Lurkers: Behind the Veil

Online communities are developed among a bunch of people who are interested in communicating about a topic, or along a particular type of topic, as Slashdot is supposed to be people who are generating topics that "nerds" would be interested in, as the site lists that it is news for nerds. These communities are largely composed of articles posted by people who create names for themselves. After a while a person who would go to the site regularly might get to know what types of topics a person is interested in, as their postings might take on a certain theme, or they might post regularly about apple computers and you would get to know something about a person through their posts.

There are other people, who are interested in keeping some level of anonymity about themselves. While the Internet inherently provides some anonymity, these people do not even wish to be known by a screen name. They are called lurkers and jealously guide their identity, for their own reasons. Is lurking something that is understandable, or is it something where people are hysterical about protecting their identity.... or is it just laziness? Given my own participation in many things on the net, I would argue that it might be a bit of all three.

Certainly, with the advent of the Internet, and hearing about fishing schemes, and people out to steal your identity, one might determine that protecting one's identity at all costs might be a worthwhile effort. However, one does not have to share all types of information. I know many people who will lie about all sorts of things when they sign up for a site that they do not have to pay for. They will generate email accounts they do not use regularly, create fake numbers and addresses, all for the purpose of getting on a site. Their web names on a particular site are unique to the site.

By being a lurker, or even a anonymous poster to a website, a person refrains from developing any relationships with anyone over the net. If a person posts or comments on a particular topic, keeping ones self anonymous keeps one from having a real discussion about that topic. Also just by sitting back and not posting, or simply lurking, one keeps ones self at arms distance from any real connections that the website is supposed to offer. Its almost kind of counterproductive to the nature of the website in the first place.

Whether one agrees with lurking or not, for whatever reason, I believe the biggest reason for lurking, which is oft ignored is laziness. People tend to be very information focused on the Internet. They may find a topic that they are interested in and read about it, but never participate, not because they do not have anything to contribute, but because they are in a hurry and only came to get the information they are seeking. They do not post, not because they have nothing to say about a topic, but because they would actually have to take the time to formulate a thought about a topic that they would consider worthwhile for other people to hear, and they do not feel it is worth their time and effort.

While my instant reaction is to criticize the lurker, I must consider my own use of the Internet. I think it would be responsible to participate in all of the websites I use, not only because I am part of the community interested in the information, but because my participation encourages advertisers to be interested in that website and contribute money for the furtherance of the website, but I often do not because I am lazy and only seek information for my own personal use. Communities work because people participate in them, and somewhat actively. And real participation requires a level of vulnerability that would allow others to know who I am. The question of to lurk, or not to lurk, should not be a question at all. I should not lurk, and be...