Truthfully, I don't think that Medium's read ratios are very accurate. I'd try not to read too much into it. There have been many times in the past where I can tell by peoples' detailed comments that they've read my piece, but yet, don't show up as a read. Occasionally, they don't even show up as a view. With these latest updates, I've found that these metrics are less accurate than ever before. I try to pay as little mind as possible to the analytics Medium gives us and just enjoy writing for the sake of writing. But there are still days where I feel incredibly frustrated with the culture on here, and just how much of this clap and run/AI nonsense we all have to deal with. You're not wrong to be annoyed. Here's to finding the authentic ones!