The Medium Clapping Etiquette
A deep dive into the mysterious claps
Who invented the clapping system on medium?
I would have loved to be in that meeting…
As a reader, you can basically give anything from 1 to 50 claps. I don’t think readers realise that claps are both free and unlimited. In any case, the way people clap here is a mystery that I am trying to decode.
After almost 4 months here, I have noticed there are a few types of Medium clappers:
The stingy clapper
No matter how much they like your article, they will give you one clap. One. It’s like the minimum expression of a clap. It’s the equivalent of tipping less than 1 dollar, but they feel good because they tipped…
The clapper with good intent
That’s me: starts with the intent of giving you 50 claps but I get finger fatigue and the clap dies somewhere along the way. It’s usually a random number that was totally unplanned like 27 or 34, a bit like the tip: it’s your change, your coins. It’s not that you don’t deserve the full 50, but it feels like I’m wasting my fingerprint away.
The methodical clapper
They will give you something modest like 10 or 15 claps but it has to be a round number. They get mild anxiety if the number is not round so they will round it up (you can’t go down). I know who you are!
The silent clapper
They will read and enjoy but keep the claps to themselves just in case. They smile but they don’t tip. You never know, you might need those cents later…
The generous clapper
50 claps every time. Doesn’t exist on Medium. It’s like tipping a 50$ note. Only in movies.
I bet you recognize yourself in one of the above. If you don’t, please introduce yourself in the comments and explain your clapping modus operandi and I will add one more category. That is, only if you clap!
Join Medium today by purchasing a 5US$ monthly membership and have access to all articles. Use my referral link below to support me and join the Medium family!
If you liked this story, you can sponsor my caffeine dose to keep writing and buy me a coffee :)
Let’s connect on Linkedin, Twitter or visit me at www.veronicallorcasmith.com.