open Invitation Date Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 12:51 AM PST Topic This Website I want to talk about the lurkers here, since I can't talk to them, only at them. What is a lurker? Someone that reads everything, shows up regularly, and never says anything? I know there are lots of you that are this kind of lurker and many of you will find the need to answer a question, laugh at a typo, or speak passionately about something will get stronger as the days go on. It has happened to 1ots of people and they end up giving in and writing something. Someone that reads a lot of the stuff, shows up a few times a month, and never says anything? Someday you too will see something that catches you so much that you are just bursting to have your say about it. Someone that shows up once or twice, reads until his or her eyes bleed, and leaves without saying anything? Thanks for stopping by. Keep surfing, the net is huge (duh) and there is lots more to see out there. Only you know which kind you are. You are welcome to lurk here, be it for a day or a year. It is flattering to know that there are so many readers out there. I think the web has been the biggest boon to literacy since the printing press. People are reading more, writing more, and debating (badly or well) more and in more places than anytime since the advent of the coffee shop. What makes someone a lurker? Feeling that they are too young or old? Spelling skills? Not being Goth enough? Being too Goth? Being too busy? Having nothing to say? Being intimidated? Not being used to online communities? It may surprise you to know that my parents lurk here. They are in their 50's. They come to read what their kids have written, but always end up reading for a few hours. By the way, Bettie, my mom says you took great wedding pics and she loves that pic of you with your puppy napping. I have received emails from other people in their 50s and 60's that visit here from time to time. I have also gotten email from 10 and 11 year olds. Most members are between 13 and 48. That is a wide range of ages, huh? Are you younger than 13 or older than 48? Don’t think you are too old or young, because chances are there is someone here older or younger than you. Are you concerned about looking a fool because you can't spell well, your grammar isn't the best, or you don’t type well? There are at least 5 people here with serious spelling issues, be it dyslexia, lack of schooling, or English as a Second (or third!) language. When I started lurking here, lo these many years ago, I couldn’t type well at all. I had to watch my hands and was lucky to type 30 words a minute, if you counted mistakes as words. There is a page here immortalizing some of my stranger typos and spelling problems. Oh, and I am dyslexic too. If I can do it, you can too. Although there are many Goths that post here, this is not a "goth site", so it doesn’t matter how goth you are. There is someone whose black is much blacker than yours and someone who will tease you about wearing black at all. It might be something you have in common with some people here or not, like Christianity, pets, age, geographical region, or favorite food. And that is all it is something you MAY have in common with SOME of the people here. We are not homogenous, nor are we after homogeny. Well lots of us aren’t, at least. Are you too busy to think of replies to the things that you read here? If you can think them, it only takes a few minutes more to write out that thought and hit the post button. Especially to break the ice and get your feet wet. Even "woohoo" will break that lurking barrier and let your colors (or lack of them) start to shine out. Are you intimidated by the other people here? Why? Because they have the balls to look like idiots in front of you? Because they flaunt their strange ideas and their lack of social/spelling/grammar skills? Because they think they are squid or birds or funny? Come on! This is more like a frat party than an ecclesiastic meeting. Afraid that someone will make fun of your vocabulary? What is the worst that can happen? You might learn some new words and the courage to use them. If you have never been part of an online community, join the crowd. Many of the people here only belong to this one. For many people this is the first one that they dared join. You aren’t the only virgin here, there are literally 100s of other virgins lurking out there with you. Break away from the herd and join in. Does it seem "cooler" to you to lurk than to play with others? Guess what? We know that you aren’t joining and we assume that it is fear or shyness that stops you, not coolness. You aren’t showing how cool you are, how above everyone that you are. You are showing up as a 50 year old or a 10 year old that is too shy to even drop a note to the greeters here. This article comes from Shmeng http://www.shmeng.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.shmeng.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=406