[Air-l] we need a better word than lurking
jerichob at juno.com
jerichob at juno.com
Thu May 10 10:18:53 PDT 2007
Hi Christine,
True, perhaps, but a number of people have suggested quite a few
alternatives as well, which they also use. So I guess we can pick
other words, if we choose to, particularly if the given word doesn't
entirely fit the activity we are describing. I don't doubt that there
are some people who really do lurk in the non-Internet sense of the
term (hide in the shadows, often with malevolent intent), but perhaps
we can be critical of conventional terminology and the assumptions
underlying it, as well. Or perhaps those of us with gut reactions to
the term can get over it. I personally don't use the word, and likely
wouldn't to talk about most of the phenomena it seems to be describing
(hey, I did read the Wikipedia page), but I guess that mainly marks me
as an outsider uncomfortable with the native language.
Jericho
-- Christine Moellenberndt <chris at inreach.com> wrote:
jerichob at juno.com wrote:
> This thread was introduced because someone didn't think lurking
should
> be considered a bad thing, and thus should have a label with less
> negative connotations, but in the discussion some fairly strong
> normative judgments about lurkers and lurking have emerged which
seem
> to indicate that having a word with negative connotations is
> warranted. It's interesting.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that "having a word with negative
connotations" is a good thing... but the way I see it, this is a word
that the Internet community chose to describe these people. Who are we
to say "wow you know what, that word is bad. We're going to pick
another
one and use that instead because we don't like it."
If it's the word in common usage, then I say use it. Why create a new
jargon term, when one already exists? ;)
I don't really know if lurking *is* considered a bad thing... maybe
frustrating in channels that were once highly active and now are not,
therefore needing a desperate infusion of new ideas and new blood...
but
I'd rather see someone lurk for a while and then participate (like me.
hi!), instead of jumping in with both feet not knowing how things are
done and causing an uproar that can upset the flow of discussions.
I've
seen *that* happen too many times before :)
(sorry if someone brought this up before, I got lost in the thread for
a
bit!)
-Christine
_______________________________________________
The air-l at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org
Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
http://www.aoir.org/
More information about the Air-L
mailing list