Claps vs. Read Time, a Newbe Weighs in

It seems like a good idea to me.

I have to admit, I’m not as altruistic as some writers on Medium. I want to help other writers, but honestly, I want to make money for my work. I admit when I was first writing it was a shot in the arm to see my gags used in cartoons, radio stations use my material, see TV standups use my jokes or see my stuff in print. But it got to the point where I wanted decent compensation for my work. With that in mind, here are my thoughts about Medium’s adjustment from pay per clap (not sure that sounds good) to pay per read time.

In a nutshell, I like it. As a newbie, I’m working to gain followers and claps. I’m fairly happy with my progress in those areas, but I feel ultimately, time spent reading an article is a truer indicator of the interest a piece has generated. I take it as more of a compliment if a reader takes the time to actually read a piece I’ve written as opposed to just blindly clapping for an article. Of course, ideally a reader will read my work, enjoy it, and give it about 50 claps.

Human Nature comes into Play

It would seem to me that a new writer with 5–10 followers would be at a distinct disadvantage in getting claps as opposed to a writer who has 3K followers. I believe we all tend to clap more for someone who followers us. While I’m more likely to look at…