I'm not a fan at all of the direction Medium is going. Shuttering massive publications makes it harder to discover new writers and connect with readers. Pubs like The Ascent and P.S. I Love You were excellent locations to cultivate connections. Instead they are being done away with in favor of contests. And, honestly, most of the people saying "I'm glad they are closing" are still upset from having their stories rejected by the pubs. Publications acted as publication editors. These editors are now going away, which reduces the quality of work.