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# If Medium is exploiting you - that's your problem
- URL: https://onemanandhisblog.com/2015/03/if_medium_is_exploiting_you_-_thats_your/
- Published: 2015-03-26T19:09:32.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-08T16:31:13.000Z
- Author: Adam Tinworth
- Tags: business models, evan williams, free, freeconomics, Medium, monetisation, strategy

![Welcome to medium](https://i1.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2015/03/welcome-to-medium.jpg?resize=823%2C265 "welcome-to-medium.jpg")  
[Matthew Butterick](http://practicaltypography.com/billionaires-typewriter.html?ref=onemanandhisblog.com):

> Among web-publishing tools, I see Medium as the equivalent of a frozen pizza: not as wholesome as a meal you could make yourself, but for those with out the time or motivation to cook, a potentially better option than just eating peanut butter straight from the jar.

He’s talking about typography – appropriately, given that his site is called *Butterick’s Practical Typography* and is stunningly lovely to read – but it applies just as much to running your own blog or site as opposed to just publishing on Medium.

And sure enough, he explores that idea:

> Rather, because gentle scrutiny reveals that these systems are powered by a form of human fracking. To get his fracking permit on your territory, Mr. Williams (the multi billionaire) needs to persuade you (the writer) that a key consideration in your work (namely, how & where you offer it to readers) is a “waste of time.”
> 
> If you really believe that, then by all means, keep using the billionaire’s typewriter.

Make no mistake – the team behind Medium aim to make money from the service. And they’re already in danger of building an ecosystem of lords and serfs – those who get [paid for their work](http://pando.com/2013/04/17/matter-co-founder-jim-giles-on-being-acquired-by-medium-and-future-of-longform-journalism/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), and those who don’t, those who [get their own domains](http://www.onemanandhisblog.com/archives/2015/03/mediums%5Fevolution%5Fas%5Fa%5Fpublishing%5Fplatfo.html?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), and those who don’t – an elite of established content creators and the *hoi polloi* of mere users.

We’re a very long away here from the sense of the democratisation of publishing that blogging used to hold.

That’s not to say that Medium isn’t a useful tool. Or indeed, that this is inherently a bad thing, which it’s not. It just requires you to be careful in where you commit your time and effort; *caveat auctor*, if you like. Be sure you understand the value exchange you’re participating in. Your words will help Medium make money.

*How is publishing them at Medium helping you achieve the things you want to do?*

If you don’t have [a clear answer to that](http://www.onemanandhisblog.com/archives/2015/03/a%5Frule%5Fof%5Fthumb%5Ffor%5Fmedium.html?ref=onemanandhisblog.com), you’ve just been fracked because you like the new, shiny thing.