I think what is happening is what breaks the heart of every writer here who wants to build community and support. We want to believe it’s everything but what it is. It's hard to believe. It weighs on you a bit. But the reality is some writers are gaming the system. Many of us who do "read back" and engage have become "known" for reading back." In return, we get fake reads from some writers who do it to get read in return. There may be other little glitches, but that's been less than 10% on Medium. We are seeing VRRs drop. We are seeing 104 fans, but 73 reads. Could it be a lag from the audio? Yes, it's possible, but that should clear in 48 hours. It doesn't.