Hi Nicole, I’m with Shannon Ashley on this one. I’ve always been aware that how we clap directs payment, it just depends on our own relative scale. And if you read/clap a lot, then $5/month won’t go very far. I also don’t agree that low claps per se are weighted higher – again, it all depends on a reader’s relative scale. If a reader claps between 3–10 usually, but then between 30–50 for pieces that deeply move her, then obviously those higher claps are worth more. I’ve also stopped peeking at how much individual readers clap for me, because that way lies madness. But I think if I loved a story or poem or personal essay, why not clap high? As Shannon said above, it’s more likely to boost the writer’s morale, and also let Medium know that other readers value this writing. And for those of us who create the work Medium hardly (if) ever features or promotes (particularly short fiction and poetry writers), I think that’s more important. And as clapping is a personal thing, I think each reader should decide for themselves how they choose to support other writers on this platform.