If Medium were just a website for their in-house writers, I would have no problem with articles about money made here, but it’s not. It’s open to the world. Many well-known people put their works here, including ex-presidents and influencers of every stripe. Readers come from everywhere to read what some of the most extraordinary writers have to say, but often they’re drowned out by those pieces that are made up of nothing substantial beyond crass bragging — or, even worse, outright lying. It’s a weird kind of amateur hour, and the laziest form of writing.

I used the word ‘tacky’ deliberately, because it seems to me when you look at the makeup of the majority of the writers and readers here, it would be obvious that those articles are dreadfully out of place. They’re an embarrassment.

If you want to talk about Medium income or curation or whatever, there are Facebook pages and chat rooms for that sort of thing. This is a place for stories, and these are behind-the-scenes issues that are not even slightly interesting to most outside readers.

I’m surprised Medium allows them, to be frank.