Update

I’m Stepping Away From Medium

Time for a shift in focus

Joe Duncan
3 min readNov 1, 2024

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The author, Joe Duncan, at the palace at Knossos in Crete, Greece

Friends, readers, and subscribers,

After five fulfilling years of sharing my thoughts, insights, and in-depth explorations on Medium, I have made the carefully considered decision to shift my professional focus almost exclusively to Substack.

Medium has been, in many ways, a foundation for my growth and a venue for genuine exchange with a discerning and thoughtful community. The journey here has been an irreplaceable one — marked by an open and responsive readership who has not only supported my growth, but actively shaped it through meaningful interaction.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the thoughtful commentary, the probing questions, and fervent debates have added richness to my life and work that I could never have cultivated alone. Each of you has played a role in this evolution, and I’m deeply grateful. While words like these are often merely hollow formalities, please know that when I say I will truly cherish each moment spent on this platform, I speak with the utmost of sincerity.

Tony Stubblebine, Ariel Meadow Stallings, and the rest of the Medium Staff have done a breathtaking job with the Boost program and I, at least in theory, wholeheartedly endorse this endeavor to clean up the cacophony of awful that plagues most corners of the social web these days. They deserve all the praise we can muster for their tireless, devoted hard work.

The Boost program has, more than anything else, taught me how to be a better writer and that’s not an exaggeration.

Subscribe to my Substack

If you subscribe to get my emails here, do consider subscribing to my Substacks. I manage The Science of Sex, which explores human sexuality through the lens of science, and The Unrefined, which covers essays, philosophical think pieces, tech talk, and much more — it’s “unrefined” because it’s where I speak freely. Here’s the recent promo video I made:

Promotional video for The Unrefined by the author, Joe Duncan

I’m beyond thankful to report that these Substacks are doing tremendously well, and I’d like to thank all of my readers who’ve helped make this happen, whether you’re a paid subscriber of mine or not.

I hold no ill will toward Medium, and still very much support and will defend its quest to build a more perfect platform. Now, some of you must be wondering: Why is this ardent supporter of Medium’s mission leaving?

Well, it’s not money. I’ve done well here over the past year, and the Boost program is designed for writers like me who write because they’re passionate about their material, not to churn out a paycheck.

But writing what I’m fervid about is precisely why it’s time to move on. I value the ability to speak freely, forge connections and build community, and discuss the topics that are important to me. I should be where I can write my passions, where my skills and talents will blossom, not wither.

I’ve explained this decision further here.

I will still be editing for Sexography and some other publications, but they will definitely slow down while I shift focus, so please be patient with us. And who knows, I may pop back in every once in a while to publish.

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Joe Duncan
Joe Duncan

Written by Joe Duncan

I’ve worked in politics for fourteen years and counting. Editor for Sexography: Medium.com/Sexography | The Science of Sex: http://thescienceofsex.substack.com

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