Summary

The article "4 Things I’ve Learned About Claps on Medium" discusses the author's insights into the significance and mechanics of the clapping feature on Medium, emphasizing the importance of community support and the proper use of claps.

Abstract

The author reflects on their experiences with Medium's clapping feature, which is akin to 'liking' a post but allows for up to 50 claps per reader. They highlight that clapping is not just a way to show appreciation for an author's work but also helps increase the visibility of stories and supports writers financially. The article also clarifies misconceptions about clapping, such as the ease of giving the maximum 50 claps by tapping and holding, and the fact that there is no daily limit on genuine claps, although Medium does have a policy against spamming with claps. Additionally, the author points out that the value of claps varies depending on the individual's clapping habits, with each person's claps weighted differently by Medium's ranking algorithm. The piece concludes with an encouragement for continued support and engagement within the Medium writing community.

Opinions

Clapping on Medium is a multifaceted gesture of appreciation for the author's time, effort, courage, and willingness to share ideas.
The act of clapping is enjoyable and fosters a sense of community and connection among readers and writers.
There is a common misconception that one can only give 150 claps per day, which the author debunks, noting that the actual limit is clapping for 150 articles within 24 hours, a boundary most users won't reach.
The author discovered that one can give multiple claps by tapping and holding, simplifying the process of maxing out claps for a story.
Medium's algorithm evaluates claps on an individual basis, considering a user's typical clapping behavior when ranking stories.
The author chooses not to overanalyze the number of claps received, focusing instead on the value of readership and community engagement.
The article emphasizes the importance of genuine interactions on the platform and warns against spam-like behavior, which Medium's rules explicitly prohibit.

4 Things I’ve Learned About Claps on Medium

I’ve been reading on this platform for a year and a half and just figured out #2 and #4

There are so many wonderful stories and authors on Medium that I will never in this lifetime be able to read them all. But for the stories I do find, when I read I give the full 50 claps. In doing so, I’ve learned a few things about claps.

1. Clapping feels good

Clapping is a way to support other writers. Writers in the Partner Program get paid by the amount of member reading time, and claps help the story reach a wider audience.

Supporting other authors feels good and builds community. We all go further when we help to lift each other up.

Here’s what I love about clapping:

It’s a show of appreciation for the time the author put into writing, time they may have taken away from other equally worthy activities.

It’s a show of appreciation for the work and effort from an author.

It’s a show of appreciation for the author’s courage in opening a part of their soul to the reader.

It’s a show of appreciation for the author sharing their thoughts. There is no greater gift than coming across a new idea that lights a fire in your mind and inspires you to be better.

And, appreciation feels good. Valuing the people around us makes our community stronger and forges a sense of connection between us all.

2. It’s easy to clap the max

I read many stories on my phone. I used to think I had to tap for each clap.

So giving 50 claps was like doing 50 little push-ups with my finger. I did 50 pushups all the time, and my fingers are much stronger as a result.

Yes, thank you to the many wonderful writers who have contributed to the fitness of my right index fingertip.

But, I just figured out this morning that you can tap and hold for multiple claps. This works on a mobile device or on a computer.

Oh, happy day! What a truly terrific discovery!

Probably my nine-year old would have figured this out long ago, but anyways.

You have also probably already figured this out. But if not, then I’ve just saved your finger from a workout. And possibly contributed to the demise of your finger fitness.

3. There is no limit on the number of (genuine) claps you can give in a day

I read from another author here on the platform who said you can only give 150 claps per day.

I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true. I read a handful of stories every day, probably 5–10 on average. And for each story that I read and enjoy, I give 50 claps. So, on any given day I clap well in excess of 150.

Any reader who is clapping out of genuine appreciation for stories that they took the time to read will not run out of daily claps*.

That said, if you aren’t actually reading the stories and are just blitzing through, clapping on as many stories as you can find, then Medium will view that as spam.

The Medium Rules do not allow spam, and “performing a disproportionately large number of interactions”, that may include “bulk, indiscriminate” clapping, is among the many behaviors that would be identified as spam.

*Update as of July 12, 2020: Thank you to Dr Mehmet Yildiz for sharing in the comments additional information from Medium Support: each person is allowed to clap for 150 articles within 24 hours. This is really helpful for better understanding a level of clapping that Medium would consider to be excessive. It’s a limit I think most of us wouldn’t encounter, but if you are an editor of a large publication, or an author who is full-time on Medium and reads extensively, you might. Very useful to learn about this!

4. Claps from different people mean different things

The Medium FAQ on clapping has this to say:

“When ranking stories, our system will evaluate claps users give out on an individual basis, assessing their applause for a particular post relative to the number of claps they typically give.”

What does that mean? Claps are relative, depending on the reader’s habits. If someone always claps once, that one clap holds as much weight in the algorithm as my 50 claps. It gets more complicated for people who give varying numbers of claps, of course.

And, since we’ll never really know someone else’s clapping habits, I choose not to spend time on my own stats, speculating about what the number of claps may mean from each person. If someone stopped by to read my stories, then I’m grateful for the visit.

As far as my clapping? I enjoy giving 50 claps, so I’ll keep on doing that.

At the end of the day, writing is about community. So, let’s all keep reading, enjoying each other’s work, and cheering our fellow writers on!