I suspect you’re right that Medium thinks of the claps as “suggestions” and pays whomever they see fit, not just divides up your $5 (or whatever smaller amount is left over after they take their cut) amongst authors you clap for.
Yes, it makes a huge difference to my opinion of their model and whether I will (re)subscribe. I wish they were forthcoming about how this whole thing works, what their cut is, and how they distribute the remainder. As you say, whatever they do is fine: it’s their platform (although I very much like the idea of giving them their slice but letting me choose which authors receive the remains of my contribution). Rather than hide behind a veil of obscurity, they should give us the information and let us vote with our feet and our wallets.
