Hi Nancy. It's like what I tell my students. A qualitative comment extends the conversation. A similarity, a difference, or a relevant question are qualitive in nature.

Saying "have a great day!" while polite, doesn't create a qualitative discussion atmosphere.

A lot of the clap 'n read groups were writing stuff like "Wonderful! " and moving on to the next one. Dozens of times a day.

Honestly I don't think the Medium staff gives a shit about how many times you clap. I had chalmydia three times this week. It's more like if you act like a bot, you mess with their tools to tackle the root problem.