It happened on Medium: November roundup
November’s most-read stories, most-highlighted sentences, and updates on our newest membership tier
One of the things I love most about Medium is how deep the archive goes. I mean… 11 years! Millions of posts about everything from artificial intelligence to abstract art, and thousands of publications with their own archives that contain gems and longreads for days. Sometimes I like to think of an alien civilization discovering Medium’s archive in a few billion years, after we upload the entire internet to a floating time capsule in space. (Anyone else?) What will they think? What will they make of deeply personal essays like Adeline Dimond’s “What We Think About When We Think About Red Lobster”? Or Shirley Lee’s investigation into obscure flavors of potato chips? What conclusions will they draw about humanity?
I don’t know, maybe that’s far-fetched. But it’s also… inspiring? On a daily basis, I come across years-old stories that continue to draw in new readers and spark new conversations (you’ll see some of those archival hits below). Many of the best stories and ideas are timeless.
Anyway, we’re back again with another roundup of what’s happening at Medium: the stories you read most, sentences you highlighted again and again, key stats and product updates. We’re always working on making Medium a better home for those enduring human stories and insights that stick with us long after we first read them. Let us know what you think: What else would you like to see here? What are you curious about? How can we make Medium better?
— Harris Sockel, Content Lead, and the team at Medium
Medium by the numbers
In November 2023…
- 1,519,790 of you joined Medium by creating a new free account.
- You created 1,379 new lists.
- Publication editors from the Medium community in our Boost Nomination Pilot nominated 2,261 stories for a Boost on Medium.
November’s most-highlighted sentences
“And in them, I find a glimmer of hope that my children will carry forward the importance of human touch and emotion, no matter where life takes them.” — Samantha Drummond, “Nurturing Genuine Connections in a Changing World”
“One of the greatest threats to retiring successfully is believing that what you do is who you are.” — Kim Kelly Stamp, “The Secrets of Retirement No One Tells You” in The Narrative Arc
“Learning is the process of acquiring patterns and methods to cut down on brute-force searching.” — Scott H. Young, “10 Mental Models for Learning Anything” in Better Humans
“You can’t prove your value to someone who isn’t interested in seeing it.” — Sara Wachter-Boettcher, “Hey designers, they’re gaslighting you” in Nice Work
“So, every wedding vow should also really end with, ‘I promise to show up and put the work into our relationship for the rest of my life even when I really, really don’t feel like it.’” — May Pang, “Statistically, You Will Marry the Wrong Person. Here’s Why.” in Better Humans
Community and product updates
- We launched a new membership tier: Friend of Medium. As a Friend of Medium, more of your membership will directly support the writers you love. Learn more.
- It’s gifting season, and you’re invited to give the readers and curious thinkers in your life a year of human stories and ideas with a free Medium membership. As a member, they’ll be able to read any story in our entire library across all devices — with no paywalls, story limits, or ads — while supporting the writers and thinkers they read most. (You can also schedule the delivery of a gift so it arrives in their inbox whenever you want.) Happy gifting!
- Our team shared some of their favorite Medium stories of 2023 — browse the list and share your favorites in the responses: “32 of our favorite Medium stories of 2023”
Over 150 publications accepting submissions
If you’re a writer, browse our list of Medium publications accepting submissions. You’ll find publications focusing on everything from poetry to psychology, science, programming, and beyond. Take a look at their submission guidelines and send in your stories.
Are you a publication editor who doesn’t see your publication listed? First of all scroll down to the bottom just to be sure (it’s a long list!). If you still don’t see your publication, email us a published Medium post containing your publication’s submission guidelines: writersupport@medium.com.
The 10 most-read stories in November
- “My favorite coding question to give candidates (and why)” by Carlos Arguelles, Senior Staff Engineer at Google
- “52 Things I Learned in 2023” by Tom Whitwell, Managing Consultant at Magnetic and Hardware Designer, in Magnetic
- “What’s new in Flutter 3.16” by Kevin Chisholm, Technical Program Manager for Dart and Flutter at Google, in Flutter
- “Catastrophe over New York: The 1960 collision of United Airlines flight 826 and TWA flight 266” by Admiral Cloudberg a.k.a. Kyra Dempsey, plane crash analyst
- “Harvard Faculty Statement in Support of Academic Freedom” by Academic Freedom Faculty Statement
- “Cornell University Discovers a Huge Threat at the Core of ChatGPT” by Ignacio de Gregorio, AI analyst, in Towards AI
- “Apps I Use and Why You Should Too.” by Gowtham Oleti, Product Designer
- “My Mother’s Sex Education Was Useless at a Frat Party” by Jane Ann Tucker, author and essayist, in The Narrative Arc
- “What to Do and What Not to Do During Meetings” by Ro Fernn, startup founder
- “A Brief History of Mathematics” by Areeba Merriam, PhD student in mathematical physics, in Cantor’s Paradise
Most popular stories from the Medium archive
Some Medium stories continue to resonate with readers months, or sometimes years, after they’re originally published. Year after year, you return to these ultra-evergreen stories to read, share, and learn. Here are a few vintage hits from November:
“16 little UI design rules that make a big impact” by Adham Dannaway, author of Practical UI, in UX Planet. Originally published in March 2023.
Over nearly 2 decades working as a product designer, I’ve realised that most of my visual and interaction design decisions are governed by a system of logical rules.
“10 Seconds That Ended My 20 Year Marriage” by Unbecoming. Originally published in February 2022.
I’ve worn my marriage and family as a medal around my neck — hefty and shiny. I tuck it in my shirt, because it’s not nice to flaunt your wins, but whenever the opportunity presents, I quickly, often self-righteously, pull out that medal and let it shine. But I know the truth about my medal.
“Google Slides is Actually Hilarious” by Laura Javier, Product Design Director at Instagram & Facebook. Originally published in February 2022.
Perhaps like you, I naively started out thinking that Google Slides was just a poorly maintained product suffering from some questionable foundational decisions made ages ago that worshipped at the shrine of PowerPoint and which have never since been revisited, but now, after having had to use it so much in the past year, I believe that Google Slides is actually just trolling me.
Notable longreads
On Medium, you have the freedom to go long (or short, it’s really up to you). One of the most thrilling parts of browsing this platform is witnessing all the ways writers stretch the limits of what’s possible within a single story — including dropping entire novellas, manifestos, technical guides, and ebooks on Medium. With that in mind, here are a few of the longest posts that drew readers and viewers over the last month.
“My Conversation With Sherlock Holmes,” a book-length instruction manual for conversing with AI, by Mike Mongo #IAmAI (198min read, originally published in April 2023)
This is the completed manuscript, including the entirety of the dialog between myself and an expression of AI I sought out who at the time self-identified as The Sherlock Holmes.
“A running list of every book I’ve read” by Rachell Aristo (37min read, originally published in October 2022)
This book recording thing was originally something I did just for myself, so you won’t find full blown book reviews here, just quick thoughts. Hopefully, you might find new books to read, and new opinions on old favorites.
“Unlocking Shakespeare” by Frank Breslin, retired high-school English, Latin, German, and history teacher (39min read, published a few weeks ago)
All paths lead to the mountaintop, and every teacher has his or her way of teaching his plays. May I suggest that the best way to read them is to bypass the editor’s Introduction and start reading the play itself.
Your perspectives on gathering, gratitude, and family
In the U.S., those of you celebrating Thanksgiving last month published personal stories and perspectives on gratitude, gathering, family, and good food. Many of these essays are as relevant as ever as we approach the busy end-of-year holiday season. Browse the Thanksgiving topic page to read the highlights, including Elise LaChapelle’s reflection on parenting and diet culture; Holly Pettit’s ode to nontraditional holiday gatherings; and Wil Wheaton’s simple expression of love for family and friends.
For more notable stories, writers, and publications, head over to “What We’re Reading” and Staff Picks. What have you been reading lately? What would you like to see in next month’s roundup? Let us know in the responses.
