The main argument in this article doesn't apply unless the Medium writer enabled the partner program on the post. That's what enables the pay wall.
Asked me for bank account routing info.
Wasn't interested about it that much.
Definitely not on by default.
Source: https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018834314-Stori...
> Stories become eligible to be part of the metered paywall if the writer selects that option in each story’s distribution setting. Medium will never meter a story without the writer’s permission.
> During the publish flow, you have the opportunity to check the box to be eligible for curation review and distribution across Medium. Checking this box means that your story is also eligible to be part of Medium’s metered paywall, and can earn money if you are in the Medium Partner Program.
https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018677974-About...
Follow the chart from the top:
> Are you enrolled in the partner program? NO
> Would you like to be eligible for curator review? YES
> Was the story curated? YES
> Story is distributed by Medium, is part of the paywall, and does not earn money.
This person’s screenshot of the UX (as of Dec 2018) seems like it could be easy to misinterpret. It certainly doesn’t say anything like “Medium visitors are only able to read X free Medium articles. If your readers exceed X, they may be shown a paywall and be unable to read your post”: https://twitter.com/SachaGreif/status/1069842296844120064