[Air-l] we need a better word than lurking

[Martin Garthwaite]

Lurking has negative connotations, so I dislike it as a term also, I have
always thought of this activity as "grazing", implies a non malicious
activity of consuming what is freely available, as and when suits the grazer
and fits in very neatly with the concept of the commons. I picked up the
concept of grazing from Lessig.





On 5/10/07, John Veitch <jsveitch at ate.co.nz> wrote:
>
> Thank you Barry Wellman for introducing this very informative and
> interesting thread.
>
> There is a general context in which lurking is not desirable.
>
> Before the digital age there were public libraries. Even thought the
> books in the library were available and use was free and encouraged,
> most people were "lurkers" or perhaps more correctly non-users.
>
> On most long established lists, many of the registered members are no
> longer readers. Another group that my experience tells me is almost as
> large, read occasionally selected topics but seldom if ever respond.
>
> Several of you are clear about the benefits of people who are unsure
> what they have to say, just keeping quiet. "Less noise" is desirable.
> But Peter Timusk is also correct in his observation that expounding half
> baked ideas and exposing one's lack of understanding is part of the
> active learning process we are all engaged in.
>
> People who lurk, excessively may assume that they are saving time.  It
> is my contention that they are missing learning opportunities. Once you
> commit yourself to an opinion in public you begin to pay attention to
> the reaction to that in a way lurkers seldom understand. Paying
> attention increases your learning rate because you are now involved.
> (The hen and the pig are involved in producing my breakfast in quite
> different ways too.) It's that sort of difference.
>
> So for me there are two ways in which lurking is undesirable.
> The first sort of lurker, is "lurking not present". Absent from the
> discussion. A non-user of the library.
> The second sort lurker, is "lurking but not engaged". Present, borrowing
> books, reading, but never discussing what was read and never attempting
> to use what was read in any practical way.  Involved like the hen is
> involved in my breakfast.
>
> Participants in the discussion on the other hand, are involved like the
> pig. The is something at stake.
>
> Jericho Burg identifies that sort of lurking that is highly desirable.
> She says' "For me, subscribing to lists is one way of finding out what
> conversations are going on in a particular field" ... in which she is
> not familiar. So true Jericho, which is precisely the reason who I'm
> part of this list, while my fields are more, Education, Innovation and KM.
>
> John S Veitch
> http://www.ate.co.nz/
>
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-- 
Martin Garthwaite

PhD candidate, London Knowledge Lab www.lkl.ac.uk

+447957 764819
Skype id mgarthwaite1330
MS IM marting at gmail.com