Big membership discrepancy?

[Uberlanders]

"Lurkers" is not a geek term....it is a term that is used to describe anyone who doesn't post on a discussion board/forum. Words are created to describe things and sometimes those meanings change; what once seemed derogatory, is now a common term. In New Zealand tramping means hiking, no one there is worried that they will get their face slapped if someone says "hey have you been out tramping?"

In fact, if you read professional journals that discuss internet etiquette, they suggest to people to lurk first anytime they join a discussion board or forum. Lurk, get to know the culture of the group, see if these are discussions you want to have, and when an issue arises...post.

I guess I don't understand why lurking would be a bad word.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Uberlanders

"Lurkers" is not a geek term....it is a term that is used to describe anyone who doesn't post on a discussion board/forum. Words are created to describe things and sometimes those meanings change; what once seemed derogatory, is now a common term. In New Zealand tramping means hiking, no one there is worried that they will get their face slapped if someone says "hey have you been out tramping?"

In fact, if you read professional journals that discuss internet etiquette, they suggest to people to lurk first anytime they join a discussion board or forum. Lurk, get to know the culture of the group, see if these are discussions you want to have, and when an issue arises...post.

hi ya uberlanders

thanks for making my point about the geek origin of this newer usage and definition...since discussion boards and internet etiquette only date to the 80s when the morph began..describing 'anyone who doesn't post'...sure seeks like geek'holen a large segment.

i'm gonna jump way out and suggest a professional journal discussing internet etiequette, might just be written by and for geekfessionals.....

and by the way, when a L........ posts for the first time or on rare occasion, what is it called?...

why delurking, of course...and that seems to be geek speak as well.

it might pay to look beyond the wikipedia for info....and the longer view on words...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurker


yes definitions evolve.....
and you given us a prime example...
since tramping is from middle english or low german.....
and means to walk about heavily, trudge...and so on....
it has been in use for a few centuries as a term for walking/hiking/and moving around in the muck...
or to walk aimlessly....

only recently (20th century) and locally was misused to describe a class of folks down on their luck...
or selling the bods for a buck....
and sadly this bastardization of the term has stuck...

on this topic i could write more......
but i don't want to be called a post whore.....
another geek term, that i abhor.....

i'd rather walk aimlessly with a tramp....

besides the kids now all say
online forums are passe'
kids get quickly to the point now,
with the phrase......
"on line posting is so gay"

all we got here is our words and those little colored faces ....ooops, i mean smilies...

cheers
2air'

and rfield54.....i do like the term spectators.....i'm gonna try and use it some....

[Uberlanders]

As an educator, I steer my students clear of Wikipedia. Not always the most accurate source of reputable information.

Sorry I was speaking from my classes, I'm almost done with my masters in information technology for the classroom.

And as far as the word gay? My students aren't allowed to use the word, unless refering to someone wearing a hat with happy flowers.

At this moment they may respond to your baiting comments as.....Whatever!

[brunoffrance]

hi there;
i didn't know this word "lucker" but I'm surprised that a sort of web encyclopedia can give so much definitions about this "new" word... very instructive when you don't have a master degree in english ;

So the name we can give to people that don't post is not very important. My opinion is we can't consider them all as really members of a community, only because they are inscribed ... can we really say now that we r'e more than 11000 members in this Airstream forum ? May be 11000 airstream owners ( that is the good point of that, we know there are at least 11000 ) but not 11000 active members, ready to reply to your request, or to support you, or to give an opinion or an advice etc....

Bruno.

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

only recently (20th century) and locally was misused to describe a class of folks down on their luck...
or selling the bods for a buck....
and sadly this bastardization of the term has stuck...

on this topic i could write more......
but i don't want to be called a post whore.....
another geek term, that i abhor.....

i'd rather walk aimlessly with a tramp....

besides the kids now all say
online forums are passe'
kids get quickly to the point now,
with the phrase......
"on line posting is so gay"


cheers
2air'

2air... Nice poetry.