Why Your Claps on Medium Matter More Than You Think
Dear fellow Medium users, it’s time for an honest heart-to-heart about clapping. I knowthis issue might have been discussed on this platform, but I can’t help but bring it up again. If I receive one more solo clap on one of my articles, I feel like I will lose my mind. Let’s delve into what a clap signifies, not just here on Medium but in the broader context of appreciation and acknowledgment.
Imagine being at your niece’s dance recital. The performance ends, and your partner prompts you to clap. If you offer just a single clap, it sits well with those around you. Acknowledging someone’s effort, especially in performances, usually calls for more than one clap. This principle holds on Medium as well.
Consider a scenario where you’re at a songwriter’s night in a cozy coffee shop, and you’re the only person there as some poor soul pours their heart out on a tiny corner stage. The musician finishes their piece, and you respond with a solitary clap as the sole audience member. It might come across as if you’re trying to murder a fly or get a deaf emotional support dog’s attention rather than appreciating the performance. On Medium, the clap button is not akin to the ‘like’ button on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. It’s designed to measure enthusiasm. As a writer, I’d prefer no claps over a half-hearted single clap.
It’s possible that you might not be fully acquainted with the clapping mechanism here. It wasn’t immediately apparent to me, either. I felt a bit embarrassed when I realized that multiple claps were possible. I revisited each story I’d previously clapped for only once and added a few more. While 50 claps is the upper limit, a modest three to five claps can be more meaningful. It doesn’t demand much more effort.
When you clap just once, it feels like you’re making fun of me. So, this is a PSA to all Medium users: the clap button is more than a mere ‘like’ button. Engage with it by clapping multiple times, or perhaps refrain from clapping if you genuinely want to acknowledge a writer’s work.
I may get clap-back for this, but I don’t care. This can’t go on. Please don’t be a psychopath and give only one. I beg of you, please clap more than once or do not clap at all.
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