Thanks for the response. I've been ambivalent about continuing with the partner program, as I would prefer to allow everyone full access to read my stories rather than putting them behind a paywall. So having tip links on each story instead is a plus in that regard, though I realize adding tip links manually was possible before today, of course.

At the same time, I recognize that only paywalled content gets promoted by Medium at present, which is understandable given the need to grow Medium's subscriber base. And I'd much rather Medium be funded by subscriptions than by advertisements, which is the main reason I read and write on this platform. (I hate ads!)

So it's a tough call, and I will be following future developments with interest to inform my decision. I appreciate the commitment to transparency.