I was briefly an editor for a pub whose owner insisted every editor did that for every story. Unfortunately, a lot of what he insisted we accept was utter crap.

I might like a story and clap for it. I might not like it, but still feel it had a right to be published. I’ll highlight if I see something I think is witty or profound, not otherwise. And I definitely won’t comment just to “help the author.”

I quit that pub and will not read anything published there. The owner does write good posts at times, so I do read him still.

People get followers by writing well and by leaving good comments — intelligent comments, fun comments, useful comments.

Nobody should be clapping, highlighting, or commenting disingenuously. Nobody.