I suspect we are the filling of the cake.
The frosting is however attracts a large audience.
Then whoever produces enough to fill the content void over which these models are created.
Everyone gets admitted inside the Club Medium, but we the people are consumers , and for that matter, consumers of success.
I think it’s very hard to produce at the rate the algorithms want us, especially if we have a life outside the platform.
Another issue to consider regarding reads is that many people approach the platform in the hope of making an income. They read because every article we read on how to succeed in Medium tells us to read, highlight and commenting.
But I suspect that once those readers who would like to be writers realize they are making not even $100 bucks a month, they leave and with them their reads.
I wish Medium would have a different distribution/business model. I don’t know what would that be.
Today I almost tip a writer but then, right before I payed, PayPal told me they would take $0.45 when I was going to give the writer $5.00.
Not that I care about the $0.45, but I care about PayPal making money out of me and the writer.
(In case you wonder, the writer is Laurie Perez, I love her poetry and read four of her books, but that is a different story)
I wholeheartedly agree with Susan. I don’t think people take responsibility. I personally don’t look at my stats, so I don’t know if my reads are up or down. But on the reads department, I kind of understand the writers. They pour they heart and soul on their craft and it feels that the stories are used to funnel traffic towards more successful writers.
But also, we are all bad at taking responsibility.
Sorry for the long response.
Pablo