Unlocking the Potential of Your Medium Following Tab
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Chapter 1: Enhancing Your Following Experience
Have you ever opened the Medium app or website and immediately clicked on the Following tab, only to be met with a haphazard assortment of articles? You might wonder, "Who are these authors? Why am I seeing this content?" The desire for a tailored list that showcases only the articles of your favorite writers, perhaps even sorted by genre or publication, is common. Fortunately, there’s a solution.
While Medium does not allow for this customization directly, you can achieve it with a few extra steps using an RSS reader called Feedly.
What is RSS?
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, has been a staple of web technology for over two decades. It serves as a standard for distributing content from online publishers—much like Medium itself. Many users are unaware that behind each Medium profile and publication, there exists an RSS feed. This feature enables you to subscribe to your favorite authors or publications through any RSS reader, which leads us to Feedly.
Feedly's Role
Feedly is one of several applications designed to read and organize RSS feeds, providing a straightforward way to subscribe to and manage your content. For instance, if you’re a fan of the poet Jenny Lane on Medium, you may wish to keep up with all her latest works. Medium offers limited options: you can follow her or subscribe via email. However, with a crowded inbox, it’s often easier to have a designated space to view her new content.
How to Subscribe to a Medium Author's RSS Feed
To begin, go to Feedly.com and create a free account. Next, establish a folder for your favorite authors. While this step isn’t mandatory, organizing your subscriptions can be beneficial as your list grows. I named my folder "Medium Authors."
To subscribe to Jenny, click the Follow button located on the left sidebar.
Feedly will automatically navigate to Jenny’s page, locate her hidden RSS feed, and present it to you. Click the Follow button and select your Medium Authors folder.
Congratulations! You are now subscribed! You’ll notice that Jenny's feed appears in your Medium Authors folder. You can also switch the view from a list to a card or magazine layout, depending on your preference.
Subscribing to Publications
Feedly will recognize the RSS feed and prompt you to follow it, just as before—this time selecting the Publications folder.
Just Like Email, but Enhanced
Once you've set everything up, you can use Feedly to track and read your favorite authors and publications as if they were emails. Clicking on a free, non-paywalled article allows you to read it in full, and your views still count for the author! For paywalled articles, you’ll need to click "Visit Website" to access the full content.
Additional Features
Feedly offers several more features for free users:
- Create pinboards to save your favorite articles from any feed.
- Share your boards publicly or keep them private.
- Switch between Dark and Light modes.
- Use easy share buttons for social networks.
- Optional paid plans are available for more feeds, ad removal, and enhanced sharing options.
Conclusion
I hope this guide on Feedly has been enlightening. Using an RSS reader can transform your following experience on Medium into something personal and customizable—allowing you to engage with only the authors and content you truly want to follow. I no longer miss articles from Jenny Lane, Robin Wilding, nathanlovestrees, or any of the other incredible writers I follow!
YouTube Video Insertion
Here is how to integrate the YouTube videos:
Description: This video provides insights on how to gain your first 100+ followers on Medium, offering tips for maximizing engagement and visibility.
Description: Explore useful Chrome tips for Android, particularly focusing on the Following tab and how to add topics to enhance your Medium experience.