It would sure be nice if Medium gave out "free" memberships to writers, especially those of us who have a following. I've provided free, high-quality writing for over a year on here, yet I'm expected to pay to read others' stories? That's ridiculous. I didn't come here to make money or to give away my money, but to find community. That community is highly restricted now. You don't even give people a heads-up as to whether it's a "members only" article or not, when someone responds to promoted clickbate. Consequently, I always burn through the monthly pittance of free articles by clicking on crap I never would have touched had I known it was paid content. It really is a disservice to the people who are the engines that drive your platform and get nothing in return.