Simple Note To Ev Williams

White Feather
4 min readAug 28, 2017

“ And, yes, we could have designed in even more control, but we also have m to balance that with simplicity and low cognitive load.” — @Ev Williams

I’m not sure if “m” is a typo or if it is an abbreviation for Medium. The problem I have is with, “simplicity and low cognitive load.” That seems awfully condescending. But it fits into the standard internet practice of “dumbing things down.” It seems like rewarding great intellectual content must always be combined with dumbing things down. This is so prevalent on the internet. Why is it part of Medium’s structure?

Aside from this, you made some great points in your post, Ev. Thank you.

“ Conciseness is a virtue.” — Ev Williams

Perhaps. But in-depth investigation is also a virtue. To throw one out in favor of the other IS NOT BALANCED. Twitter has taught us this.

“ …. time-spent would be gamed.” — Ev Williams

Cannot ‘conciseness’ also be gamed?

“ If you’re reading for enjoyment/entertainment, longer might be better. We’ve all had that I-don’t-want-this-novel-to-end feeling. But how often do you have the I-don’t-want-this-article-to-end feeling — even when it’s great?” — Ev Williams

A hell of a lot more often than you think. Oh, wait a minute, I’m not part of the lowest common denominator equation. Sorry.

Ev, I have to admit that you are making a little bit of progress in trying to evaluate quality. But no matter how many equations you throw into your algorithms you will never, ever, ever be able to judge quality by quantity. You and I could be sitting together on a rock outcropping on the edge of the forest looking at a flower. You could throw a million different mathematical equations out there to determine the beauty of the flower according to how a million different people react to a description of it and you will never FEEL the beauty of that flower. If I shut out all the noise and just commune with the flower in total silence I have at least a chance of FEELING the beauty and love in that flower.

Ev, you are in a position of attempting to bridge the gap between these two scenarios and I thank God every day that I am in not your shoes. It is essentially an impossible task yet it is an imperative task because the overwhelming majority of humans are hopelessly stuck in quantifying everything they see according to how their fellow humans quantifyingly react to anything. They simply won’t let go of their brains long enough to feel anything. And sadly, the internet is all about thinking instead of feeling.

There are many writers whose artistic expressions help to bridge that gap between quantitative thinking and qualitative feeling. There are many right here on Medium. But the algorithms upon which everything on Medium is dependent on do not favor these writers because they are not quantitatively popular.

Ev, let me be blunt and suggest that you take a day off from work. Turn your smart(stupid) phone off and leave it at home, as well as any other device, including anything on your wrist (even a wrist watch).

Take a long walk out into nature, as far from humanity as you can. (Bringing water is a good idea.) Hike up to some distance mountain ridge and sit down in front of a simple flower. (Eating a psilocybin mushroom or two can be helpful but is not at all necessary.) The important thing is to completely silence all those parts of your brain that are spouting out numbers. The important thing is to silence the endless chatter of the mind. Become a witness to the workings of your mind and brain and body. Override all the natural entrained reactions and become an empty vessel through which you can fully commune with that flower.

The answer to every one of your questions is in that flower.

You are a powerful person but your true power is in how much you can commune with that flower. Every struggle in your life is a resistance to that flower.

Let that flower be what transforms Medium. Let the flower be what helps Medium to transform human consciousness rather than the algorithmic numbers of popularity (which only maintain mass consciousness in its current treadmill). Go beyond the algorithmic treadmill of mass human consciousness.

Let the flower help you to become a true leader instead of just another popular enabler. Let the flower reveal your true power and wealth.

Come back from that hike and be someone who actually helps to transform consciousness on the planet instead of someone who simply maintains current consciousness through quantitative algorithms. Take from that flower the audaciousness to bloom and apply it to a stagnant mass consciousness that is helplessly stuck in the quagmire of popularity that barely grows and has not yet experienced the true joy of blooming. Be the adventurous astronaut who steps beyond the surly bonds of the heavy gravitational pull of popular mass consciousness and leads us to that which our spiritual evolutionary imperative directions us toward.

Let the endless flow of numbers and the associated cognitive dissonance in your brain to stop long enough to become that flower. You will then see how you can help humankind. Let the flower show you the way.

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White Feather
White Feather

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