On most social networks, the "like" button is an input for an optimization algorithm. It tells an advertising engine which demographic bucket you belong to and what products to pitch to you next.
On WritOn, we replaced binary likes with Applause.
The Human Gesture of Applauding
When you finish a poetry collection or a thoughtful essay, your reaction is rarely binary. Sometimes a line touches you so deeply that you want to applaud multiple times, as one does at the close of an intimate chamber concert or an honest theatre performance.
Applause on WritOn represents:
- Gratitude over ranking: It acknowledges the writer's labor rather than serving as fuel for a competitive scoreboard.
- Proportional warmth: Readers can applaud up to 50 times on a piece, signaling genuine resonance rather than a fleeting drive-by tap.
- Dignity for early work: A piece with twelve sincere applauds from thoughtful readers carries genuine honor. We do not punish work that reaches the right twelve people instead of twelve thousand strangers.