Is lurking a healthy trend?

[Richard Prowse]

Is lurking a healthy trend? I guess that, by nature, internet sites are about lurking. In the old days people 'loitered' but that wasn't really considered acceptable behaviour. Lurking, as I understand it, is different. It's probably like 'taking a peek' without spying half naked ladies. I'm refering, of course, to the old 'peek shows'.
I just found this definition on the internet:
"In Internet culture, a lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive system, but rarely participates."
Sounds okay, really, to me. I just don't understand why people don't want to get more involved.

[Robert Prowse]

I agree, in a site like this where people use real names it's like window peeping!

[Anselm Hauke]

robert,
do you wear the "hat" on your public-profile-page-pic when you are window-peeping?

[Richard Prowse]

Mein deutscher Freund, dies ist ein sehr guter Witz!

[Richard Prowse]

Is Iceland a cold place? Oops! Off topic!
I wonder if lurkers originally come from hot or cold places? Or both?
Well, if they come from both there will be no pattern that I can write about. What makes a good lurker? Is a lurker starting a thread like having your cake and eating it? Probably not if you only choose to lurk for part of your time.
By definition a lurker would be checking out lots of different threads... you know, sort of lurking around... he/she would be skipping through a smorgasboard of topics.
So, if a lurker started a thread, wouldn't he enjoy it more if it went off topic. He probably would if he was the sort of 'part time lurker' who would think of starting a thread. I mean to say, an off topic thread could make more use of this persons limited lurking time. Maybe the joy of lurking is more intense when you actually have to seek out different threads.
Would this type of lurker, by nature, endeavour to visit a variety of sites? You know:
A women's clothing site, a bass site, a muscle building site, a banjo site, a political site, a sight that specialises in selling ballet tights... ?
Are there in fact different catagories of lurkers?
Wow! this is a great thread! I bet it'd be fun to lurk here!

[Robert Prowse]

Originally Posted by Anselm Hauke

robert,
do you wear the "hat" on your public-profile-page-pic when you are window-peeping?

LOL

Not really ,but Richard's borrowed it a couple of times!

[Richard Prowse]

Originally Posted by Robert Prowse

LOL

Not really ,but Richard's borrowed it a couple of times!

It is quite heavy.

[Dennis Michaels]

I wouldn't say lurking is uhealthy. Some I believe feel they have nothing to offer but wish to learn. Then there are those that "should" lurk (not neccesarily this on this forum). I remember picking up my fretless from Ken. Mid day we were talking DB and Ken ( who know soooo much about the subject and plays his butt off)got out one of his and played for us. He then said "Here, play this one is't a great bass"... I declined telling him "If you think I am playing after your performance you're nuts". I now lurk the DB section while am actve in the electric section.