First Impression
I first used Medium when I noticed several writers I followed using it. In the beginning, I wrote a story about my journey to the 2014 USA Memory Championship. I also reposted stories I’d written elsewhere, like this one about role models. Later, I experimented with Publications to house related stories.
I’m excited about long-form written content. Some information, debates, and stories simply demand more space for thought, discussion, and reaction. This is the context I had arriving at Medium in April 2014. Over two years later (June 2016), I’m back to take a close look at Medium from a gamification lens.
Before we start: This Gamification Analysis of Medium (Octalysis Level I) will focus on the composition side, meaning the writing of stories and responses and letters. In a future post, I will 1) discuss the reading and consumption side of Medium, and 2) detail my Octalysis Level II journey through Discovery,Onboarding, Scaffolding, and Endgame.
As always: I’ll be referencing the 8 Core Drives of Octalysis throughout:
- Core Drive 1: Epic Meaning & Calling
- Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment
- Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback
- Core Drive 4: Ownership & Possession
- Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness
- Core Drive 6: Impatience & Scarcity
- Core Drive 7: Unpredictability & Curiosity
- Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance
Continue reading Gamification Analysis of Medium (Octalysis Level 1)