Transforming Medium into Your Ideal Travel Companion
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Chapter 1: The Challenge of Flying
Traveling at 35,000 feet in a confined space can be daunting for many, including myself, especially after binge-watching 19 seasons of Air Crash Investigations. While I can't change my past viewing choices, I must face my fear of flying head-on.
After a break from flying, that apprehension returned during my recent trip from Toronto to Alberta. However, I was better prepared this time. The night before my journey, I downloaded over 80 Medium stories onto my iPad to keep me occupied during the 3.5-hour flight. This strategy worked well, but I quickly noticed several shortcomings in Medium’s offline capabilities.
The limited features impacted my reading experience not just during the flight but also when I was camping or relaxing in hotel rooms without Wi-Fi. This led me to ponder: how can Medium enhance its functionality to become the ultimate travel companion? Here are a few transformative ideas that I believe could greatly benefit Medium readers.
Chapter 2: Essential Features for Travelers
Automatic Smart Downloads
Before my flight, I had to manually select and download reading lists for offline access. What if I forget to do this? I'd be left without anything to read, which would be frustrating. Imagine a feature like "automatic smart downloads," similar to YouTube's, which would automatically save a selection of stories based on my interests for offline reading. This would mean I could board my flight without worrying about downloading content manually.
Sync Downloads Across Devices
While automatic downloads are a great start, syncing them across multiple devices would elevate the experience even further. Personally, I prefer reading on my iPad, but I also occasionally use my MacBook. During my recent trip to Banff, I found myself in a café with no Wi-Fi. I wanted to access Medium for research but was disappointed by the lack of connectivity. If Medium could allow pre-downloaded stories to sync across devices, or maintain a locally cached offline version, it would significantly enhance usability.
Modify Your Saved Reading List
Throughout my trip, I found it frustrating that I couldn't modify my downloaded reading list. I wanted to delete stories, transfer them to different lists, or mark them as "read." In my view, these basic functionalities are essential for any reading app, and Medium should incorporate background syncing to update stories once back online.
Offline Highlighting
Highlighting text in Medium is one of my favorite features, yet it’s unavailable offline. Why is that? Implementing offline highlighting should be straightforward; all highlights could be stored locally and synced once the device reconnects to the internet. During my travels, I came across numerous insightful quotes and ideas that I wanted to save, but alas, they are now lost.
Stories Around You
Medium fosters a wonderful community of writers and readers, known for its respectful and informative interactions. To enhance this sense of community, I propose a feature that showcases stories from local authors. For instance, while driving from Jasper to Banff, I stumbled upon a lovely local bookstore with literature on the region's flora and fauna. It would have been fantastic to have access to Medium stories from nearby writers that highlight local culture, history, and recommendations, enriching my travel experience.
In conclusion, these five features could transform Medium into an exceptional travel companion. I hope you found these suggestions valuable. I’d love to hear about your experiences using Medium offline in the comments below.
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