I get the frustration, Robin. The ever-fluctuating algorithm is part of why I stopped pouring my heart into endless pieces per month. But Medium should be about building the writing portfolio, figuring out how to grow as a writer, etc. I still do okay here, but it took a lot of work to build up to that & I've never seen Medium as an end game with my writing. There are so many bogus platforms out there, & it still stands out as the best. Yeah, I thought the new changes would actually be great, but reads have definitely jumped off of a cliff & non-boosted pieces don't gain the traffic they used to...it does suck that some people aren't here for the passion of writing, but just ignore 'em! I also never, ever "read for read" or "follow for follow." I read the pieces that spark my interest, & I follow those who have put out a ton of quality, engaging pieces--I want people to read my stuff based on that same reasoning, & never because they feel they "have to" do so. You continue to grow as a writer & have written some great pieces!! Screw those who see you as a marketing tool