Being referenced by someone you look up to is more valuable than a view. But is it really different, when we consider that one view is the reason why that perso

Being referenced by someone you look up to is more valuable than a view. But is it really different, when we consider that one view is the reason why that person is referencing your content in the first place? This is why I have a hard time with how many people push against view counts as the ultimate bad. They are just another metric, one we use for validation, but still just a metric. Sure, you might think it's healthier to care about more WebMentions, but what are those when you peel away the layers of branding? I suppose we can't really escape our desperate need to be seen, even in digital space.