Chapter 2: Community Updates

It’s heartening to see Medium reinstating the account of 🥰Lanu Pitan🥰. If you missed his eloquent story that beautifully encapsulates our beloved ILLUMINATION, I encourage you to check it out. I’m also delighted to report that one of our inspiring writers, Amir Bibi (Ameer), has returned, and I couldn’t be happier for him.

We’ve also welcomed back our talented writer Ammara Hassan, who, like Lanu, has faced her share of challenges. A warm welcome back to her!

Scarlet Ibis James 🦩 shared a touching story revealing that Toni The Talker is also back. Both Scarlet and Toni are cherished writers in our community, actively engaging with their peers’ stories, and I’m pleased to showcase this valuable piece that highlights our community support.

I hope we see more genuine writers returning to our platform.

Gamers have been reaching out to me on Discord and Slack with inquiries about how boosting functions for ILLUMINATION-Gaming. To address their curiosity, I’ve created a brief YouTube video and incorporated it into a story, complete with transcripts for those unable to watch. I trust this will clarify the fundamental aspects of boosting.

Recently, I also penned my thoughts on the upcoming 2024 Academy Awards and shared my predictions for the winners. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

As the issue of account suspensions is pressing for our community, our chief editor, Dr. Yildiz, has authored a poignant article addressing this topic. Your thoughts are welcome, as he empathizes with those affected while also shedding light on the challenges faced by Medium.

Editor Mike has also contributed his perspective on this matter from a different angle.

For new readers, you can explore writer interviews featured in this collection. Like me, Mike Broadly, DHSc, enjoys reading these interviews, and he has recently compiled his favorites.

Don't miss out on Mike's enthralling collections as he shares insights as both an avid reader and a contributing member supporting our writers' earnings.

Additionally, Mike has curated a selection of boosted stories that he found impactful.

The Sturg, another diligent editor, has initiated curated collections, so be sure to explore his excellent picks.

I’ve recently updated a piece aimed at inspiring writers to share their biographies, as our readers have expressed a keen interest in personal stories. I’m eager to read and promote your biographies!

ILLUMINATION-Curators have launched a new collection for our Reading Club, filled with engaging narratives.

As a boost nominator, I’ll be spotlighting frequently boosted writers’ stories. So far, I’ve completed four episodes and plan to release more as they could be beneficial to new writers.

For those who may have missed Dr. Yildiz's heartfelt open letter inviting non-members to consider joining, I encourage you to engage with it and share it across your social media. It’s vital that his story reaches a wider audience to attract more readers, especially as our views have seen a significant decline.

I hope more passionate readers will consider upgrading their subscriptions. There are many compelling reasons to do so, much like the early adopters I’ve introduced in a previous post.

In my latest article, I shared my own experience of becoming a Friend of Medium (FoM), which has greatly enhanced my engagement on the platform.

Dr. Yildiz also elaborated on how Friends of Medium can share links via our tailored social media platforms. I’ve tried it myself, and the process is incredibly swift—only 10 minutes to share stories! I hope this will help us attract a larger readership to Medium, making our community more vibrant and sustainable.

Our editors and curators have also explained how we promote non-boosted stories, which make up more than 99% of our content. I play a significant role in enhancing visibility for these narratives. Thank you to everyone for your continued support on this fantastic journey.

Daily List for Sharing — Volume 113

I volunteered to create a shareable list of this collection, making it easy for you to share on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Quora. You can find all our sharing platforms linked in Dr. Yildiz's story.

Here are the outstanding and nominated stories from ILLUMINATION writers today; I trust you’ll find something that fulfills your reading appetite.

• From Toxicity to Tolerance: Understanding the Causes of Hate Comments on NewsBreak vs Supportive… Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Nuances of Serotonin Syndrome: Caution Needed for Elevated Serotonin Levels Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Her Son Saw Her in the Shower, and The Sky Was Falling Down Mike Broadly, DHSc
• Here's How I Improved My VO2max After My 60s with Persistence and Guidance. Mike Broadly, DHSc
• What Car Shows Mean to Me and How They Enriched My Life Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
• It May Take 100 Monkeys to Save One Person! Ali Alzahrani, M.Sc., Editor
• How "Black Swan Events" Change Your Life — for Good and Bad Brian Feutz
• The bored predator Teresa D Hawkes, Ph.D.
• Our Social Media Feeds Stifle Personal Growth, Yeah! Charlene Ann Mildred
• The Surprising Role of the Shape of the Human Penis The One Alternative View
• Why the Bluepill Dilemma Is Older Than Time Itself Matteo DaVerona
• How to Deal with the Fact that Everyone We Love Will Die Someday Martin Vidal
• Woodstock Then And Now Rebecca Romanelli
• 7 Ways To Get Anyone to Say Yes Singh Bhai
• A Virtual Book Reading of "In the Minuses" Pernoste & Dahl
• Fascism and Communism Have More in Common Than You May Realize Ellen Clardy, PhD
• Work On your Mind and yourself to take more benefits from life! Love Sarao
• Does Anything Actually Exist Outside Of Ourselves? Lisa Fouweather
• Another Blessing for Ramadan Lisa Spray
• We Need A Change In Climate Mindset JamieWrites
• Not getting a Job? Here's the Surprising Reason You're Not Getting Hired — Part 2 Bryce Barrows - Career & Transformational Coach
• Xenotransplantation: First Pig Kidney Transplant in a 62-Year-Old Man Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Lose Weight Fast With These 7 Easy Steps (How To Do It Correctly) Dennis Kiplimo
• A Revelation Of The Method Michael Holford
• 7 Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Cultivate a Harmonious Life Zhenya Zerkalenkov
• 8 Covert Red Flags A Lot of Men Fail to Notice With Women and Dating Paul Trood
• Beyond Resumes: Unveiling the Secrets to Successful Candidate Selection Shubha Apte
• I Unsubscribed to Over 100 Email Lists Ace Loves Tech
• Are Squatters Rights More Important Than Those of Homeowners? Deborah Camp
• The Jarl's Neck Ring David Pahor
• I Was Poor, So I Know How to Survive a Recession Tree Langdon
• Celebrating Easter In The Modern Age: New Traditions, Different Minds Sheamus Aaren
• Anyone Else Hate Holidays? Misty Rae
• The Art of Saying No Umer Sheraz
• Glass Windows Dr John Frederick Rose
• Kiss Your Comfort Zone Goodbye: Being Uncomfortable Makes You Unstoppable MAGDALENA PONURSKA
• It's Mango Shower Time Dr. Seema Patel (PhD)
• Mastering These 5 Habits Skyrocketed My Writing Earnings Tser Dennis
• 2 Reality-Shifting Quotes by Mother Teresa to Redefine Your Life Path Thomas Oppong
• Conjoined With My Mother Jan G Sokol
• Zen Buddhists — Chop Wood, Carry Water Ritika Murarka
• When Gambling Comes a Problem Thomas Morison
• When Fascism Typically Takes Over a Nation by Rhetoric — Here's What Happens.. Harvey Ross
• Why 'Forever' is a Myth Nivetha Sudhakar Kalaivani
• 10 Magic Pills Everyone Should Take Nisha Arya Ahmed
• That One Productivity Article You Read Everywhere — And Here As Well Eric Kulbiej
• Therapy Notes: Screaming Sessions In Group Therapy Sara Ochoa Birrueta
• Sympathy For the Google Algorithm: The Young Immortal Antichrist Markus Scorelius
• How Sunshine Affects Us John Whye
• Did Gaza End Hillary Clinton's Career? Nour Alhakk
• Was Your Medium Account Suspended? Daniel Hall
• Day 19: Be Humble: It Increases Dignity. Zahera Noor
• A Digital Dopamine Drip: Are you hooked? Be The Ignite
• Four Reasons Why Second Best Is Better Than Best: The Top Is a Lonely Place Matteo DaVerona
• The Decline of Color: Is the World Becoming Monochromatic? Leo Tognetti
• Lesson #2 from cracking the 2nd toughest exam in the world: "Be obsessed with the goal" Nikhil
• How to create Easter eggs with React and CSS Modules? Programmer Girl
• How to Get Away from Boring Conversations with Strangers Ibtissam
• God's Simple Message John Passadino
• Hollowed Ground — My Dungeons and Dragons Character's Backstory Taryn Tyler
• Apple Vision Pro: Who is effectively using it in the real world? Vaibhav Kalekar
• Are We Alone in the Universe? M Aslam Waheed
• I The Other Shoe Doesn't Have To Fall James Boylan
• Holistic Remedy, LAVENDER — pt.1 Sara Nobahar
• Finding Comfort in Blocks: How Minecraft Eased My First Time Loneliness and Intense Grief at 17 Aiden (Illumination Gaming)

Thank you for exploring these wonderful stories and updates!

Quick Updates for New Writers

Here’s our onboarding pack, detailing everything you need to know.

ILLUMINATION-Curators have introduced some recently boosted stories. I believe you’ll find exceptional narratives within that collection.

Dr. Yildiz, through his upgraded profile, has inspired readers to join as Medium Friends. I hope many will embark on this uplifting journey alongside him.

For those who missed my Vocal experience, I encourage you to check it out. It’s important for new writers to learn from the challenges I encountered.

Our newsletter for ILLUMINATION, detailing our progress and future plans, has been released on both Medium and Substack. Feel free to share these with your relevant audiences—sharing is a beautiful trait of our community.

ILLUMINATION-Curators have compiled an impressive collection of boosted stories. I believe you’ll find amazing tales within that selection.

December 2023 proved to be a fruitful month for me, and I’m grateful for the boost my heartfelt story received. Your comments on "Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media's Grip on My Life" were much appreciated.

I have curated my monthly stories for my loyal readers and as a sample for fellow writers. I eagerly anticipate similar success this month, as I continue to put in the hard work. Please take a look at our strategic approach for 2024, aligned with Medium’s direction as explained by our chief editor, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz.

Dr. Yildiz noted that only 5% of his stories performed well in 2023, while the other 95% struggled for visibility.

He has also added numerous new writers during his holiday break.

Please check out his collections and the associated lists, sharing them on your social media to attract more readers to Medium.

Our supportive editor, renowned nutritionist Elin Melaas, has launched her second collection. Elin also curated the Invisible Series.

Additionally, our wonderful editor Surekha Chandrasekhar has compiled a collection from ILLUMINATION's Nutrition, our virtual kitchen.

The ILLUMINATION editors have introduced some fantastic writers. Explore their profiles and enjoy their engaging stories.

I love reading writer biographies and curating them. If you’ve penned a bio story, please inform me so I can include it in my collection.

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz recently reviewed a fascinating book by Dr. Emmanuel Ogamdi. If you are an author, reach out to Dr. Yildiz, as he provides excellent reviews.

I’ve also set up a Discord server for our writers to collaborate and share links to their stories. You’re all welcome to join; it’s a fun space that will hopefully grow as we continue to engage.

Let’s extend a special welcome to the new writers who joined us recently. Please explore their stories and connect with them if they resonate with you. This is a wonderful opportunity for both writers and readers to engage meaningfully.

If you’re a new writer in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Slack or the Discord server.

I also enjoy introducing writers on YouTube. If you’re interested, feel free to contact me via Slack or Discord.