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Lurker's confessional
chamberlain
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
At this moment there are 83 people viewing D&D and about 3 people posting. Granted, it is a quiet time of day, but still, that seems to be quite a few people on the outside looking in without contributing, myself among them. I have been lurking here or G&T for years. I remember the big forum crash of years ago, opening pages of nothing but goatse. I remember the downfall of linkville. I am here enough to recognize names and remember what some people think, but not enugh to keep up on everything. (where did nameless go, did he change his name? did he die?)
So why don't we post more? Personally, I find this subforum the most interesting but the most intimidating. There are quite a few very smart people here, smarter then I am, anyway, and it is interesting to watch them argue. I love the science threads but can usually only follow them for a few pages without feeling really, really dumb. Of course it's also fun to watch threads devolve into yelling, name calling, and jailing as well. There have been a few of those in row, usually starring the same people, and they make for a good Springer fix. (I'm looking at you, penis trimming thread)
I don't think there is a fix, nor would I want to change anything, it is the nature of a forum based on debate. However, I do have a challenge: lurkers, why do you not post? Afraid? Embarassed? To good for us? Don't have arms? Register and contribute! (read the rules first) The absolute worst that can happen is you will be ignored, then again you can go back and hide in the corner and observe again. Or maybe there will be a few more conservative posters to even things out a bit, maybe give Ryuprecht a hand.
Nah.
TL, DR: lurkers, make poast on why you don't make poast!
So why don't we post more? Personally, I find this subforum the most interesting but the most intimidating. There are quite a few very smart people here, smarter then I am, anyway, and it is interesting to watch them argue. I love the science threads but can usually only follow them for a few pages without feeling really, really dumb. Of course it's also fun to watch threads devolve into yelling, name calling, and jailing as well. There have been a few of those in row, usually starring the same people, and they make for a good Springer fix. (I'm looking at you, penis trimming thread)
I don't think there is a fix, nor would I want to change anything, it is the nature of a forum based on debate. However, I do have a challenge: lurkers, why do you not post? Afraid? Embarassed? To good for us? Don't have arms? Register and contribute! (read the rules first) The absolute worst that can happen is you will be ignored, then again you can go back and hide in the corner and observe again. Or maybe there will be a few more conservative posters to even things out a bit, maybe give Ryuprecht a hand.
Nah.
TL, DR: lurkers, make poast on why you don't make poast!
chamberlain on
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Posts
but if they post here, are they really lurkers anymore?
But I do think more people should post. Free exchange of ideas and all that. Plus, I'm sure I speak for a lot of us when I say I'm tired of arguing with the same people over and over again. :P
Although loren and I haven't had a good religion thread to jump in in a while.
TL;DR means "Too long; didn't read."
And I'm typing this in the "quick reply" box. Does it make me count as "viewing" or "posting"?
Leaving the tab open doesn't contribute to the number. You would need to access the page from time to time.
I thought they were automatically getting locked at 10 pages anyway.
Or a lack on confidence that anyone would read the whole thing when they didn't recognize the name of the person posting it.
I also don't feel like getting pulled into internet debates very often, so I usually only post if it's a fairly innocuous topic or if I have something I have a very strong desire to say.
Hi5!
Yeah, I rarely in non chat thread threads for the same reason.
I find that the best policy in life is to voice 1 out of every 20 thoughts* you have. If you're like me, your brain goes at 1000mph and there's a lot of fluff floating around in there.
* 1 out of every 50 in ryuprecht's case.
IIRC it was the Creepiest Sh*t thread that got me here originally, and while I enjoyed putting my 2c into the moral relativism thread after that, I just never really got up the enthusiasm to become a regular contributer...
And of course, this has already been said.
As to why I don't post all that much, well, like the OP said, it is a bit intimidating. You better know your shit here, because if you don't back up your assertions with well-reasoned arguments, or God forbid, start arguing in bad faith, people here will tear you up. Every once in awhile I'll get the itch to contribute to, say, a thread on determinism vs free will. . . but by the time I finish examining my post from every conceivable angle, someone else has already posted my thoughts, and did a better job to boot. So it's just more fun to sit back and read at a leisurely pace.
I have mad respect for how people here can spit out long, coherent posts at the drop of a hat. :^:
I'm not the smartest bulb on the christmas tree, but I post here often. At worst I get embarrased on the internet (oh noes!) and sharpen my debating skills to use against people in real life.
-Terry Pratchett
I almost never see a thread when it is first beginning. Although it does seem that most threads become cyclical after 15 or so pages. Same arguemnts, differant profanity.
Now, unless I recognize a name there is no way for me to know if a poster is cool asshat or just your run of the mill noob asshat :P
I don't post much in "real" threads because a majority of them I'm ignorant on. A few special cases I know a bit about and will comment on but they're almost always quagmires waiting to happen...
Some of us would still fool you. If I could get my name from the old, old forum unlocked...
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
Also, I haven't been here long so I'm still learning the ropes of how the forums work.
1) Be interesting (fuck sports threads)
2) Be in an area I have reasonable competence (politics threads interest me, but I rarely have much to add)
3) Not have degenerated into either:
3a) Everyone whaling on the dumb guy(s)
3b) A hundred poasts a minute (circumcision thread)
3c) Two people doing line-by-line responses to each other.
That doesn't happen that often.
That's cool. I thought they were gone altogether, but still, kind of a pain to click don't ya think? I'm just griping now...