yes, I read the article about the dist categories, but I'm wondering if there is another one, which may or may not be considered as a "dist category". Some authors recommend to add a "friend" link to their stories so that non-members can read for free.

I'm new to the partner program, so not sure if it has any value, but some people say it boosts the number of views and reads, and improved the read/view ratio. Is it true? Does it matter?