This reply is more thoughtful and I appreciate the words of kindness. Some of your points are spot on, but some are still off, however.

> Fostering a community that expresses value in zaps: Absolutely. Zaps are revolutionary. Anyone ignoring them is a fool.

> Talking about zaps explicitly comes off as dicey: That’s a you problem, not a me problem. Your feelings and misinterpretations are not my responsibility. Monetizing digital content is a multi billion dollar industry, and nostr + bitcoin removes nearly all barriers imposed by centralized systems. Why should we pretend that this space is anything less than revolutionary for creators? Why should I act like zaps don’t exist, or that monetizing digital content isn’t a thing? It obviously is. Anyone offended by this is stupid.

> All forms of engagement seem valuable in their own way: Not likes. They’re worthless. Replies, reposts, zaps, quotes, are all meaningful interactions in their own way, and I didn’t discourage them in this meme, nor have I ever discouraged them that I am aware of. Likes, however, provide zero benefit/value to creators and ought to have never been added to the protocol.

If you want to show someone posting digital content on nostr that you appreciate their work, a zap is the most potent and “tangible” way of doing so, but of course other interactions have meaning too.