Twitter Founders Introduce Medium For Non-Bloggers To Speak To The World
August 15, 2012
This really isn’t a story about iOS, Apple, or the latest Angry Birds game. Still, what is discussed here could someday change how many of us get our news, and spread the world about the things we care most about. Say hello to Medium, an interesting new project from the founders of Twitter, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone.
Currently in beta, Medium is a new publishing platform that will try to move beyond how most folks, both professional and amateur, are blogging. Through Medium, readers and contributors alike, are able to interact with one another at a “level of contribution they prefer.” For example, while some may use Medium solely to read and view content, others will want to dig deeper and rate current stories and/or give feedback to the author.
Unlike current blogging tools such as Workpress, Blogger, and Tumblr, Medium doesn’t ask that you become a blogger or technology guru, or to worry about developing an audience. Instead, all posts are organized into “collections,” which are defined by a theme, and a template. These collections, which range from the ordinary (The Writer’s Room) to the more unique (Crazy Stories), are sometimes closed to contributions. However, most are not.
As Williams suggests:
Collections give people context and structure to publish their own stories, photos, and ideas. By default, the highest-rated posts show up at the top, helping people get the most out of their time in this world of infinite information.Medium has just arrived on the scene. Because of this, it is barebones, at best. Still, the beta is open to anyone that wants to read current stories. You can also sign up for a free account, which allows you to rate stories. To do so, and in a nod to synergy, you must login using a Twitter account. For now, however, only select users can actually contribute to the service, although that restriction will be lifted in time. For sample articles, I’d suggest checking out the following:
Overall, I found Medium, at least as a concept, interesting. Still, I’m not sure that in its present form, it will change how most of us interact on the Internet. Still, given its pedigree, it could prove quite successful. Now, where is that Medium app for the iPhone/iPod touch?