Well done on those earnings. It's certainly more life-changing than my $20! But for me, it's still something and I chose to scale back in December, as had a lot going on and had to figure out many things.

Now, though it's disappointing that our stories aren't earning a penny. I agree, that authentic engagement and connection seem to be the only way, and many were revoked for unauthentic engagement. So it is a big issue.

I think too many see Medium as a money-making machine, and it’s not! I think that mentality needs to change. It’s not really a reliable income and anything can happen, like what’s going on right now, with no earnings. I don’t want to write purely for money, but also because I enjoy it and from my heart. Yes, I also want to earn something but money for me is never my primary goal. I think having that mindset and keeping it in mind strongly might attract success by itself. Too many of us try to write for the money and even the best-intentioned person can fall into that trap. But what happens when there is no money? It resets values and aspirations.