Patience: ILLUMINATION Backlog Reached 2000+ Submissions and the Future of I-C Uncertain
Due to Medium's stringent limitations and non-responsiveness, our publication, one of the platform’s largest, faces unprecedented challenges.
Writers/Readers of Medium can read this story for free using our friend’s link. This important story was donated by Dr Mehmet Yildiz to ILLUMINATION’S Substack Library to inspire and motivate writers to write for passion and compassion, not just for money on Medium, where words truly matter. Thank you for being a valuable member of our diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community. We need your support as Medium makes our job very difficult. Please consider leaving a comment on the Medium version of this story, sharing your experiences and thoughts honestly. We want this community to survive and thrive.
Editorial Note: Dear writers of ILLUMINATION publications! Lately, we have faced unprecedented challenges due to our substantial growth, now supporting 30,000 writers with only 30 volunteer editors mandated by Medium. All our volunteers are working tirelessly to publish stories, and our volunteer administrators are diligently adding new writers, but this is humanly impossible. We are now working on creating funds to sustain our free services. Rest assured, we will publish your stories soon and process all new writer applications. During these challenging times, we greatly appreciate your patience. We now have a priority helpdesk on our Slack workspace to log urgent calls, which is free and monitored by 155 volunteer coordinators. Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, our owner and chief editor, has generously donated this story to our library and provided a friend link for all Medium writers and readers to read it for free.
Dear Writers,
For those who don’t know me, I am the owner and chief editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated publications on Medium.com. My main account is Dr Mehmet Yildiz and secondary account Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech) to support writers.
It is with a heavy heart and a sense of urgency that I address you today. I trust this important message finds you in good health. As many of you know, I have not written an editorial bulletin for the past two years, entrusting this tedious task to our dedicated volunteer editors.
However, the current situation necessitates my direct intervention and personal communication. Despite my six-hour daily coordination efforts, ILLUMINATION publications are becoming increasingly unmanageable due to the arbitrary rules imposed by Medium.
My multiple escalations to their leadership team have gone unanswered, forcing me to consider alternative ways to support this wonderful community. Let me give you a brief background for those who don’t know about ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium.com.
I established ILLUMINATION on March 19, 2020, to create a community grounded in diversity, inclusion, fairness, collaboration, synergy, and serendipity values and principles.
My vision flourished initially, with the support of 150 writers volunteering to review, edit, and publish various eclectic stories. Our community burgeoned to 30,000 writers by 2023, accompanied by 85,315 followers who have brought thousands of readers to this platform through our vast repository of over one million published and shared stories.
Unfortunately, Medium’s decision in 2021 to reduce the number of editors to 30 has severely impacted our operations. Despite having 155 volunteers, it is a constant struggle to keep up with the demands of our 30K writers. My request for an exception for this colossal publication fell on deaf ears.
Our volunteer editors across the globe face numerous personal challenges, from health issues to family crises. Despite these difficulties, they continue to support our publications with unwavering dedication.
Adding fuel to the fire, as of 2022, the increasing use of publicly available generative AI tools by writers, producing low-quality, AI-generated content, has added to their burden. We have evaluated numerous AI detection tools, but their inefficacy, like false negative or false positive, has forced us to adopt alternative strategies, including a strong AI policy.
To mitigate the impact of AI-generated content, we created a separate publication, “The Lampshade of ILLUMINATION.” While this solution has helped, new writers continue to join ILLUMINATIONs still sends AI generated content, further increasing the workload on our volunteer editors. This relentless pressure has led to several resignations.
Medium’s recent stance against monetizing AI-generated content has added to our woes. Despite our efforts to align with Medium’s policies and support their policy with a new policy we created, we have received no acknowledgment or appreciation for our work.
Organic views for our stories have plummeted and even boosted stories have declined. Earnings of writer slashed. To inform the community, I wrote an inspiring and guiding story leveraging my five years of experience on this platform.
A Story I Invested 3 Hours on a Topic Reflecting My 25 Years of Scientific Research Earned 77 Cents
Can you be a 6-figure income earner on Medium if you are a researcher and write on niche topics? Let’s dive into my…medium.com
As I have mentioned in my previous stories, I don’t write for money on Medium. I don’t spend hours publishing and curating tasks for financial gain. It is impossible to justify the monetary reward. Publishing and curation activities do not bring any income. I donate six hours of my time to build and support a community.
However, I can no longer do this for health reasons, as I explained in a previous story. These activities, coupled with challenges posed by Medium, adversely affect my physical and mental health. Therefore, I changed my strategy to invest time in activities that can better empower writers.
A Recent Heart-Breaking Situation Out of Blue Making the Future of ILLUMINATION-Curated Uncertain
The recent termination of Aiden, one of our most dedicated and compassionate editors, has further compounded our challenges. Despite his exceptional efforts, Medium ended his contract, citing low-quality nominations.
Aiden wrote a heartfelt open letter that bled my heart but also sparked joy with unwavering support despite his setback. This blow has forced me to reconsider my options on this platform.
I Will No Longer Be a Boost Nominator but Still Will Continue Curating Non-Boosted Stories
An open letter to my mentor, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, Chief Editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications, who did not…medium.com
This decision, along with the consecutive rejection of the 17 high-quality and impactful stories I nominated in June 2024, has ignited profound concerns about Medium’s commitment to supporting ILLUMINATION Curated — a platform that has nurtured and delighted readers with contributions from around 3000 accomplished writers over the last four years.
Four senior editors of ILLUMINATION curated have resigned and deleted their accounts. Now, ten more are planning to resign as their trust in Medium has dwindled following Aiden’s contract termination. Aiden sent me a resignation letter, but I did not accept it, recognizing him as one of the most talented and valuable contributors to this platform — a fact Medium failed to recognize and acknowledge despite his massive contributions.
ILLUMINATION-Curated is now in a state of uncertainty, with hundreds of exceptional drafts from accomplished writers waiting for at least 20 days. As the sole boost nominator, it is impossible for me to manage this backlog alone.
As I mentioned in my recent story, I plan to invest only 5% of my time on Medium, allocating the rest to Substack and NewsBreak. This decision comes due to the demotion of my personal account and its exposure to scammers, which has negatively impacted my reputation on this platform.
Why My Wise Mentors Advised Me 80% Substack, 15% NewsBreak, 5% Medium for My Writing Effort
I explain the insights and strategies behind my new content marketing approach based on data-driven observations and…medium.com
I was honored, elated, and grateful when Ariel Meadow Stallings, one of Medium’s most supportive directors, invited me to become a boost nominator in October 2023. Since then, I have dedicated myself to birthing 180 boosted stories, investing over 300 hours of my personal time to edit, curate, and promote them.
Additionally, I have passionately educated hundreds of writers about the Boost program, believing wholeheartedly in its potential to benefit and empower more creators. My sincere hope is for this program to continue thriving and expanding, supporting an ever-growing community of writers.
The Boost on Medium: Answering Most Frequently Asked Questions for Beginners
Since its inception, the Boost initiative has given hope to writers. However, it is still at the pilot stage, and we…medium.com
Our dedicated editors invested countless hours updating all submission guidelines to align with the boost program. It was gratifying to witness many stories being organically boosted alongside our own nominations.
Easy Access to New Submission Guidelines for ILLUMINATION Publications
Updated submission guidelines for ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications to increase the chance of boosting your storiesmedium.com
But now we stand uncertain, our editors exhausted, disheartened, and on the brink of losing hope. This pivotal moment calls for decisive action and a renewed commitment to our mission.
You can explore the stories Aiden passionately contributed to being boosted and tirelessly promoted to attract more readers. Today, he continues this dedication by curating new additions, including those selected in June 2024.
16–31 May 2024: Featuring Boosted Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated
I also link to previously boosted pieces for new readers and aspiring writers as examples of exceptional stories.medium.com
Current Situation of ILLUMINATION
The daily influx of over 500 new submissions to ILLUMINATION with a backlog of 2000+ exacerbates the situation.
Amidst this crisis, our previous editor, The Sturg (Gerald Sturgill), despite his own challenges, has committed to clearing around 500 drafts from the queue. Gerald’s selfless dedication, even without monetary compensation, stands in stark contrast to Medium’s lack of support. Gerald contacted me on Slack today, and his kindness was like rain in a parched land.
I kindly approached the management at Medium, requesting them to recognize and address our challenges by allowing us at least ten more volunteer editors to ease the situation.
Sadly, neither Medium support nor the leadership team acknowledged my request. This response broke my heart and diminished my trust in the platform’s management. They seem indifferent to our community, which has dearly supported Medium for the last five years.
Our volunteer editors pour their hearts and souls into maintaining the vitality and sustainability of this community. It is disheartening to see our efforts go unacknowledged.
If Gerald, a physically challenged person who earns nothing from this platform, can demonstrate such unwavering commitment, it raises a critical question: why can’t a platform with one million paid subscribers show a little compassion for these volunteer editors?
These dedicated volunteer editors, who are also writers and readers of this platform (most of them FoMs), tirelessly serve as a bulwark against spam and scams, preserving the integrity of our community.
Why I Wrote This Story Today
Apart from giving a glimpse of the current situation, one of the incidents that prompted this bulletin was an email from a writer frustrated with our editorial process.
This writer left our publications, leaving comments expressing frustration with our editors for repeatedly asking him not to use copyrighted images, insisting it was none of their business.
To make matters worse, he requested his Slack account be fully deleted. Slack then sent me an email stating that if I didn’t respond to this inquiry within five days, they would suspend our workspace.
Fortunately, I connected with a compassionate support team member from Slack company who kindly eased my concerns by offering extra help to resolve the issue.
I am deeply grateful to the Slack team and wholeheartedly recommend them globally for their exemplary customer service, demonstrating genuine care and not hiding behind procedures.
However, my endorsement of Medium is wavering, as I have received no support from them since the departure of the wonderful Agatha from their support team. I don’t know what happened to lovely Agatha and other supportive Helpdesk staff on Medium.com.
Agatha, a former support team member on Medium, used to resolve all our critical issues with humility and kindness. As a token of my appreciation for the past support team’s efforts, I invited thousands of paid members to this platform and inspired over 500 members to upgrade their accounts to Friends of Medium. However, my enthusiasm has since waned.
In terms of Slack, Managing this workspace, which supports 23K members voluntarily, is no easy task. We have faced unethical behavior, such as the selling of fake claps and comments on Fiverr.
Despite escalating these issues timely to the support team and directors of Medium, I have received no acknowledgment from Medium. Not even a thank you message. They totally ignored my caring messages.
I earnestly hope that the Medium Staff followed by 92 million potential members and one million paid members will heed these genuine concerns and elevate this critical and heartfelt message from a caring community leader to the CEO and board members. It is crucial for a platform to preserve its community spirit and maintain its competitive edge.
I trust that Medium will not censor this story, nor will the algorithm suppress it as it has done with our previous editorial bulletins, often accessible only through direct links. Should this unfortunate circumstance arise, I will regrettably cease my volunteer support to this platform and consider closing my publications. This story must reach all 30,000 writers contributing to my publications and delighting thousands of paid members on Medium.com.
In closing, I thank you for your patience and understanding. Our volunteer editors are working tirelessly to clear the backlog. Please use our virtual helpdesk on the Slack workspace, monitored by 150 moderators, to expedite your delayed stories.
If you don’t hear from me on Slack, for urgent matters please contact one of my hardworking backups including Mike Broadly, DHSc, Lawson Wallace, K. Joseph, Dr. ADAM TABRIZ, Brooklyn Muse (editor), Dr. Preeti Singh, Indra Raj Pathak, Liam Ireland, Bill Abbate, bluesapphire, Elin Melaas, John Cunningham, Joe Luca, Josh Balerite Acol, Lisa Bage, Marcus Musick, Michael Patanella, The Sturg (Gerald Sturgill), Sufyan Maan, M.Eng, Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Abraham Bamidele ( Editor ), Annelise Lords, Arthur G. Hernandez, Annie Wegner, Suzanne E., Ali Alzahrani, M.Sc., Editor, Bob Phillips, Patrick OConnell, Sobaan Saeed, Neha Sandhir S, Philip Writes, The Doctor - Joanie Adams, Scarlet Ibis James 🦩, 🥰Lanu Pitan🥰, Zai, or our lovely Aiden (Owner of Illumination Gaming) who pour their hearts and souls in supporting ILLUMINATION community. They are all on Slack.
Thank you for your patience, continued support delighting our loyal readers, and dedication to ILLUMINATION publications on Medium.com, where words matter, and communities shine with love, tolerance, and respect.
Sincerely,
Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Owner and Chief Editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium.com
Introduction to a New and Unique Publication
Leveraging my five years of community-building and leadership experience on Medium, I created a unique publication to amplify writers’ voices and empower them through both Substack and Medium. I’m thrilled that 155 volunteer editors have joined this venture to bring more opportunities to writers.
Invitation: ILLUMINATION Curators on Substack Publication on Medium
My goal is to help every writer have a newsletter through Substack, build their mailing lists collaboratively, and create fallback positions if something happens to Medium or Substack.
We never know what the future holds for these platforms. As my wise Aussie friend Tim Denning says, if these platforms close one day for any reason, we will keep smiling and continue our work as writers. I hope these great platforms continue to thrive, but I am committed to guiding writers toward a better tomorrow and preventing disappointments and regrets based on past experiences in the early days of the Internet.
As a prolific writer myself, I admire and will support every ethical writer regardless of their ages, nationalities, backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, and viewpoints. My ultimate goal is to create a collaboration that illuminates society with curated, meaningful, and high-quality content.
I am also the chief editor of the Technology Hits publication on Medium.com, which I plan to transfer to Substack soon. I will invite all technologists to create their newsletters and join our network. I wrote an introduction about my new initiative from my secondary account, Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech).
My Technology Excellence and Leadership Site on Substack
How I will empower technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners.medium.com
Here is a sample of how Technology Hits stories perform on Medium.com. 99% are from external sources like my personal network, which brings no money to writers.
I wrote numerous stories about writing and content strategy to guide new writers. Some of the old ones, especially with recent changes on this platform, might be obsolete now, but there are many principle-based content that might guide and inspire you if you are an aspiring writer. You may find some relevant ones from the attached list. I will distill all these stories in my Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights soon.
Writing, Content Development & Marketing Strategy Guides
Edit descriptiondr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com
To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. Some of my topics include brain, mental health, cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, including 100+ Insightful Life Lessons from My Circles for the Last 50+ Years.
I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA and share distilled versions on SUBSTACK. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 30K writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories. Friend Links to My Sample Boosted Stories for Non-Members of Medium. This story was also shared on Substack.
Get an email whenever Dr Mehmet Yildiz publishes. He is a top writer and editor on Medium.
Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
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Thank you so much for sharing this important story for our writers, team. I appreciate your support. Many thanks to all writers who comment on this story and share it in their networks. Let's grow our community together for a brighter future.
Medium has changed many policies since new leadership joined. No more transparency is kept, recently Aiden is removed from Boost program. Many senior writers are leaving. Future at Medium is at stake, hope so Medium listen to concerns and find a solution.