I will be honest that I don't see the issue in this as much. You have to think as an only reader in this. People who only read don't necessarily understand how big a like or a comment are to the creator. I would know as I have been a reader on different sites for years and i NEVER engaged with stories even when I reread them a dozen times. Obviously, now that I am a writer as well I understand what it means so while I try to stay a silent reader, I at least vote when I am done reading. I am particularly careful with leaving comments because my friends tell me I can be a little harsh, plus sense of humor doesn't always translate well XD
What I am trying to say is that for those kinds of readers, subscribe basically means adding the story to their library. It doesn't mean they wanna read it, it means they might one day be interested in trying. They are basically saving it to keep in mind for later, and by later their taste might change entirely. But the great thing about Tapas is that even that little bit of interest translates in the form of a sub which 100% is supporting the creator (as you are nearing milestones and such). On other sites, they have private library options in which case the creator never even knows that someone engaged with it, and that's not even counting when someone reads it offline or without an account.
So TLDR, I do not agree because subscribing in itself is not a blind action and it's not without its merits. The subscribe absolutely helps the creator even if they never engage with the story.
As a bonus, because of the "reader's mindset" of never engaging, I would say you should always assume only 10% of your subscribers are actively reading your story all the time, 30-40% read occasionally, and 50-60% subscribe and never interract. And this is not a Tapas only problem. You can look at Youtube, Twitter, literally any social media and its always the same. Followers never equal engagement.