I have a confession to make... I am a lurker. I read various discussion boards (sports, food, etc.) and NEVER comment. I check other posts and come up with my own opinion but I never let anyone else know what it is. Even with Facebook, which I am a member, my profile is as limited as it can be and I relish in reading other people's more extensive profiles. As I reflect on my behaviour, this may be why it has taken me awhile to get used to blogging. As much as I enjoy the Internet, I have a hard time actively participating in it.
After reading Let's Get More Positive About the Term 'Lurker' by Jacquie McDonald, I am left with mixed feelings about lurking. Is lurking sneaky? Or is it realistic since like McDonald says, in order to stay relevant you need to constantly check what is going on. Sporadic attendance leads to lurking. With the fast paced lives that we live, is it possible to constantly check out new posts every time they come in? How can lurkers become participants? Is there any way for me to change... and do I want to??
3 comments:
Hey - a fellow lurker! I go to a lot of different blogs and discussion boards to keep up with my varied interests (virtual worlds, figure skating, food, health), but very rarely will I post a comment or start a discussion. As was mentioned in one of the readings, I regard this as informal learning. In a lot of cases I don't feel I have enough knowledge of the subject matter to fully participate (so I'm peripheral), or, as you said, I don't have the time to keep up, so lurking allows me to maintain some connection without putting out a lot of energy. I know some regard this as mooching, or getting the benefits of the group without giving back, but I'm sure a lot of us lurk to some degree. As for your last question, I don't know if I see myself changing. I've always been interested in a wide variety of subjects, and keeping up with them all to a full participant level is impossible.
If you listen to a professor without interrupting the lecture to put in your two cents, are you getting a “free ride”? Is an apprentice watching a master “hanging around”?
What you have been doing is reading. Reading is good. Listening is good. Watching and listening and reading are how we learn. Hearing and seeing are passive; listening and watching are active. Travelling in unfamiliar territory, listening to foreign languages, reading books takes energy. If I speak to you directly and you don’t respond, you are being rude. If I address you as part of a crowd, and you do not speak to me directly afterward, that is not only socially acceptable but routine. In my opinion, those who would describe reading a blog without responding as “lurking” are unclear on the concept of the blogosphere as a public place.
Thank you both for making me realize that my lurking ways are not so bad after all!
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