ESSAY
A Small Prayer to Medium Readers
If you read an article and like it to any extent, I pray thee praise it a little bit
Say a little prayer for me. Let Me Know You Were There
I publish on Medium in several genres to be read and appreciated, not out of averice and not out of a compulsion to spew thoughts like so much jetsam into the social media seas. No matter the genre — memoir, social commentary, essay — I believe I have something to say some people would like to read. When people do read it and let me know not only that they have but that some part of it resonated with some part of them, I’m gratified. I’m reassured that my belief is not solely sourced in hubris.
I spend time and expend energy on every piece I write. It gets not only my full authorial and editorial attention but also a piece of me. Sometimes it’s a piece of my heart, sometimes of my brain. I would like to know, sometimes, that it resonated with some of you.
So, clap, would you please?
It hurts when no one does. It’s the easiest way to give positive reinforcement. It would be really nice for me if you did. It would be nice for you too.
Take some pleasure in knowing that you have done some little thing to help make another Medium member’s day. If not that, then realize that when he sees that you clapped for his piece, he may investigate your profile, read a work you’ve taken care to write, and clap for it. So, if doing something for another is not your bag, do it for yourself.
Views, Reads, Claps, and Fans
When you clap for a story, you become a fan of that story. Medium counts the number of unique readers who clapped for a story and displays that count in the author’s stats as fans. According to Casey Botticello, fans are “the best proxy for successful content on Medium.” (emphasis original)
Views — Views are the number of visitors who clicked on a story’s page. Reads — Reads gives you an estimate of how many viewers have read an entire story. Read Ratio — Read Ratio is an estimate of the percentage of viewers that reached the end of your story. — Medium Writing Stats Explained (emphasis mine)
Botticello explains that
Views can be skewed by click bait titles or sensational topics, Reads can be misleading for articles that are extremely long (or very short), and even Medium’s Read Ratio can prove unreliable as it fails to account for true reader engagement. — What Are Fans on Medium (emphasis original)
In contrast, fans are readers who appreciated an article enough to take a moment and clap from 1 to 50 clicks. Presumably, the number of claps in proportion to 50 represents the degree of the reader’s appreciation. Not all of the time, though. Some Medium members clap 50 times for every piece. That’s not helpful. It’s like getting a “pass” on one’s report card instead of the “A” one merited, or the “D.” It tells the author that little; it fails to give meaningful feedback.
So, yes, do clap, but no, don’t reflexively clap 50 times. Develop an “appreciation scale” and clap the number of times in proportion to your highest praise that the article merits on that scale.
Comments
Comments are a good measure of reader engagement. When a reader comments, the author knows that he has touched something in the reader, that he has intrigued the reader. Reader engagement is consequential feedback for a writer.
Botticello believes that
Comments are a good measure of engagement, but they fail to account for articles with large amounts of external traffic, as many of those users are not Medium members and cannot comment, regardless of their appreciation for any given story. — What Are Fans on Medium (emphasis original)
I also would like to know when something of mine is ill-received, whether that’s for you to say, “I don’t think the way you do,” or “I don’t feel that way,” or even “Jeez, that’s bull pucky!”
Comments are the only way to communicate with me, the only way to engage with me in meaningful dialog. Highlighting is fine. It indicates a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that resonated with you.But I would much prefer a comment. I would luxuriate in the conversation, even if it’s only a couple of exchanges, and welcome the trade in ideas. Who knows, it might lead to another article for one of us.
So use your claps and comments to reinforce me, please
It’s like clapping for Tinkerbell. It brightens my light. It’s a little prayer for my continued well being and presence in the Medium Never Never Land.
Say A Little Prayer for Me
The moment I wake up Before I put on my makeup I say a little prayer for you While combing my hair, now And wondering what dress to wear, now I say a little prayer for you Forever, forever, you’ll stay in my heart And I will love you Forever, and ever we never will part Oh, how I’ll love you Together, together, that’s how it must be To live without you Would only be heartbreak for me I run for the bus, dear While riding I think of us, dear I say a little prayer for you At work I just take time And all through my coffee break-time I say a little prayer for you — Hal David & Burt Bacharach
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