[Air-l] "lurking"

[Kevin Guidry]

On 5/11/07, Christopher Berg <cbberg at unity.ncsu.edu> wrote:
> I agree: "lurk" has a negative ring, and not without reason: when the
> expression came into being, it was inconceivable that someone would sit
> on a BBS and do nothing but lurk in the message section.

   Although it's not what most of us would consider a traditional
scholarly text, the Jargon File asserts the opposite: "This term is
not pejorative and indeed is casually used reflexively: 'Oh, I'm just
lurking'" (the full definition can be found at
http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/L/lurker.html).  That matches my own
experiences in which lurking is often seen to be a wise activity,
particularly for new members who are often advised to lurk for a
period of time until they understand the cultural norms, expectations,
and recent history of the particular listserv, message board, etc.
   There is also the oft-used admonition "Lurk more!" when someone is
perceived to (a) be new and (b) have committed a perceived mistake
that could have been prevented if he or she had simply paid more
attention to norms, expectations, and history.  It is used in a
negative sense but that negativity derives from the assertion that one
has not paid enough attention to things important to that particular
group.  In other words, *not* lurking is sometimes seen as a negative
trait or activity.
   Apologies if this ground has already been covered.  These threads
are growing long and I fear that I may have overlooked or forgotten
some things already said!


Kevin