Interesting! I enjoy making a little bit of money. And I also enjoy clapping, highlighting, and especially, comments on my stories. Why can't we have both? I've noticed lately that while my followers are growing and clapping and highlighting are also increasing--but comments are dwindling (except from you RC:) now I wonder if people just don't think it's worth the time to comment--and it does take time--but I believe comments mean a lot to all of us writers because from comments we learn what resonates with our readers. I sure wish there was a definitive answer from Medium on the value of engagement, especially the comments. Until then, I'll continue to comment on the stories that interest me, and there are many!