These seem like worthwhile changes - we'll need to wait to discover if the "law of unintended consequences" plays out by creating unwanted distortions. Meanwhile, I feel fortunate insofar as I never write anything for money; I simply write in the hope a few other people will find marginal interest in whatever topics I happen to cover. For me, Medium's greatest benefit is the opportunity to discover and connect with people I'd otherwise never know, such as the wonderful Mitchell Diamond, whose essays on religion I don't entirely agree with but whose lucidity and logic deserve a far wider audience.