I think the clap system is a poor one. I would venture to guess that 99% of readers have no idea that one clap is an insult. I had no idea until I read another writer’s complaint about it. I think they should replace it with stars. Most folks know that one out of five is crap and 5 out of 5 is outstanding. When there are 50 claps available, you might think they would apply the same logic, but they don’t. Why? It’s more effort to press and wait for the 50 claps to accumulate than it is to just choose 5 stars instead of one. There are times when I like a story just fine but I don’t bother with claps because I’m lazy. I admit it. As a writer, I pay very little attention to the claps. I only notice if someone gives me 50 on a story that hardly anyone read. I then send out a blessing to the kind soul who gave them to me. I don’t think there’s much consensus on the dos and don’ts of readers. I don’t think most readers who are not writers assume any responsibility at all for clapping or commenting or following. They pay for the subscription. That’s their contribution. They didn’t sign up for any added responsibility. They’re not being jerks or stupid, it just isn’t something they worry about. A Medium writer told me they won’t read anything by someone who has a higher number of people they follow than who follow them. She thinks it’s morally wrong to follow someone unless you consistently love their work. I don’t. It never occurred to me. I don’t even look. We agreed to disagree.