This is the very essence of an irretrievably broken system.

'We reward quality,' says Medium. But a piece selected by a nominating editor - themselves selected and contracted by Medium - is rejected by their curation (why did the select specific niche nominators in the first place..?) and then, despite the fact that quite obviously we are talking about an article which must by definition be afforded at least 'runner-up' or 'honourable mention' status, even if outside the actual boost mechanism, is not distributed to more than a dozen users.

What is the effing point? Of them setting up these systems, of attempting to code a distribution algorithm that doesn't work, and above all, of writing here?

Answers on a meta-postcard, please!