First Rule of Medium Fight Club — Only Assholes Leave 1 Clap

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hnauzer and smack them right in the face with it.</p><p id="22f8">Of course none of us knew we could leave more than one in the beginning. I didn’t. You might still not know. But now you do, so you don’t have to get called an asshole like me.</p><h1 id="3a67">I Don’t Want to Be a Dickhead — What Should I Do Instead?</h1><p id="c6c2">Literally, anything else. This includes:</p><ol><li>Don’t leave any claps. You’d still be a bit of an asshole for not telling a writer that you dig what they’re putting out, but less of one than if you leave a single, lonely, psychopathic clap.</li><li>Leave more than one clap. You’re allowed up to 50. Never leave under ten. Just keep holding down that clap button until you get bored.</li><li>Instead of 1 clap, leave a comment. Comments are better than claps, for me anyways. But don’t leave “great story” or “great article” — that’s the comment version of a single clap. It’s a half-assed effort and everyone knows it.</li><li>Quit Medium entirely. Go find a platform where community engagement isn’t important. It will save you time that you c

Options

an use to post more articles.</li></ol><p id="d41a">I don’t recommend option 4, because Medium is awesome — especially once you’ve found ‘your people’. Just don’t leave any claps or comments if you don’t have the time, energy or will to live at that moment. Or train your cat to leave claps from your keyboard (although this option sounds even more energy-intensive in the short run).</p><figure id="cbc9"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*aMOapV4yDMppDavj.jpeg"><figcaption><b>See — look how happy this dude is for receiving claps and admiration from his adoring fans (albeit they may be just paid employees forced to clap for him). </b>Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/office-team-standing-in-the-room-7793116/">Yan Krukau on Pexels</a>.</figcaption></figure><p id="496a">The truth is you don’t <i>have</i> to leave any form of engagement. It’s not like we get paid for claps or comments (primarily it’s read time). BUT, the feedback as a writer when someone takes a moment to acknowledge you is greatly appreciated.</p></article></body>

I’m an asshole. My first few weeks on Medium (on my main account) I left a clap on articles that I enjoyed. One clap.

Imagine all these people clapping just once each. The rockstar would lose his mind, probably relapse back into drinking and drugs, and give up music forever (musicians can be a sensitive and dramatic bunch). Photo by Wolfgang on Pexels.

One person I was following wrote an entire article about it, he was livid. I had to come out of hiding and tell him that it was me. I blamed my ignorance — which in fairness was true. However, he is now my bestie on the platform, so it worked out.

Happy ending to that story aside, don’t do that. Never leave 1 clap. You might as well just whip out your trouser schnauzer and smack them right in the face with it.

Of course none of us knew we could leave more than one in the beginning. I didn’t. You might still not know. But now you do, so you don’t have to get called an asshole like me.

I Don’t Want to Be a Dickhead — What Should I Do Instead?

Literally, anything else. This includes:

Don’t leave any claps. You’d still be a bit of an asshole for not telling a writer that you dig what they’re putting out, but less of one than if you leave a single, lonely, psychopathic clap.

Leave more than one clap. You’re allowed up to 50. Never leave under ten. Just keep holding down that clap button until you get bored.

Instead of 1 clap, leave a comment. Comments are better than claps, for me anyways. But don’t leave “great story” or “great article” — that’s the comment version of a single clap. It’s a half-assed effort and everyone knows it.

Quit Medium entirely. Go find a platform where community engagement isn’t important. It will save you time that you can use to post more articles.

I don’t recommend option 4, because Medium is awesome — especially once you’ve found ‘your people’. Just don’t leave any claps or comments if you don’t have the time, energy or will to live at that moment. Or train your cat to leave claps from your keyboard (although this option sounds even more energy-intensive in the short run).

See — look how happy this dude is for receiving claps and admiration from his adoring fans (albeit they may be just paid employees forced to clap for him). Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.

The truth is you don’t have to leave any form of engagement. It’s not like we get paid for claps or comments (primarily it’s read time). BUT, the feedback as a writer when someone takes a moment to acknowledge you is greatly appreciated.