To Medium’s One-Clappers

For a community that prides itself so much on supporting each other, this can’t be it.

I don’t have to talk about the following because, well, it won’t be far-fetched to say that the mighty stream isn’t flowing down as the talk in town has it.

And if, by chance, you happen to have a glance at the actual story of a fellow writer, I mean, why clap just once? Am I supposed to be appreciative that you did and consider that a support? You might as well not have read beyond the title — but you thought you were so slick enough to bait me with your one like.

Hey, I get it, we feel pity for each other, but even the beggars on the streets aren’t accepting a quarter anymore. One buck or two would deserve a thank you — but one clap? I should just slap that back to your face.

How long does it take to clap fifty times? I don’t know, but 30 seconds should be the longest if it’s that long. I counted, and it’s no more than 20 seconds. I mean, y’all’s patience is legendary, and I thought my five-year-old daughter is the most impatient person I know.

I understand that, not every piece we throw here deserves our precious time and attention. You don’t want to look creepy and desperate for a follow back and claps, keep going on the high road and don’t bother leaving just one clap.

I don’t even get how some people have more than 5K followers, and the claps their Medium stories are getting are no more than a mere 100 claps for a story that is two weeks or more old.

Can someone enlighten me on how this thing work? Did this many people follow the writer without even knowing the kind of writing he/she delivers?

I once heard a friend here on Medium saying most of us don’t actually know how the algorithm works, and as much as I agree with him, it still baffles me how a person with such a huge following doesn’t get the traffic that would have come with the following.

Isn’t having lots of following the typical success on Medium? I guess not.

The point is, let’s cut the rhetoric and show the unified stand as a community of writers we pride ourselves in — because we sure as hell have been singing this tune in unison for quite some time now.

I thought Medium is for writers, not politicians — because the only people I know to never come through with their promises are politicians ahead of everyone else.

Don’t ask me how generous I am with my support.

I hand out follows like it’s nothing. I follow back and, above all, I read and clap fifty times, iced on top with a comment if your work impresses me or adds value to the void part in me.

Why do I do that? I enjoy it here, and what is a better way I could give my appreciation besides doing these?

I learn a lot from all of you, and the above is the least I could do to repay the favor.