem to be from the big accounts—users with tens of thousands of followers. By the time I see them, there are typically several thousand comments. It is not worth replying to, as no one will see it.
It has been a while since I posted, but I do have an excuse. Well, two excuses, actually. First, I have a book to write. Well, I'm trying to write. For now, the book is my priority, and it takes up a lot of time, as any aspiring author will know.
Next, I was in the process of writing a second book when I realised that these true stories might be more effective as articles. After reaching twenty-six thousand words, I have decided to set it aside.
Which led me to the website for writers and readers, Medium.
What is Medium?
I went to their website to find their definition of what they offer.
Medium is a home for human stories and ideas. Here, anyone can share insightful perspectives, useful knowledge, and life wisdom with the world—without building a mailing list or a following first. The internet is noisy and chaotic. Medium is quiet yet full of insight. It’s simple, beautiful, collaborative, and helps you find the right audience for whatever you have to say.
I decided that the best place to go to find out more was YouTube. I mean, you can usually find someone on YouTube who has made a video about their experience. I was right, but some videos looked like clickbait. They offered a magic formula. Just do what they do, and you can do the same.
Well, no, I don’t think it is like that.
