Michael you are one of the smart ones, who has figured out how to game the system — top writer in 20+ categories, lol.

Am I talking to you and folks like you? Given that you published about 10 titles today alone — Yes, I am. 10 titles a day, even if they are all brilliant, is flooding the market.

To your orig. question — is there a place for quality writing on Medium? Certainly. And I have faith that (a) there are enough writers and poets still pursuing that ideal, and (b) the Medium recommendation engine is powerful enough to elevate the good stuff from among the riptide of self-promotion and click-baiting.