I disagree. A reaction is for a note worth reacting to.
A zap is for a note so good or impactful that you want to impart upon the author monetary value as thanks.
Discussion
My issue is that I don't want half hearted response. I want emotion good or bad. No response is a response.
Finally, a zap is a cost. The bots will make “free” a wasteland of spam
The bots are going to ruin this if we don't attach a small cost to engagement.
That's fair.
I agree that 'free' is a trap and bots are a problem. So maybe there's a way to add cost without forcing people to part with money if they don't agree.
Maybe a client side filter that allows you to hide responses that are not accompanied by a zap from the same user.
Pair that with the ability to voluntarily configure a minimum zap amount for reaction emojis.
People can then choose to have broader engagement to their responses, or not. Consumption of content is not penalized. Action is voluntary, and bots now have a real world cost to even be visible.
Do that at the relay level and let each user set their own price. Spam puts a burden not just on users, but on the relays that store all of those notes.