Emerging From The Shadows (from 18th Oct 2007) October 20, 2007
Posted by Lance in Behaviour.trackback
I was following a thread on the Edna Groups boards a little while back where there was some robust discussion around those who follow discussion but do not interact or get involved. Yes, that dreaded and much feared creature: the “Lurker”.
Now, before I go any further, can I please emphasise that I am not talking about any particular person/persons /forum/community/ message board/etc. No offence is intended to any person and no accusation is being levelled.
Anyway, with that said, a good point was raised in that if we were to be sitting in a classroom and a student failed to engage and get involved would we consider the class to have been a success? Now, I say this was a good point, but it does miss one crucial point – does lack of interaction instantly translate to lack of engagement? I speak from personal experience when I say “Not at all”. I was (and still am) one of those who, while very interested in what is going on around me, will still prefer to observe and take it all in. Call it what you will: natural reticence, introversion, lack of confidence, whatever; the fact remains that I am engaged, without having to jump in every five seconds. Have you ever been in a session or meeting where there was that one person who constantly had to have their say, regardless of its relevance? Now that person is involved, but are they engaged? That is a matter for debate.
Mike Reed’s Flame Warriors defines the Lurker as follows:
Lurker does not participate in normal forum discourse, but he’s out there…watching, reading every message. He is usually quite harmless, and more often than not his silence reflects a natural reticence rather than sinister motives. If a fight breaks out he will quietly observe to avoid revealing his position. Occasionally, however, some mysterious impulse drives him to de-lurk and attack. This totally unexpected assault is universally regarded as an ambush, and other Warriors will turn on him savagely. Lurker seldom sticks around to fight it out, however, and after a brief exchange, he once again slips out of sight.
So why is it that some people are threatened by the Lurker? Is it the lack of adulation for their brilliance? (It is hard to bask in the glory of their praise if you’re not sure that they are there). Or is it the age old story that the extrovert can never understand the introvert?
One of the reasons we visit boards and forums is gather new knowledge and learn at the feet of the sages; and its amazing how much can be learned just by reading a post. In other cases, a forum can be quite intimidating to step into: there is a sense of community that can be hard or daunting to break into, especially if those who speak loudest (or the most) are perceived as intolerant, condescending or just plain rude. This can have a seriously detrimental affect on those who are hovering on the outskirts.
I have been visiting discussion boards and forums for many years now and have to admit, I am guilty of this. I say it loud and say it proud: I am (or have been … no, am) a Lurker! What got me going on this train of thought today was that I noticed the numbers under my picture in my profile: Discussions (20). I had to go and take a closer look at that one. Twenty posts in a month? It didn’t seem possible (I have been a member of some boards for months or years without posting that much!).
So what has changed? Honestly? Nothing. It turns out, the secret is to actually have something to say, a question to ask, or a point to make (in my case it was question to ask … and then another one … and another one … and another one …and another one … ). If not for that, I would still be lurking away happily in my shadows, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I would be much happier sitting in the shadows than jumping up and down screaming “Look at me!! Over here!! Look, I’m doing something interesting!” (Please refer to my earlier disclaimer – I am talking in generalisations here)
So, if you are one of those who think that there is something “suspect” about the Lurker – back off and leave them alone, they’re doing fine, and if you leave them alone, who knows, they may just creep out and ask you a question or teach you something.
On the other hand, if you are one of the Brethren of Lurkers, rest assured, you are not alone. Say it loud and say it proud brothers and sisters, “I am a Lurker!” (but not too loud – someone might hear you).
[...] looking forward Another excellent Edublogs.org blog « Emerging From The Shadows (from 18th Oct 2007) [...]
Enjoyed this post and your earlier posts about entry into blogging. I shared your same “prejudices”. Shared your same sense of awkwardness. Shared the same desire to lurk in a lot of places until I felt I had something worthwhile to say, or ask. That was 8 months ago. Now, you can’t shut me up.
Blogging, and reading others’ blogs, has refined my thinking, shaped my opinions, and taught me more in a short span of time than I thought possible. Adding twitter to my learning network (johnsoj2) recently took it all up another notch. The power of blogging and RSS builds slowly, over time. The power of twitter can be immediate, if you’ve built a set of people to follow who are “right” for you. Both the slow and reflective processing, and the immediate idea-sharing, are vital.
And they’re the most significant professional development I’ve ever found. I encourage you to stick with them until you’ve crossed over into that tipping point. It’ll be worth your while!
Thanks Jeanette
I am really just starting to feel my way through a lot of this. I agree with you on the reflective and immediate aspects both being vital. I am all too often prone to the ‘contemplating the navel’ approach to most things with a tendency to overthink.
The immediacy of tools like Twitter are, while quite foreign to me, of the utmost value to continued learning.
Cheers
Lance.