Feb
04
Lurker Coming Out Thread
By
We see the site stats, and we know you’re here. A vast array of bloggy lurkers read this virtual page every day without dropping into the conversations in the comment threads. You are political insiders, lawyers, city employees, activists, armchair activists, househusbands, denizens of every burg from Ridgecrest to Sandy Mush. You are hungry for stories you can’t find anywhere else. You love to read, but for reasons unknown you shy away from having your voice in this untidy chorus.
This is your thread. Introduce yourselves. We promise not to bite.
15 Comments
February 4th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I comment infrequently but I’m always here, reading every post.
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February 4th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
My name is Don and I’m a lurkaholic.
I lurk about any number of blogsites, staying in the shadows, hoping no one sees me…..clinging to anonymity …….
I attend an LA group (Lurkaholics Anonymous) and am learning not to fear posting…..and even attaching my name to comments.
I joined Facebook last week and a miraculous thing occurred….I posted my thoughts, commented on the walls of others, and NOTHING bad happened. I even got up the courage to do one of those “25 Random Things” postings about myself. Nobody cursed me….nobody told me I should be ashamed to express stuff like that.
I think I’m well on the way to becoming an ex-lurker. Who knows, I might even write a letter to the editor of the paper someday.
ps. I hope nothing I’ve said above offends anyone. If so, please accept my apologies in advance.
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February 4th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
BITE! BITE! BITEBITEBITE!
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February 4th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
25 things.. I’m under so much pressure! I will resist, I will!
ok, I’ve started my list, just haven’t finished or posted. Soon.
Welcome lurkers! We’re pretty much all about unicorns, and bunnies and puppies, so don’t be scared.
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February 4th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
My name is Andy, and I’m a recovering lurkaholic. I discovered blogs only last summer, and as a proud ADHD’er, I was drawn to their immediacy, their ebb and flow of information. But unlike printed publications, it feels like all of the authors are just so… well, practically right there, barely under the surface, with merely one degree of separation. Not to mention the allure of the inner workings of mysterious strangers.
My guess is that most dedicated lurkers, like me, have a heightened sense of vulnerability. We’re shy. We’re voyeurs. But I must say, since I started offering a couple of cents here and there, I’ve been rewarded with… no BFD. It’s immediate – that’s the point – and if you say anything dumb, it’ll be forgotten by the next post. But if you say something smart, you get rewarded by discourse with other bright folks who are exactly interested in what you’re interested in at the exact same time. Crack! Sure, we occasionally crash n’ burn, and that’s intimidating. But it’s worth it. So stand up, open the door, and get out of the closet. Humans are gregarious. Contribute.
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February 5th, 2009 at 12:56 am
I am probably the only Mexican lurker. Like a typical Mexican, my name is Jose and I am here legally and pay my taxes.
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February 5th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Welcome to our country, Jose. I’m sending Carl Mumpower over to your house immediately to check your papers.
Kidding!
Jose and his company were big supporters of the Extravablogiversapaloozathon this past September.
Thanks for peeking your head out, Jose. Don’t be a stranger.
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February 5th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Hi, my name is Arratik, and I’m a behind-the-scenes lurker that hasn’t really been contributing as much to this thing as I should.
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February 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am
You’ll never get me coppers! Seriously, SH is the area’s best blog. Keep it up!
The IO
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February 5th, 2009 at 11:40 am
So great to see good folks here that are reading and thinking.
I lurk on most of the posts – can’t reply to everything.
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February 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I’ve been too busy to contribute much lately.
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February 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I am a native Chapel Hillian preparing to move back to North Carolina after wandering the West for 20 years. N.C. has changed so much in that time! I read SH everyday. I need to catch up.
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February 6th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Great to meet you, beast. Welcome home soon.
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February 6th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Thank you, Gordon. Really, I can hardly wait to get back: humidity and lightning bugs–the spice of summer life.
One thing I look forward to in Asheville is checking out the brewpubs that you guys talk about.
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February 7th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I comment when I have something to contribute, and as I read this a bit later than most it I a bit behind. Thanks for such an informative and enjoyable site.
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