(2017-08-22) Medium Starts Paying Writers Via Claps

Medium: Show authors more (love)️ with (clap)s

Earlier this year, we released Series and decided to do something different with the feedback mechanism. Instead of a binary input, we had an applause button, which you could press as many times as you want, and the count just kept going up. At first, we thought this was just fun. But then we realized it could be meaningful.

Rolling out to Medium users over the coming week will be a new, more satisfying way for readers to give feedback to writers. We call it “Claps.”

you can give variable levels of applause to a story. Maybe clap once, or maybe 10 or 20 times. You’re in control and can clap to your heart’s desire

Will clap for food: Medium rolls out a payment model for writers based on engagement

The most important unit of engagement that Medium will use to determine how much publishers get paid through this program are called "claps." Introduced by Medium earlier this month, claps are a clicky way for users to show appreciation for content that they like. Readers can give unlimited claps, but the claps are measured relative to the number of claps that a user typically gives, according to Medium.

The philosophy behind claps gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Medium is rethinking the business that underpins publishing on the internet. Rather than a simple "like," Medium wanted to give readers a way to express the true depth of their satisfaction for a piece of content