Here’s what Google told me about Medium stats and it ain’t pretty.

I was googling to learn more about medium stats. Because Medium help is way easier to find in Google that it is in Medium. Anyway…

Curiosity being the strange animal it is, I clicked over to Google images.

Whoa… lookie this.

Where’s the ❤ ?

I grabbed 3 random shots. I’m sure some of them are old. But, you know, most of what showed up looked like this. And my own stats look kind of like that, too. Some really great read ratios, but where’s the ❤???

It made me wonder. Do we read Medium like some sort of Internet version of Siskel and Ebert??

Reading all the way through and deciding whether each piece has earned the merit of our thumbs up? Hoarding approval like water in a drought?

Or is it more of that “follow the leader” mindset?

You know... like, if the article doesn’t already have 100 ❤s maybe that lack of digits means *we* shouldn’t click it either. Because, you know, no one else did, so heaven forbid we be the ones to say “hey, thanks” to the writer.

I don’t know the answer, but I’ve done it, too. And I’m kind of ashamed, to be honest.

I’ve read stuff all the way through and didn’t click the heart.
I don’t even know why.

Because really, read ratio is a good indication of nope, not my thing.
If it’s not my thing, I didn’t make it to the bottom. You know?

Clicking the heart is a small way to thank a writer for their efforts. I wish I’d realized that sooner…

So I’m on a mission to click the heart more often. Doesn’t cost time or money, and might put a smile on another writer’s face. Win, win.

Thanks for reading... If you liked it, please ❤ and share. :)