Attributed To Writers Whom I Couldn’t Show My Appreciation Today

Medium Oh Medium, Wherefore Art My Claps?

I have no clue what is wrong with my claps

As an editor, after reviewing and publishing articles, I read them as a reader. I highlight important points, comment on them, tweet them, and show my appreciation with claps.

Claps are unique to Medium. I invest a mere 20 seconds of my time to clap for each article that I find valuable, and those 20 seconds are worth many minutes to my writers, and possibly even add to the all-important amount of time that my pub’s followers engage with their stories.

I can see the number of claps and the button changed the color to black. However when I refresh the page. All claps disappear and show zero.

This has been happening for a while.

What is the impact?

As a reader, my appreciation of a story is ignored or declined by the system. Moreover, the valued writer cannot see my appreciation, nor can the valued reader use it as a filter. I imagine it as AI rears its ugly head between the reader and the writer.

My time is wasted.

If Medium’s system deletes the claps, what is the point of having a clap function? One of my editors raised this question in a story he posted in a different publication — I strongly encourage cross-pollination.

What is the point of depriving readers of my input?

What is the point of disappointing the writers?

I know claps have no commercial value for writers. The only reason we clap is to show appreciation and create a lovely bond between the reader and the writer. Writers enjoy appreciation and recognition. It is a motivation factor.

I have also heard the views expressed by cynics that some people abuse claps to affect the algorithm. Everything is open to abuse in life; from a knife to pure water.

Since it has been a widely and fiercely discussed topic on Medium, I researched the function of claps and shared my findings in a post last July. Based on the stories and responses of others, I concluded that the implementation and use of claps were perceived by many as unnecessary and causing grief.

If abuse is a concern, then why can’t the system be programmed with a new algorithm for not factoring the claps, or come up with a system that truly benefits the reader and is abuse-resistant as or similar to what Marcus had proposed? Ignoring or deleting the claps does not serve any useful intent or purpose and is not a sustainable solution.

Here is a sample.

I read a story from Benny Lim today that resonated with me. It was about a problem which ruined my day yesterday. Benny is an editor of Writer’s Blokke and produces valuable content. I showed my appreciation with 50 claps.

Here is the screen capture.

After I refreshed the screen, my 50 claps disappeared. To ensure it was not a browser issue, I refreshed twice by repeating claps. The system did not accept my claps.

The same thing happened to a meaningful story by Liam Ireland. I couldn’t show my appreciation for Liam’s piece and a meaningful comment by Marcus on it.

So what am I doing wrong by showing my appreciation of stories and comments?

As Benny says, hopefully, it is just a bug.

Otherwise — if Medium is not accepting my claps and discarding them purposefully — I would be both very upset and concerned about the policy.

Despite all this, something good has been happening in my publications and Medium recently.

Thank you for reading my perspectives.

Besides aiming to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and writing about neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine, one of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.

I aim to educate, create awareness, and empower my readers to take control of their health and well-being.

To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.

Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, and Major Diseases.

I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:

Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.

Disclaimer: Please note that my posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.

I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.

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