{"id":5456,"date":"2022-01-22T14:41:07","date_gmt":"2022-01-22T14:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/22\/what-is-lurking-online\/"},"modified":"2022-01-22T14:41:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-22T14:41:07","slug":"what-is-lurking-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/22\/what-is-lurking-online\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is \u201cLurking\u201d Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dean Drobot\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the internet, \u201clurking\u201d isn\u2019t as ominous as it sounds. Here\u2019s what this word means online and why you\u2019re probably a lurker, even if you don\u2019t know it.<\/p>\n

What is \u201cLurking?\u201d<\/h2>\n

On the internet, \u201clurking\u201d is the act of being in an interactive community, like a group chat or a forum, but not directly participating or getting involved. Lurking is essentially passive observation of a public conversation. People who do this on the internet are often called \u201clurkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the word itself tends to have negative connotations in the English language, \u201clurking\u201d online isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing. It might just mean that a person isn\u2019t ready to contribute to a forum yet, and prefers to continue browsing other people\u2019s posts.<\/p>\n

The History of Lurking<\/h2>\n

\u201cLurkers\u201d have existed on the internet for almost as long as internet forums, IRC chat groups, and message boards have existed. This became particularly clear when message boards began implementing live active user lists and \u201cCurrently Viewing\u201d features on each forum thread. The first definition of \u201clurker\u201d on Urban Dictionary<\/a> dates back to 2003 and reads, \u201csomeone that follows the forum but doesn\u2019t post.\u201d Entries for \u201clurking\u201d and \u201clurk\u201d appeared at around the same time.<\/p>\n

While lurkers are still primarily a thing in traditional internet communities like forums and subreddits, it\u2019s gained usage in other contexts. For example, someone who doesn\u2019t message in a group chat but reads all the texts might be considered a lurker. Similarly, someone who looks at many Instagram stories<\/a> but never posts could be a lurker.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Stop Specific People Seeing Your Instagram Story<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Long-Time, First-Time<\/h2>\n
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ESB Professional\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While many users in a community only lurk, sometimes, a lurker turns into a poster. A common practice among lurkers posting for the first time is to identify themselves as a lurker and start the post by saying \u201clong-time lurker, first-time poster\u201d or something similar. This is done as an \u201cintroduction\u201d to the bigger group and possibly a request not to be that harsh or critical of the post\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

This phrase comes from a similar saying in talk radio shows where listeners call in with stories, problems, or talking points. Callers would often say \u201clong-time listener, first-time caller\u201d as an introduction. This works as both a way to get the jitters out of the way and signal to the host that they\u2019re fans of the show. This same catchphrase has been adopted into other mediums and groups as well, with variations like \u201clong-time fan,\u201d \u201clong-time viewer,\u201d and now, \u201clong-time lurker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lurking Around<\/h2>\n
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Vladimka production\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, the term lurking doesn\u2019t only apply to just online communities anymore. It\u2019s been adopted to mean anyone who is inside an online space but isn\u2019t speaking up. For example, if one of your coworkers is actively browsing through the company\u2019s Slack channel<\/a> but staying quiet, you could say that they\u2019re lurking. The same goes with Discord, Microsoft Teams, or other mass-communication apps.<\/p>\n

This is especially true for group chats with read receipts<\/a> or a \u201cseen\u201d counter. If you and your friends are all in a messaging app, and you\u2019re simply reading their messages without responding, you will likely seem like the \u201clurker\u201d in a group.<\/p>\n

You could even call yourself a lurker on a website that doesn\u2019t have a participation aspect. For example, if you\u2019re browsing through an online store without buying anything, you might say you\u2019re lurking on the website. If you\u2019ve been browsing through social media for hours on end, but you\u2019re not messaging or posting anything, then you could also consider yourself a lurker.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Turn Off Read Receipts in Microsoft Teams<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Active Participation?<\/h2>\n

There are a variety of reasons why a user might prefer to lurk instead of participating. First, a lurker might enjoy reading more than posting. It takes a lot more effort to join discussions and be an active member, while lurking is just another type of content consumption.<\/p>\n

Another is that the community could potentially be hostile to novices and newcomers. If a lurker doesn\u2019t feel comfortable joining in the conversation, they may need more time to be acclimated to the environment before starting to post. Lastly, they might not just have thought of anything unique to post yet. So the next time you see \u201cFirst-time poster\u201d on a Reddit post, try to be gentle to the one posting it.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, most people are lurkers on most websites. There are more people consuming content than creating content, so lurking is nothing to be ashamed of. Lurk on!<\/p>\n

If you want to learn about other internet slang terms used in online communities, check out our pieces on ITT<\/a> and OP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> What Does “ITT” Mean, and How Do You Use It?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n