Views are essentially whenever someone opens a page. A read, whether it's from an interior member or from outside the platform, registers as a read not before 30 seconds on the page. After that 30 seconds, the algorithm calculates a read.

EARNINGS: A read only earns from partners and FOMs. The first clap gets calculated in earnings. Same for the first highlight. As well for the first comment. If a partner or FOM follows you on that page after reading, that also is calculated toward earnings. And, FOMs activity pays out 4x as much as partner activity on the same post.

Your reciprocation likewise pays the person you are reading. The number of claps can bump a post up in the distribution algorithm but does not pay out any more after the first clap.

That's my understanding of how things work.