I agree with everything you said except we are not in the third inning, we are in the ninth inning. Medium is on the verge of closing its doors. They are deliberately throttling traffic and earnings and set up a reward system (boosting) that is nearly impossible to win. To get boosted and earn a few more pennies, you have to write pablum and kiss editors' asses. I hope the cost savings make driving Medium into the ground worth it.