D: "Lurkers" are not important to online communities, but I do not think they should be removed. I think that some people might not necassarily have uch ton say, or ma simply enjoy learning from others. In life, there are people that jut observe and leanr from others,and this is the same as online. I do no understand why people are bothered by "lurkers", especially as I woud descirbe myself as a "lurker", especially on mixmag.net/forum and perezhilton.com. I do not contribute because on popular topics, people have already said what I think, or I simply think I do not often know enough on a topic to comment, this is possibly the casewith other "lurkers".
F:"Commnity is in the eye of the user(s)" is a theory I believe is true. Especailly in using Blanchard's text as a resorce. One peron can visit a forum (for example) and recieve a lifechanging sense of community by interacting with people with similar interests and experiencing some sort of "order" from the moderatersand so on.Even making friends that become real life friends (meeting IRL etc.) However, another individual could simply "lurk" or even post something and just feel that they are slightly contibuting but not recieve that feeling of "community". One questions that someone's level and investment in an online community is upto them as individuals; they can get fully into a fourm or just be occasional vistitors. I believe that things/events and people's personalities in the real world effect their involvement.
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D: But what if everyone was a Lurker?! What about Yahoo! Answers? A site like that just wouldn't work if people didn't help others out and contribute, would it?
ReplyDeleteI think lurkers are important to some online communities. People often lurk for ages to get a feel for the place, and then start posting. Plus I suppose it depends on what we define as a "lurker". Sometimes I search for things on Google and a forum-result pops up, and it's useful for what I'm searching for but apart from that I'd never visit again. I am guilty of lurking in loads of places though. Oops. x
ReplyDeleteYeah your second point is a really good one, sometimes you do just use forum entries to find out something and never return...i hadn't thought of it. And the websites that DO rely on interaction (Answers, like i said), have suitable systems in place.
ReplyDeleteRINCY, just so I'm not lurking! x
ReplyDelete