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Lurk all about it!
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Do you read this blog, but rarely comment? Do you linger and observe, but rarely participate? Are you a lurker?
If lurkers are condemned with less venom than other message-board scourges - spammers (who post ads), trolls (who promote controversy) and sock puppets (who burnish their own reputations under aliases) - this may be only because lurkers are ubiquitous. Everyone, even those lightning-fingered I.M. fiends who must never stop typing, has to lurk sometime, even if only while reading reviews on Chowhound or Makeup Alley.
But lurking is very not in the spirit of interactive media.
But wait! The author wants to know: “What name did it used to go by - this practice of anonymously sitting back and taking in long sequences of words without producing any yourself? Hey, wasn’t it once called, perhaps, “reading”?”
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One more diversion
Yes, indeed it was called “reading”. And it was a good thing, and someone one should continue to practice even if one participates in blogging. There is great value in just reading, and just thinking.
As I frequently do, I want to encourage our “lurkers” to come out of the woodwork and join in the fun. It’s a great way to have your thinking challenged, to improve your writing skills, and your debating skills.
I hope the “lurkers” on this site don’t think this is some kind of closed club, because it’s not. We welcome your participation. So don’t be shy. If you need help or have a question, just ask. There are many of us who will be happy to help or answer your questions.
I generally read the original post on nearly everything here, and comment on a few a day. By proportion, though I comment daily, I am a lurker.
On most other sites, I read and rarely comment (Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin, LaShawn Barber, the Bayly brothers, etc.).
I’m lurking today. Too darn busy.
I learned something new! I didn’t know the term “sock puppet.” Pretty funny. I remember one of the conservative regulars being busted for playing with his sock puppets.
I read this blog daily, but have only ever commented once or twice. I guess that means I’m a lurker, although I never thought that was something negative, and certainy didn’t know there was a special name for it. Part of my failure to comment was because I lost my password (it ended up in my spam box and I accidentally deleted it.) Anyway, this post inspired me to get a new password and this time I changed it to something I may even remember.
While I’ve commented a few times myself, I lurk more here than on any other blog. I just like to check out the hot topics and see what people are saying about said topics. I mostly skip reading any responses that are over a paragraph b/c those people tend to think pretty highly of themselves and are ignoring or offending other posters (generally speaking). I also rarely post b/c I wonder why anyone would care what my opinion on a matter is. These people don’t know me and I don’t know them. It always kind of amuses me when people post about their own personal day or lives on a public blog. People just get that “I’m among friends” feeling and start posting away with ALL of their thoughts and opinions on EVERY topic. I avoid that by not posting much myself.
I lurk because I only have time to browse the internet at work between classes and it doesn’t give me enough time to respond. I really enjoyed my interchange with Anlir over the Interfaith Thanksgiving debacle but didn’t have enough time to make my points. By the time I came back, the thread had passed me by. So I lurk for lack of time. But watch out over Christmas break, Spring break and summer break.
Love y’all
Let’s hear it for lurkers! Not so much for sock puppets!
Cameron put me onto something, because I also read this and the baylyblog regularly. I feel intellectually qualified and sufficiently informed to weigh in on at least some of the topics here. (Any of you have paid me enough attention to disagree, please be kind!) Over there, I rarely comment because I don’t feel I’m in the same league as most of the commenters. I don’t know what happened within the last five minutes of the FV debate, nor can I read NT Greek, for instance.
I say all this (sorry for the long post, Kara!) because there are always a bunch of people out there who enjoy listening without commenting, whether they feel in over their heads, or just because they’re more listeners than into-the-fray-ers.
OK, maybe “readers” instead of “listeners” in the last paragraph. I hear many voices in my head (shut up! shut up! all of you shut up, I’m trying to type here!) but none emanating from this blog.
Make It Man is just a sock puppet for a real guy….
RR,
I feel the same way about the Bayly blog. Rarely am I intellectually qualified to comment over there, but it happens every month or two. I have no dog in the FV fight, so I skip those.
Cameron, I’m still trying to get somebody to explain the FV fight to me.
I sometimes comment, but usually not. I guess I’m a semi-lurker.
Really? You hang out in truck stops?
RR,
That’s why I’m glad I don’t have a dog in the fight. If you’re truly looking for more info, try a blog written by a friend of mine: http://waterfromarock.reformedblogs.com/
I know he’s written about it recently as well as in the archives. Not being PCA, it isn’t as big of a deal in our denomination, but we hear it batted about.
I occasionally post and am more often than not ignored. I spend a few minutes each day browsing and often find that the conversations have drifted to two or three predictable topics no matter what the original post was about.
I find visiting WOTW fascinating in a rubber necking train wreck sort of way. I find it hard to believe that much of the stuff that is written here as comments would ever be said face to face. And for those few who would say it face to face they would either have to be 6′5″ and 280 lbs of steroid infused mass, or someone with a raw ribeye permanently attached to their eye.
I’ve been lurking here for about three years - wow - and watched all sorts of exciting bloggers come and go - and have posted two or three times, but I always decide that if I wait long enough someone will say exactly what I have to much more effectively. But I love lurking - so much fun!
Metanoia,
I find responding directly to a poster generates more interaction than simply responding to the general article/original thread post.
Maybe some of us just think too much of ourselves (speaking personally), and can’t contain an opportunity to demonstrate it.
I posted the first time I read this blog–nearly four years ago now–and was in such a hurry to impress someone with my argument I typed my name with a lower case “m.” I continue in that vein in a (mostly failed) attempt to instill some humility into my soul . . .
I’d be curious to know how many lurk, however, just so I can know how humiliated I truly should feel!
I imagine it takes a lot of patience to be lurker. Some of us are just verbal, and wouldn’t last long lurking, at all!
But, hello to all of you out there!
Metanoia,
Well, maybe if you said something derogatory about their momma, they’d reply to you
Just kidding - don’t do that.
I’m sorry that people haven’t responded to you. If I’ve done that, it’s not deliberate. I tend to float among a fair number of the blogs on here each day.
Most of the time I try to comment on the article or blog, without regard to what other people have said. On really controversial issues I deliberately try to address the editor’s blog without reading any of the replies. I generally try to stick to the “big picture” on an issue. But I also reply individually to people when they ask me a direct questions (unless they’re on my “ignore” list).
I know what you’re saying about watching the “train wreck” on here. I can see it coming most of the time and I try to avoid it. A lot of times you already know what a person is going to say. I think sometimes I could write their response myself.
I know what you’re saying about watching the “train wreck” on here. I can see it coming most of the time and I try to avoid it. A lot of times you already know what a person is going to say. I think sometimes I could write their response myself.
Right back at ya, Anlir. If ever a person fit the term “broken record”, it’s you.
When Anlir’s not ridiculing Christians and conservatives, he’s talking about how wonderful and civil a poster he is and railing about how nasty and impolite all those other horrible commenters are. Like I said, a broken record.
I’m a lurker, and i don’t post ‘cuz i don’t have anything to say.
I’m a lurker! I have the same philosophy as Emma; if I wait long enough someone will say what I mean better than I could. I usually only speak up when I have anecdotal evidence. (:
(And I’m too lazy to figure out how to get an avatar.(: )
If there are lurkers out there then I must be a lurkee. I’m not sure that would be acceptable in Llamadom where there are no secrets worth keeping.
I’m a lurker. Every once in a while I try to come out of the woodwork. But then when I see what I’ve written, it never looks right. Like Emma posted in 16, I find that someone will eventually write what I wanted to write, only he or she will write it better.
I find it interesting that I have a couple of bloggers who follow me around on WorldMag and toss rotten tomatoes at me. Ah well, it comes with the territory I guess.
Nah, we don’t follow you around and throw things at you. We catch the rotten tomatoes you’re constantly throwing at us and lob them back. Hey, you forgot to mention for the thirteenth time today how sensitive and civil you are. We never get tired of hearing that.
It is reading in a sense.
In another sense, it is eavesdropping, only with printed conversations instead of audible conversations. There is a conversation going on, not just a single author making statements to an unseen audience, between perhaps dozens of people, and then there are some people standing at the door with their ear pressed against the wood, listening to the many voices, but never opening the door to introduce themselves, or make their presence known.
Really, it’s somewhere between those two.
I’ve done it, usually on forums that require a login, but I know I’m not going make regular, so I don’t go through the hassle of registering. And it’s usually in the course of looking for some specific information. But not always.
And to simply call it reading is misleading.
I have to confess that I lurked for a couple of years before I started commenting. There was awile things were way too rough for me, but I continued to come back and lurk. Then one day I commented, and haven’t stopped since.
#15 metanoia And for those few who would say it face to face they would either have to be 6′5″ and 280 lbs…
I am only 6′4″ and 275 lbs, but I post anyway.
I am too “something” not to post my thoughts and opinions here. I think I posted something the first time I stumbled in here. This is the only blog I go to so it’s not like I am spreading my opinions to the wind. I do have another site I go to and get help but it has to remain totally anonymous because we are all dealing with AA, Al-Anon, Co-Dependency, etc problems. Now you could read a lot of whining there but you could also read a lot of good people trying to help other people there. I went there when I had my feelings hurt hear when someone called me a “drama queen” they assured me I wasn’t and that I should just ignore whoever it was. Which apparently I have done to such a degree that I truly can’t remember who said it. Over there we pray for each other or send positive energy and {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}} depending on the faith and the request of the poster. But I have already told you guys too much, but then you all already knew my mother was an alcoholic.
I’ve posted a few times in the past, but I usually just read what others have to say.
Metanoia writes:
“for those few who would say it face to face they would either have to be 6′5″ and 280 lbs of steroid infused mass, or someone with a raw ribeye permanently attached to their eye.”
Well I’m sorry for ignoring you. Let me go on record as saying I’m generally impressed by the reasonableness of your posts. At least that’s my memory of them (which can always be suspect).
As for saying unreasonable things… I’ve been known to pop off now and again, and say inadvisable things. I’d probably be somewhere in between the ribeye and the 280 pounds. (I’m 6′2″ and over 200). Right about now Night Train would have popped me in the eye….
Thanks for all of the attention. I can’t handle it as I’m a really shy guy. I think I’ll slink back to lurking. It feels weird to be addressed by a bunch of strangers.
OK, I’ll stop kidding. You’ve awakened in me more of a desire to comment. I’ll try to make sure I have something substantive to say.
I used to post a bit, but now I seem to have become a lurker, here and at my other favorite sites. It seems that, whenever I start to post, I notice that I’m beginning to say something negative and stop myself with thoughts of ‘it’s not worth getting into an argument’ about whatever it is. I’m one of those people that struggles with holiday depression, so maybe I’ll be back to normal [whatever that means] in January.
I’m a lurker in other places as well, listening in on several conversations at a party, for instance.
Congratulations Harrison!
You got several lurkers to post. It’ll be easier for them next time.
Now, get them to submit a bio.
(And an avitar, if they can figure it out.)
Lurker here. As in real life, I’m just too timid to join in until I get to know ya . . . [slinks back into the corner].
Since Chas now has his avatar under control (I was hoping for the Gamecock logo, though!), he can’t be a lurker anymore.
TJ:
Strange thing. I was so unsuccessful so long with scanning, cropping and enabeling that photo, I got a Carolina Block C with Gamecock (The one you see on helments) and thought I sent it. But I sent my image about the same time, and I guess it overode the Block C. When I got the statement “Gravatar complete”, I stopped about five days and it suddenly showed up. I’m still not sure what I did.
I have a big mouth, and that has transferred to the fingers, so I cannot lurk, it is just not my style. In real life, however, I usually do not join in other peolpe’s conversations, but just listen.