Last post Wed, Aug 20 2008 8:45 PM by PerfectlyImperfect. 31 replies.
Lurkers are people who frequent a blogs or community-based websites and read and pay attention but don't usually engage and interact. I've been a lurker on lots of other websites and I usually lurk because I like the content but don't have enough time or energy to invest in interacting more deeply with that site's community. Of course there are other reasons why people lurk, and that is what I am trying to investigate.
So, here's my question: Are you a Disaboom lurker (and to answer the question I suppose you have to lift the Veil of Lurking...:) and if so, what factors keep you in the lurking category and from interacting with other on the site?
Well, I was a lurker til "Becky" outted me yesterday. I think I lurked for about two days. My lurking (which Becky pointed out to me has a "creepy" type of connitation to the word) was based on bad experiances with several other forums I'd joined in the past few years.
As with any place you are new to, I at least don't jump in anymore. I used to comment a lot on all kinds of subjects, and spent many hours online due to periods of being bedridden, but the younger generation didn't seem to appreciate my old fashioned values and simple ways of looking at life. I also learned rather harshly that many sites are not what they seem. But this is my first time at a site devoted to peoples with disabilities, so I am hoping it's different here.
Good qurestion Tim. I will admit that I was a lurker too at first last year. Sorry, Shimas. I should have admitted to this. Deep shame. I had never posted to a web site before and I was hesitant to do so. I didn't want to barge in on the friendships that some of the people have here. I felt like an intruder. Then with this last contest about blogging, I discovered that I loved it. It was a cathartic, pardon the over-use of this word, experience for me. I was able to express all my frustrations and share my loves, my husband, kids, dog and cat, with the world. I love this site. We all have something in common here. The posts that some of the people write could have been written by me and I wish I had started them.
I'm sorry I outed you Shimas. Please forgive me. You seem like a good guy. Once again, come on in, the water's fine!
Aww, Becky, nothing to forgive honey. I liked the comparison you made of "lurker" and it sounding creepy. Your words actually made me decide to post a little more. I'm just treading carefully due to problems I had with other forums recently. (None of which had anything to do with disabilities, I was the only one who ever admitted to being disabled on them.) Really, you are the reason I came back today! I've got my swimmies on!
But I understand totally about the not wanting to barge in and try and interupt on-going discussions, which is why I chose to post in the Polls section for now. So I guess I'm not a lurker anymore, although I will always read much more than I respond to. I will happily admit in the few short days I've been here, I've learned a great deal already. Especially about AB's attitudes... I thought I was the only one who had to deal with stupid people! HA!
Oh, and for the record, I'm a gal... ;-)
Oops, mybad. There is nothing on your profile, so I didn't know you were a gal, sorry. We women have to stick together. Glad you came back! I have never been on a forum, so I have just plunged into the deep end here. So far, with a few setbacks, my head is above water and I am swimming fine. So are you! Where do all the water jokes come from eh? Get those swimmies ready for summer!
Ya, there are some real jerks out there eh? In here too, but you can't get away from that. My new motto is :Ignore, Ignore, Ignore." I mean ignore the jerks. There is nothing you can say to change their minds, so I'm not going to waste my breath anymore. Take the high road is also a new motto for me!
I'm glad you are both here!
Aww, thank you Tim, I am glad to be here. Been reading a lot and I love the sense of humor many of you show.
Becky, I do plan on doing a profile. Soon. Just not sure yet what to say about myself. But I'm finding this to be a comfortable place to be in, and oh, yes, "Ignore" is the best feature when feces hits the fans. ;-)
Hey Lurkers! Come on in, the water's fine!
Thanks Tim! Shimas, you are my kind of person. Just take it easy at first, with the profile I mean. I loved adding my pictures the best. Glad both of you guys are here too!
Glad you are both here. I go through periods of lurking because either I feel I have nothing intellengent or apropros to contribute or I'm too busy to do anything than to check in on the gossip.
Ya, I am definatly a lurker. I am the lurkiest of all
Wait nevermind, just saw my post count
It's part of my genetic code not to be able to lurk.
"It's not just about Obama is a young black man, and McCain is an old white guy."Shelley!
I would not consider myself a "Lurker" but I do not have to post on every little comment either. I read most of the posts here (like a lurker might) but if I do not know about the subject then I do not say anything or if someone else has already said about what I was thinking then there is no reason to repeat it like a parrot. I do have a very short attention span though, If I start typing something out and it does not go through (it has happened too many times) then I will just move on. I have said what I wanted to say even if no one else will ever hear or see it, as long as it is off my chest I am at peace again. I figured I had to post in this thread since no one else posted anything like this...
Same like Arkanzan here.
I read maybe 80% of what is posted here, at least the first post to see if the topic is of interest to me.
Considering that, I am posting very little.
That is also due to English being my second language while being German. German is a very precise language, and i like to express myself in exactly the way I want. And when I use English I very often find myself expressing myself beside my intention, and end up sounding harsh or stoopid.
I also am a member on a Van Dyke discussion forum, and I only lurk there.
That is due to the fact that one isn't allowed to have another opinion except "Oh dear that is so awesome! I agree completely!"
There have been some "Diagnosis Murder" novels recently, and I just couldn't agree with the author over them.
Took me a while to realize I was eating the holy cow.
So, I only lurk now.
Daisies
Liesl:It's part of my genetic code not to be able to lurk.
We must be distantly related. *LOL*
I don't lurk, but I don't read/respond to everything, either. And I'll go through periods depending on what's going on in my life of lurking/posting.
I've never thought of "lurking" as a negative thing. But I've been on the internet for about 12 years now, and it's one of those terms I'm comfortable with because that's just always what it's been called when you read but don't post.
I really have no idea if I'm even doing this right..but I was actually 'lurking' when I saw this post. I just joined the site yesterday so I'm still a little lost. But I was reading some things that people have posted and I don't reply because I am totally clueless about what to say. Even though everyone on here is disabled in one way or another I'm still afraid whatever I say will make no sense. I don't know how to explain it any better than that.
