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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2006 : 06:07:34
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I often bring up the "SFN Messenger" window while I'm browsing this wonderful site. Not only does that window let me know which Members are online, it also tells me how many "guests" (lurkers) are reading the site.
One thing I've noted is how even the many SFN Members are far outnumbered by the damned many more lurkers out there.
Well, I say it's time you lurkers came in from the cold, introduced yourselves, and expressed your own crazy opinions (complete with evidence, of course).
It's really not as bad, inside, as it may seem, from the outside. Sure we beat one another up awfully fiercely, but we also learn to grow mental calluses.
We learn that our opinions count for fuck-all, without evidence.
We learn to throw in countless links to prove our points, even if we're just commenting on how pleasant the weather is.
We learn which of the regulars are nutcases, and what exact type of nutcase each is. We learn what chips each Member has on each shoulder, and how to either avoid those chips, or knock them off, depending on how kind or nasty we are feeling.
We learn how to ignite and stoke a cheery flame war over the definition of the term, "ad hominem." We learn the finer points of a good atheist-vs-agnostic brawl.
We learn humility, when we post our wisest thoughts, or our most humorous creations, and then find that nobody replies. When humility just won't serve, we learn to use the "pearls before swine" analogy.
But most importantly, many of us learn to think more logically, and to better use evidence to arrive at our opinions.
You've been peering in through the windows for long enough! I invite you lurkers to come in and join us here as Members! It's warm inside, and, as usual, we have a few nice fires going right now. 
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 06:39:43 [Permalink]
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| I was actually a lurker here for quite a while before joining. Even now I suspect that I still do more reading than posting. Still averaging less than half a post a day. So this one takes care of my average until Thursday. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 14:36:54 [Permalink]
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Unlike a lot of us, your contributions are sane, in terms of quantity, Moak. I'm glad you speak up and post your thoughts from time to time. Now, if only I could be a little more moderate about my need to post...
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 20:08:25 [Permalink]
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| Years ago on Usenet, the rule of thumb was that for every active participant, there were ten lurkers. If that holds true for websites, then our 74 (or so) active members in the last month (people who have posted) means there have been 740 lurkers just reading. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 20:11:55 [Permalink]
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| Most of the time I don't log in before reading new comments. Would that be classified as lurking? |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 20:15:13 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by @tomic
A lot of those visitors are assorted 'bots spidering the site.
@
Just like the spiderbots in Minority Report.
Quick, everyone, lay in a bathtub filled with icecubes and hope they go away!
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 00:00:18 [Permalink]
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| The bots were my first thought only I would have called them Ashcroft's army. I'm sure my posts have been filled with key word flags that trigger those data mining programs to go wild. |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 03:04:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Years ago on Usenet, the rule of thumb was that for every active participant, there were ten lurkers. If that holds true for websites, then our 74 (or so) active members in the last month (people who have posted) means there have been 740 lurkers just reading.
Sounds about right. It may even be higher than that, although true lurkers(tm), those who read a bit before moving on, are probably far less common than those reading a single thread/article because of a search result.
It'd be interesting to get stats on even-truer lurkers, those who come back again and again but never register. A little tricky/time consuming to do though.
quote:
Originally posted by Hawks
Most of the time I don't log in before reading new comments. Would that be classified as lurking?
If you don't log in, don't you miss the ability to see which threads have changed since you're last visit?
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John's just this guy, you know. |
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leoofno
Skeptic Friend
USA
346 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 06:45:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by JohnOAS
quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Years ago on Usenet, the rule of thumb was that for every active participant, there were ten lurkers. If that holds true for websites, then our 74 (or so) active members in the last month (people who have posted) means there have been 740 lurkers just reading.
Sounds about right. It may even be higher than that, although true lurkers(tm), those who read a bit before moving on, are probably far less common than those reading a single thread/article because of a search result.
It'd be interesting to get stats on even-truer lurkers, those who come back again and again but never register. A little tricky/time consuming to do though.
quote:
Originally posted by Hawks
Most of the time I don't log in before reading new comments. Would that be classified as lurking?
If you don't log in, don't you miss the ability to see which threads have changed since you're last visit?
I guess I was one of those "even-truer lurkers". I lurked here regularly for a year or so before joining. Even now, I don't post too often. Just as the mood strikes.
BTW, am I really a "true" member? I brought up "SFN Messenger" and I'm not on there.  The top of the web page says I'm logged in. Do you have to enable participation or is it supposed to be automatic? |
"If you're not terrified, you're not paying attention." Eric Alterman
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 07:07:09 [Permalink]
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leoofno complained: quote:
BTW, am I really a "true" member? I brought up "SFN Messenger" and I'm not on there. The top of the web page says I'm logged in. Do you have to enable participation or is it supposed to be automatic?
Go to Top of Page
I'm not on it, either. But I see you right now. Either neither of us are true members, or, more likely, only other members are shown on this list, since we would not require digital help to talk to ourselves. (I manage that well enough by muttering and raving the old, low-tech way.)
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 07:23:16 [Permalink]
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| I don't think you see yourself on that list. |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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leoofno
Skeptic Friend
USA
346 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 08:05:24 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by pleco
I don't think you see yourself on that list.
Well, that just makes too much sense.
Never mind. |
"If you're not terrified, you're not paying attention." Eric Alterman
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Master Yoda
Skeptic Friend
59 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2006 : 00:31:26 [Permalink]
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I think you get "member-lurkers" and "lurker-lurkers" (guests). I'm a member-lurker more often than a poster, but I read through the threads just to see who's saying what and/or to find interesting new topics. Being in Hong Kong, I often log on to find that in local SFN time, I've missed "the action", and anything I wanted to add has been said, already.
At my other skeptic board, JREF, you can see "last activity" instead of "last post", and it's quite interesting. With over 10,000 "members" they have about half of them with one post or fewer. But if you randomly click some of the names they've been members for years and have been on line recently. Apparently there's a fairly large "peanut gallery" for boards. People who want to find out what others are thinking or saying, what the new hot-button topics are in certain areas, or even looking for negatives. I know I go to various CT and fundie boards all the time for that latter reason.
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2006 : 00:44:50 [Permalink]
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Being a lazy SOB, I usually appreciate it when I find someone has already made the point I'd like to make.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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