I’m a reader and commenter, not a writer, so I have different questions.

What is an acceptable comment? I’ve had writers thank me and others ream me for pretty much the same comment. For example, most writers appreciate my habit of adding a link to the work of other author’s articles and essays related to their subject. However, other Medium writers are irritated, even offended, when I do that.

How do readers screen writers out of their feed? While I’m getting better at staying away from writers who need a tightly controlled bubble of validation, I’d really like these writers not to show up in my feed at all. It also seems that following one writer pushes some kind of algorithmic trigger that automatically adds other writers to my feed. There are several writers I would like to avoid but can’t figure out how to get rid of them.

How can readers stop seeing other people’s highlights? I open a new piece and it is already highlighted by other writers. How can I stop this?

What is a worthwhile use of a reader’s time? Some comments are valuable, others are more like a greeting card. I can only read another “thank you for reading my work, support or comment” reply so many times before the writer loses credibility. However, skipping the comments altogether risks losing those opportunities when commenters engage in meaningful discussions – on hard subjects. If there is nothing valuable to be said, isn't a clap of recognition or acknowledgment enough? If not, why not?

Carol, thank you for opening up the subject.