POLL: Are you a lurker? If so that's fine. But why not post?

Many seem to lurk in this forum without posting. Perhaps it means the forum is just that informative and entertaining, and so all the lurking is a good thing. But could there be reasons that need to be addressed to make new ones feel more comfortable with participating here?

If YOU are a lurker, this is your big chance! Sign up, post here, and let your voice be heard. What have you got to lose? You can always re-lurk afterward . . .

Jeff.
One has to register in order to vote in a poll!

ozij wrote: Jeff.
One has to register in order to vote in a poll!

Shhhh! It's a trick to get them to register! But don't tell anybody!

I didn't vote because I am no longer a full lurker. I lurked for a full 4 months before I joined and posted, but not before I saw many newbies being treated really well. I must admit that sometimes I refrain from posting in some threads.

That being said, this forum is what it is. In most systems/communities/families etc. the dynamics are often predictable, especially cyber-cultures. Maybe not the best example because it is really old, but a simple one: http://www.fullcirc.com/community/memberroles.htm According to this website there are "approximately 10 to 100 readers per active poster."

Lurkers are part of the community.

r

Rebecca R wrote:I didn't vote because I am no longer a full lurker. I lurked for a full 4 months before I joined and posted, but not before I saw many newbies being treated really well. I must admit that sometimes I refrain from posting in some threads.

That being said, this forum is what it is. In most systems/communities/families etc. the dynamics are often predictable, especially cyber-cultures. Maybe not the best example because it is really old, but a simple one: http://www.fullcirc.com/community/memberroles.htm According to this website there are "approximately 10 to 100 readers per active poster."

Lurkers are part of the community.

r

Nice post and link! Thanks. You motivated me to reword the title of the thread.

These statements jumped out at me as being particularly related to my motives for the latest in my string of crazy polls:

Core participants . . . provide a large proportion of an online group's activity. . . . Be careful that they do not dominate and make it hard for less active folks to participate.

Readers/Lurkers . . . represent a combination of people new to the community, those not yet comfortable in posting, people who will only read and never post, and people who come in and then drift away without engaging. . . . Gentle efforts to pull them in . . . are well rewarded. . . .

. . . Newbies deserve our attention and should be supported with information to help them become part of the group.

I post when I have something to offer. Sadly, its not often

Can I unregister and vote for “What a stupid poll! I should flame your a**!"

PS-you owe me a new keybrd.
and have to come clean my desk.

JNK

I enjoy reading the thoughts of others and offer mine when I feel it may be useful. Sometimes I think that I am invisible as my comments usually go unnoticed but that is OK because for the most part, what I am saying is irrelevant. I did vote that you should be flamed but that is because you are so deserving!!

Rebecca R wrote:I didn't vote because I am no longer a full lurker. I lurked for a full 4 months before I joined and posted, but not before I saw many newbies being treated really well. I must admit that sometimes I refrain from posting in some threads.

That being said, this forum is what it is. In most systems/communities/families etc. the dynamics are often predictable, especially cyber-cultures. Maybe not the best example because it is really old, but a simple one: http://www.fullcirc.com/community/memberroles.htm According to this website there are "approximately 10 to 100 readers per active poster."

Lurkers are part of the community.

r

I hope everybody also checks out the "Flame Warriors" link (noted at the bottom of that link that Rebecca R noted. I did notice that the link has changed, but you'll be shown another screen to click on the current link......which is this one here:

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/

And, like Rebecca R, I actually lurked and read this forum for AT LEAST four months before finally joining. (I was also waiting for a specific member number to come up so I could try to grab it)

This was actually the very first forum I had ever been exposed to and the first one I had ever joined.



I've since become a member of a few other (non-CPAP) forums.......on which I mostly lurk and read......with an occasional post. Some of them can get or have gotten pretty nasty. This forum is "mild"......compared to others.

Good poll, Jeff. I hope it will bring more of the lurkers out into posting mode.

This was actually the first thread I posted to. I periodically resurrect it for the new users........and lurkers who may finally get the nerve to say "Hi". Maybe it'll work again.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3700


Den

Sleepy Taz wrote: I did vote that you should be flamed but that is because you are so deserving!!

..now, that's relevant. Well said.

Wulfman wrote:
This was actually the first thread I posted to. I periodically resurrect it for the new users........and lurkers who may finally get the nerve to say "Hi". Maybe it'll work again.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3700


Den

Kinda makes you wonder what happened to all of those people who were so active in the community in 2005.

I lurked for a few months before joining.

This forum is kind of hard to keep on top of. It seems like the topics get buried quickly and its hard to keep track of the ones you are interested in. I know you can choose to get an e-mail every time someone responds to a thread, but frankly, I don't feel like thats the best option. I wish there was a way to track threads automatically kind of like the way facebook does it... or something. I really feel like if I don't check here often, I don't know whats going on any more, all the threads I commented on are buried, and its hard to get back in sync with everything.

I have posted over a hundred times but I also often feel like my comments are not noticed (maybe I'm on a lot of peoples foes lists? ) its not a big deal, but it can sometimes feel like a waste of time when that happens. Or, if I comment on something and then check back in a few days, the topic is buried and difficult / time consuming to find again. I'm sure that many replies to my comments have gone unnoticed by me since I forget about it and dont seek out that specific thread later on.

I think that new people may sincerely feel like they are kind of ignored or not wanted even though its not the case. Its just some of you have developed such a strong friendship that the interactions between the veterans are quite a contrast to the interactions with new people. Its not intentional, but it happens.

Even with these minor gripes, I'm very very glad I found this place. I have learned a lot and many of you have helped me directly with various things and provided me with answers and responded to PM's, so thanks for that.

Wulfman wrote: . . . Good poll, Jeff. I hope it will bring more of the lurkers out into posting mode. . . .

Thanks, Den. Me too. It doesn't bother me if they don't want to post. But it would sure be a shame if some wanted to, but didn't for some reason.

Some of my earliest memories in this forum are of reading your posts to first-time posters. Seeing your way of being firm but friendly with strangers in a way that made it clear they were welcome to stick around as equals and participate made a big impression on me. It still does.

jeff