Claps and Comments

What’s the purpose? What am I missing?

WHY, WHY, WHY!

Nancy Kerrigan - 1994

This is a post more than a piece, an observation rather than a statement: a question more than an answer.

Why do we clap and comment?

I’ve read several articles about behaviors we incorporate into our Medium process.

Most of the pieces go to the impact of our behavior as it relates to the curation of a writer’s work and earnings or other rewards for that work.

Some people express frustration with the seemingly robotic cadence of the endeavor. ‘Read, highlight, clap, comment, click send.’ The routine, playing out like Crimson and Clover over and over.

Others speculate the claps are going away, or no, they’re here to stay.

What are the criteria for the appropriate number of claps? Some say fifty. Others, including Medium staff, have their own rules. I’ve seen varied opinions on whether the algorithm knows what a clap means and acts accordingly, which is scary given the participants do not think uniformly as they submit their data entry.

I’m beginning to wonder about the underlying reasons, if any, for claps and comments. The following might be obvious; my apologies if I’m coming across as condescending. But, instead, chalk it up to my being slow.

I want to focus on the platform's business use for the process. It’s fascinating to wonder what the…