Hey Linda. I have asked many of the same questions. Most answers were indiscernible. I sent them to Robert Ralph, and he questioned them too. He wrote about it. Those medium guys are too smart for me! Here is what I garnered:

I don't think most "listens" get counted because we are not sure just how far we have to rea to make them count. That stat should be separate, just like nonmember reading time. How are we supposed to know when looking at a reading time if the nonmembers read it all and the members-only read half? Cant that be misconstrued? Any way you look at it, we are going to get the lesser of the two because that's what makes sense to medium.

I stopped using listens. I don't believe my writers get my full reading time, and I want it to count. I felt like you. It was a time saver, but I should have known there would be a price to pay for that convenience and that the systm could be abused. Who doesn't turn on a story, fold their laundry, then clap and make a generic comment? That's not fair to the writer or Medium.

I have adapted the same reading style as you have, and I hope everyone else does, too. Until we have a better explanation of how a read gets counted. I feel like putting it at the end of my articles. Please wait a few seconds and also scroll a little longer to be sure this read counts!

I think I will write an article with all this info and see if I can get my readers to experiment with me for a few weeks after I add that line to my articles.Look for it.I'll tag you as the writer that prompted my article. If we don't ask we won't know. BTW I asked the same question about the algorithm and my earnings and got the same roundabout answer so many writers here must be asking too. I saw the dip in my earnings start when the audio feature began, so I think the audio is not counting. Good work here, Sara.