I think it's two things. Medium collapsed its own publications and have started rewarding indie voices and writers once again - new readers and new writers have been lured onto the site now it no longer seems to be a left-wing newspaper. They now seem to be curating good writing rather than political positions - that wasn't the case from 2019 through 2020.

I spent most of that year getting very frustrated at reading the identity poltiics ideology dross of writers like Jessica Valenti. When they binned off the professionals I came out swinging. My style shifted from hesitant and benign to 'I don't give a crap' over a year spent as a commenter. I found I was getting a lot of claps for my dissenting comments, but no articles were being curated that matched my world view.

When everything tilted back to the middle, I had a position and a style that has resonated with the incoming readership - most of whom are bored of the endless and repetitive blame cycle and death by oppression bingo. I consider myself a provocateur rather than a serious commentator like Steve QJ - but there's a place for everyone and all styles on here :o)