It truly is highly disappointing.

My only advice which you know but sharing for "pronounced effect" 🤪...let's keep writing and enjoying the interaction we genuinely share with each other, hoping the tides will change and land somewhere that looks and feels more just.

It's always fun to read you Julie - and as I shared in some story of Sahil's, don't know if it's the same: I commonly clap comments of people I know and don't:

If that comment was well-written and applauds the author and story as I feel: I'm going to clap it, often and many times over 30 claps. I always have and will.

I read on Medium for a full year not even realizing there was a partner program. People followed me and I never wrote. I just commented. I found it odd - but ignored. I didn't understand the meaning nor did I care about follows.

I share all of that because I think some people genuinely read your comment, and you are the kind of person they want to read and they enjoy how you write - so they follow you.

:-) It happens!

When I wasn't writing, I followed lots of people I genuinely enjoyed. Sometimes I would read a comment and I loved how they expressed themselves - and yep followed them. LOL

...so just sharing for whatever it's worth!