Were you here before the partner program? The writing was more innovative then and there wasn't the profusion of repetitive self-help, life coaching from 25-year olds, how to make money on Medium, and Medium is going down the tubes articles. It's annoying but that sort of shit gets the most claps.
But it's OK. I just scroll past that shit (usually--note that I read, or rather skimmed, this one) until I see something I feel like reading.
I've met some nice humans here and recently got to meet some of them IRL as a result of my involvement as an editor for the humor publication MuddyUm.
I write when I have something to say. The money I get is not a meaningful part of my income. Those pennies are more like claps, a form of recognition. I find I get out of it what I put into it.