Lurkers

  • fen'harel

    fen'harel (560)

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    Lurker: Member of a mailing list, messageboard, or other forum who rarely if ever directly posts or comments, instead remaining "invisible." Sometimes lurkers are so good that you don't know they're there for years.

    Some sites tolerate lurkers; others strongly discourage or even ban them to assure that all members participate and comment on other member's stories, articles, journals, etc.

    Have you got any of those silent readers?
    What do you think about them?
    Do you think that mibba should discourage such practice?
    April 29th, 2009 at 01:51am
  • Fedex

    Fedex (100)

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    I know I have a few. I don't know how often they come around, though. Silent readers don't bother me at all. When I had dial-up internet for about a week every page took so long to load that I'd just read my stories and exit all together. I think we should be able not to comment if we don't want to. Maybe we don't want people to know we're reading a certain kind of story. :XD I don't know.
    April 29th, 2009 at 02:06am
  • fool's paradise

    fool's paradise (1000)

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    I disapprove. The more comments, the happier I am.
    April 29th, 2009 at 02:17am
  • Cee Sleepflower

    Cee Sleepflower (100)

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    I've been one since 2007 on this site :oops:
    The reason it's because only now I had the guts to finally talk to people and post stuff (also because I was a year and half with no internet -gasp-). :tehe:

    Ooooh the shame >_<'
    April 29th, 2009 at 02:29am
  • Jinxeh

    Jinxeh (805)

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    I have plenty of them. I average ten to fifteen reviews per chapter, but I have over a hundred subscribers, and get as many hits per chapter from separate computers, so that's fairly obvious. Every now and then, one will come out of the woodwork in a journal or something and say, "HI I LIKE 'NO MAN'S LAND' 'KAY BYE," and disappear again.

    I'm perfectly all right with it. I write for myself, first and foremost. The fact that I do get comments is pretty nifty, but even if I didn't...hey, I have nothing to feel bad about. I take pride in my work nevertheless. Likewise, I understand that some people are just shy.
    April 29th, 2009 at 03:31am
  • captknights

    captknights (100)

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    I'm fine with it, mainly because I was a lurker for a long time, I only started posting around last month.
    April 29th, 2009 at 03:37am
  • Audrey T

    Audrey T (6730)

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    I don't mind silent readers. A reader is a reader. I really enjoy getting feedback, but if a person has got nothing to say, then they've got nothing to say, you know?

    I would rather that, than Mibba force people to comment and end up getting a bunch of three word replies: "I like this" or "this was nice" or "this sucks." - though I do appreciate every comment.
    April 29th, 2009 at 04:52am
  • bateman

    bateman (100)

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    I enjoy getting feedback, but I don't mind lurkers either. I agree with Audrey T., I'd rather not get many comments and receive ones that are at least somewhat useful rather than just 'update soon!' or 'cool story'. :roll:
    April 29th, 2009 at 08:12am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    I don't mind them.
    And I think "discouraging" them would have to be some sort of rule, which I just don't like.
    It's not a crime to read a story or join a community and not say anything.
    April 29th, 2009 at 08:19am
  • chrissie.

    chrissie. (250)

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    I like getting feedback, as much as the last person, but. I'm not going to go on a witch hunt for silent readers. I like to encourage them, but if they don't want to comment, they don't want to.
    April 29th, 2009 at 10:35am
  • Venomous.

    Venomous. (300)

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    I don't mind if people don't comment. :shifty I mean, if they want to the option is there but I'm not going to hold a grudge if they don't.

    I'll just work harder and try to earn my comments. :XD
    April 29th, 2009 at 11:54am
  • The Way

    The Way (1400)

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    Meh. Sometimes there are fics I love but never comment on because it just makes me speechless. Or it's the kind that makes me want to click away and rest my head and think for a while, and not disrupt the mood by blathering on about how much I loved it. I'm okay with it, but I guess if you have like 120 subscribers and like 2 reviews, it gets annoying. On fanfiction.net, the ratio is usually 2:1 and that's normal, so yeah.
    April 29th, 2009 at 01:33pm
  • fen'harel

    fen'harel (560)

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    Judging for what I've read, I see many of you don't bother with those silent readers, but I can't help but notice that there are authors who hold their stories hostages if they don't get the readers to comment... it's quite sad actually...
    April 29th, 2009 at 06:52pm
  • Poirot's Moustache

    Poirot's Moustache (1270)

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    I'm a lurker sometimes, so I can understand it from a lurker's perspective.
    But I won't pretend that it's not sometimes discouraging when you have about sixty subscribers and only two or three comment.
    April 29th, 2009 at 06:54pm
  • fen'harel

    fen'harel (560)

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    Smashed Pumpkin:
    I'm a lurker sometimes, so I can understand it from a lurker's perspective.
    But I won't pretend that it's not sometimes discouraging when you have about sixty subscribers and only two or three comment.
    I think that at some point all of us have been a lurker; but yeah, it gets pertty discouraging when you have more readers than feedback... it makes you think that perhaps your writing is not that good.
    April 30th, 2009 at 01:59am
  • stupify.

    stupify. (100)

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    I'm a huge lurker. I think it comes from being so shy in real life.

    I get intimidated when I post something on categories I'm not used to. I guess it's like getting used to a person I just met.

    I, obviously, don't think lurking is a bad thing. Since I hardly ever talk to anyone, I'm constantly reading. I'm subscribed to tons of stories. Having lots of readers will get you stars, so I don't think anyone should mind it. (Even though I know everyone loves comments.)

    For every lurker there's a talkative person. :cute:
    April 30th, 2009 at 02:36am
  • Bad Luck.

    Bad Luck. (450)

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    I don't mind them, but sometimes it just makes me all paranoid of who's reading my stories and stuff.

    I lurk as well though. :XD Sometimes I don't feel like I should say anything in a thread or a story comment thread. Or sometimes I won't be in the mood to say anything.
    April 30th, 2009 at 02:41am
  • roe.

    roe. (100)

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    I'm a lurker and I don't mind. Plus, I write for myself. But, I do get excited if someone comments, I won't lie. :XD
    April 30th, 2009 at 02:44am
  • saranghae.

    saranghae. (100)

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    I don't mind lurkers. Sometimes I'm one too. Like when there are a ton of comments that say what you think, there really isn't any point in leaving a comment that says the same thing, because that just gets annoying.
    April 30th, 2009 at 03:48am
  • OMG it's Tara.

    OMG it's Tara. (100)

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    I'm a lurker. :shifty

    Well, not in the sense that I never post ever but I don't tend to comment because I write crappy comments. :XD Once I get better at reviewing stories I probably will comment more often.

    I don't mind them but it gets rather annoying when you have like 17 chapters, no comments and a lot of subscribers.
    April 30th, 2009 at 12:23pm