Unfortunately, it's those members in countries where the USD goes much further that is doing most of the damage with template, irrelevant comments.

And like yourself, I have always avoided "Read, clap and comment" posts. If the topic is relevant to me and the writing good, I'll happily read and engage but there's still so much content crap out there.

As for how the changes affect me, I've been pleased. But the fake comments get annoying, almost as much as the new flood of Whatsapp comments.

Tony's blurb there makes perfect sense to me. Most days, I read an average of twenty stories, and that engagement is genuine, but yeah, comments on a 100? That should be flagged as abusing the system.

And I agreed with his assessment of the sudden appearance of "engagement groups." I rolled my eyes at each invitation.

At the end of the day, none of changes, current or previous have altered my writing or reading.