Myth: every comment is worth more than a like

Myth: every comment is worth more than a like

The question: is the 'comments > likes' hierarchy a real ranking weight, or a slogan that ignores what kind of comment?

The advice rests on a true premise — dwell time (how long a reader's screen lingers on your post) and reply threads correlate with reach — but it flattens all comments into one bucket. Algorithm-report analyses suggest the model appears to value comment depth and recency, not raw count.

Three findings:
— A two-word 'Great post!' likely registers near a like in value; a three-sentence reply that holds the reader is a different signal entirely.
— Author replies extend the thread's active window, and a comment that triggers more comments compounds; isolated comments don't.
— Engagement-pod comments (off-topic, instant, reciprocal) can be detected as low-quality and may dampen rather than help.

Caveats: we infer weights from outcomes, never see them. Correlation, not causation — good posts attract good comments regardless of mechanics. Directional.

Bottom line: chase substantive replies you can build on, not comment count. Asking a real question beats begging for 'thoughts?'.