Why Even Bother To Clap?
If you are going to just clap once, why even bother clapping at all?
Ok, It is time to let you all in on a little-known secret called the Clap.
I am not talking about sexually transmitted diseases…no...I am referring to the Medium clap system.
There are so many confused souls in the community that could use a little guidance and a chart on how the clapping system is understood by most.
First of all, let me tell you, If you are going to clap once for an article, most would agree that you shouldn’t even bother to clap at all!
You see, you are allowed to clap up to 50 times for one article hell, you can even clap 50 times on a comment you enjoyed.
So if you know this and are clapping once, then you must have a grudge or really hate the content you just read.
My guess is most of you are newer to Medium, and you didn’t know the difference.
I believe Medium judges your articles on many different factors, including your internal and external views, claps, comments, and how many people have read your article in its entirety.
If your average read time is 2 mins and your article is a 5 min. read then; your article is most often being skimmed through and not read entirely.
It all depends on how many people are reading, engaging, and clapping for the content you share.
I would highly suggest you take the time to read a few of the articles that medium posts about the ranking system and rules of Medium, especially if you care about how your claps are being received.
As a general rule, it is probably safe to follow this scale as a guideline:
- 0–9 claps = I didn’t enjoy this article; it needs work
- 10–19 claps = I somewhat enjoyed this article. It was decent
- 20–29 claps = I enjoyed this article; it was a good read.
- 30–39 claps = I really enjoyed this article; it was great.
- 40–50 claps = I loved this article, and it deserves all my claps and then some.
You are allowed to clap more than once for an article you enjoy. In fact, you can clap up to 50 times for one piece if you felt that the article you just read was so valuable that you learned something new, and it inspired you to make a positive change.
I hope this helps to provide value to those of you who were unaware of how the clap system works and how your writers and readers perceive it.
I recently noticed the pattern of many great pieces being clapped for once. It is sad, and I would like to think that a majority of this community genuinely cares about the success of their peers.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully, this inspires you to Clap with kindness and thought for the person on the receiving end.
