Photo by Ali Hajian on Unsplash

The Mysterious Case Of The Phantom Views

Was it Professor Ev with the candlestick in the study?

I write on Medium. Therefore I check my stats WAY too much. It’s as natural as night follows day.

Something funny is happening. Medium is giving me — duh-duh-duuuh…

…phantom views.

I write a short-form article every morning. I’m lucky if I get 5 or more views. Yesterday my article had 66! With 100% reads! Too good to be true, surely? Yes. When I clicked for more details it actually had 3 views.

Oh dear. I’m not angry (or disappointed), just interested. I understand that a view is less interaction than a read. Could there be a level of interaction below a view that Medium is now counting? A glance? A hover?

There’s a lesson in everything. And what is it here?

Don’t check your stats so much, Andy!