One of my stories was deleted recently. To this day I don't know why, but I can see how it would offend someone, so I accept Medium has to draw the line somewhere.

Nonetheless, how much should I, or any other writer on political topics, invest in an audience on Medium if we can be deleted at any time without warning or reason (which recently happened to Gerard Jones, someone I follow).

I was taught "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot harm me." So sorry, I don't agree with the policy in the first place. If someone doesn't like a story they can pick from one of a MILLION others on any given month? I don't own Medium. So what I agree with or don't is irrelevant. I understand that.

What I want to communicate is as CEO you want to make Medium successful by providing readers what they can't get elsewhere. Right? Maybe you believe the money is in self-help for novelists. It doesn't seem to be politics though I believe that's the one place Medium as a huge competitive advantage.

Medium has warned me about my stories. Let me return the favor. If you lose the kind of writers who can help make Medium profitable by scaring them off through deleted stories and accounts you won't get them back. So make sure that you really don't care about those kind of writers. If you do care, or you're not sure, you have to open a respectful communication channel between them and you.

If a writer spends years building an audience on Medium, depends on the income, then you delete them without explanation, is that not "intolerant"? And to them, it will feel hateful.

I'm a huge believer in Medium. I can write stuff here (even though I'm more afraid lately) which gets an audience I can't get elsewhere--intelligent and thoughtful. Yet if you allowed everything to be posted I recognize I would be lost in a cesspool. So please don't take this comment the wrong way. I love Medium.

I just want it to remain a place we can all speak our mind. I'd love to read your thoughts on the matter.