|
|
|
|
|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
Whatis "lurking"? - 6/13/2008 6:50:41 AM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
I have seen this term used, and I think it means to read a thread without posting. Is that right? Why is the term "lurking" used? The word sounds like it is describng something bad, but I don't understand what is bad about just reading and not posting. I do that a lot, and I don't always even sign in, b/c if I don't have anything to say, then I don't say it. I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong, just to read, and not post, buit the term makes me think that people think there is something WRONG wit it. Or is it just me? Why do we use such a negative term? Or is "lurking" refering to something else entirely?
Thanks for any info.
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/13/2008 6:57:42 AM
|
|
|
agapetos
Posts: 5582
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: This side of the lil duck pond!
Status: online
|
I've never considered lurking to be a negative term. It's just something that some people do in some threads. I've done it before because I'm interested in something but have nothing to say about it really at the time. I may never post in it, I may post in it at a later date.
I've even lurked for a while in threads that I do post regularly in but for whatever reason I don't want to post in at that time.
_____________________________
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
My blog
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/13/2008 1:07:57 PM
|
|
|
Kath
Posts: 16588
Joined: 2/28/2005
Status: online
|
I've not considered it a bad thing in forums. Maybe if someone was lurking outside of your home that would be a bad thing, but not in forums. I imagine we have thousands doing it.
It's just that sometimes one cautions another about giving too much info because you never know who is lurking. Or really if someone who does post really is who they say they are.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/13/2008 1:33:40 PM
|
|
|
ta_mosquito
Posts: 11028
Joined: 3/31/2005
From: from MN, now in Ontario :D
Status: offline
|
"Lurking" is a common term all over the Internet for reading but not posting. Just like the word "avatar," some may take issue with it, but it's the standard jargon.
_____________________________
Tricia
"There's a fine line between being open minded and being empty headed." ~Michael Coren
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/14/2008 8:04:35 AM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
Guess I'm just not familiar with "standard jargon." It's just that when I've seen the term used, it sounded like a negative thing to me, and I wondered if I am not following proper forums etiquette by reading and not posting, but I always felt like, why shoud I post, just to be polite, if I have nothing to add? So I started reading and not logging in till I had something to say, so the mods wouldn't be upset with me for logging on and then not posting! But I couldn't figure out why they would be upset, so I thot I'd ask. It's probably my fault for not being familiar with the regular terminology. I don't really go to other forums than this one, and I've never "chatted." I've had internet access for almost 10 yrs now, but still there is a LOT I don't know. Glad to have my question answered. Thanks.
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/14/2008 9:22:32 AM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: ta_mosquito
Just like the word "avatar," some may take issue with it, but it's the standard jargon.
OK, here I go again, being clueless, but my understanding of "avatar" is that it is the little picture many people put next to their name, am I right? Is an avatar only those little cartoon type pictures, or is it also used for the personal photos many people use? And why would that be something to take issue with? It seems pretty innocent to me. Or is the term also used for something negative?
While we're on the subject, how do you get an "avatar" to appear next to your name? I don't know how to do it, whether it's a cartoon one or a regular photo. Sorry for being such a know-nothing!  
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 7:16:39 AM
|
|
|
agapetos
Posts: 5582
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: This side of the lil duck pond!
Status: online
|
quote:
So I started reading and not logging in till I had something to say, so the mods wouldn't be upset with me for logging on and then not posting! But I couldn't figure out why they would be upset, so I thot I'd ask. I suspect they have more than enough to do with chasing up people who post bad posts (not to mention keeping up with their own interests in forums!) to worry about people 'lurking'!
I think you've been incredibly considerate to do what you've done.
_____________________________
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
My blog
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 10:41:15 AM
|
|
|
peculiar_lady2
Posts: 11323
Joined: 2/11/2007
From: Between Hither and Yon
Status: offline
|
the advantage to logging in to read (or lurk) in threads, is that the system remembers the last post you read so you don't have to find where you left off when you read again. It just takes you straight to the last post you read.
sometimes the term "lurking" refers to people that just like to keep up with those in a specific thread, but really aren't joining in on it. For instance...the pregnancy thread....most that post there are currently pregnant (or have been previously and just post to answer women's questions they ask). Some though just "lurk" to keep up with babies being born and how momma's are doing throughout their pregnancies. In threads like that, when someone says they are "lurking" they are saying that they aren't pregnant but are just hanging out in the thread anyway.
if you need help with avatar sizing, try THIS site. It is pretty easy to resize. The max dimentions for this site are....145x145 and 10k or smaller.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 4:50:56 PM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
Intersting info on the meaning of avatar. Never knew that. Funny how terms get to mean something entirely diff from their original meaning. Like the word "icon", which means a religious picture, usually in the style of the Orthodox Church, the Byzantine style, but now it also means those little pictures that represent many diff things on your computer. Wonder who ever first thot of using words like "icon" and "avatar" for computer-related terms? It would be interesting to find out. Some religious icon pictures are small, like the icons on the computer, but they can be very large also, so it can't be that someone thot, "Hey, let's call these things icons, b/c they are tiny like religious icons." Hmmmm...
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 4:58:21 PM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2
the advantage to logging in to read (or lurk) in threads, is that the system remembers the last post you read so you don't have to find where you left off when you read again. It just takes you straight to the last post you read.
Not sure I know what you mean by this. When I m reading a certain thread, and then I log in, I am not taken anywhere. I am at the same place I was b4 I logged in. But if I am not logged in, I don't get lost or anything. I don't see any diff to be logged in or not, while reading, just that I can't post till I am logged in. Moving around in the forums is exactly the same, logged in or not.
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 4:59:58 PM
|
|
|
momof4
Posts: 173
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: an urban paradise!
Status: offline
|
Hey, how did my post get all blue? I didn't make it that way! Hmmm
_____________________________
"There's more to life than just to live" (Jonas Brothers, "Hold On")
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 5:17:52 PM
|
|
|
Kath
Posts: 16588
Joined: 2/28/2005
Status: online
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: momof4
Hey, how did my post get all blue? I didn't make it that way! Hmmm
because when you quoted Peculiar Lady you only wanted to discuss a portion so you removed the /color from the end of the quote.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Whatis "lurking"? - 6/15/2008 10:24:02 PM
|
|
|
peculiar_lady2
Posts: 11323
Joined: 2/11/2007
From: Between Hither and Yon
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: momof4
Hey, how did my post get all blue? I didn't make it that way! Hmmm
LOL....I highlight my post, click the button saying color up above where you type, and click the color I want...that puts the code into it for the color to show up. You quoted me so it showed up on yours too.
What I meant was....when you log on then go to the different folders you will be able to see the list of threads...and the ones that have had something new added since you last went to that thread (while logged on) will show up with a little icon beside it to let you know it has new stuff in it. Then when you click on that thread it will automatically take you to that newest part that you haven't read yet. If you don't log on before doing taht then it doesn't remember where you left off in the thread so you end up having to search for where you were.
Some people also use the subscription option, but I don't...I just have my normal folders saved under my bookmarks on the computer and I go to those folders after logging in to see if anything new pops up. (Well, actually I stay logged in unless it boots me off to log in again)
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
" ~Cindybode