Lurkers?

Not only is the word creepy and implies someone that is basically a stalker, I do not buy into all the newbies that show up and claim they are just now deciding to join the "party" for the first time. I think more times than not they are older members that either got axed or created such a bad reputation for themselves they were basically forced to start a new account and claim they are long time lurkers (creepy). Am I the only one that gets this feeling?

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Ummm....

Well, I started "lurking" for "information" here back in 2006 or 2007 and decided to make an account to make it easier to view.

Thus

infolurker

Because I couldn't think of anything better at the time and it was a spur of the moment thing.

I dunno, I'd been a lurker for a few years and finally joined. Is suspicion of newbies the norm here?



a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Lot of the time older members who left for whatever reason just say they had an old account.

I used to just read without posting before I joined ATS. Sorry if I'm lurkering offended you.

a reply to: Cricketine

I do not buy into all the newbies ....this is not to say that there are not some bona fide newbies ...I was new once ...just say you are new and don't claim to be some kind of creepy lurker, okay?

a reply to: Pinke

you can be a long time reader of ats material...why do they have to say "long time lurker"?

a reply to: infolurker

....I have been coming to Above Top secret for some time now and finally decided to join so I can contribute my own opinions...not I am a creepy lurker and I finally decided to stop stalking....still I think many of them are old jerks trying to pretend they are new.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: Pinke

you can be a long time reader of ats material...why do they have to say "long time lurker"?

Because that is the correct term to use:

Lurk

intransitive verb
1
a : to lie in wait in a place of concealment especially for an evil purpose
b : to move furtively or inconspicuously
c : to persist in staying
2
a : to be concealed but capable of being discovered; specifically : to constitute a latent threat
b : to lie hidden
3: to read messages on an Internet discussion forum (as a newsgroup or chat room) without contributing
— lurk·er noun

ETA: I lurked for a few years, created an account and never used it, and finally started to use it about a year or so later ... but still primarily, lurk.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

originally posted by: Cricketine
I dunno, I'd been a lurker for a few years and finally joined. Is suspicion of newbies the norm here?



a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Haters gon' hate

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Good point,

"lurker" just seems to be a common term on this board. I go to other boards where "phrases or keywords" like that are used commonly. "inkies, no f's given, eject eject! and funny pics are posted regularly.

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

Well I think lurking is creepy so if you insist on lurking you know what I think

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree
I do, and understand your suspicion of veteran contributors looking for a fresh start, and suspect at least some are. I don't know why you find lurking "creepy" though.

I joined to argue, annoy, star and flag, and make my presence known. Some of us just can't keep it in.

originally posted by: superman2012
I joined to argue, annoy, star and flag, and make my presence known. Some of us just can't keep it in.

Brilliant! ATS lives off lurkers & we have lurkers because of posters like you.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree


Well I think lurking is creepy so if you insist on lurking you know what I think

I lurked for several years--peeking over the shoulders of friends and family who were already members.

I joined in order to post to a particular thread (and to get rid of those damnable ads---well, some of them anyway).

We all need a fresh start sometimes. I'd much rather see an older member come back with a new identity and post quality threads/sensible comments as opposed to new members who only come here to troll. But then, that's just me

Jas

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

I was a lurker for a couple years - I made an account, but didn't do much posting with it...Ironically enough, around the time me and my ex gf parted ways, I had a renewed interest, and made the transition from "lurker" to "somewhat active poster".

I'm sure most of the people that claimed they were lurking were actually lurking for some time before they created their accounts;ATS was addicting enough even without an account.

-fossilera

I'm always reading, barely posting.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Whatever mental association with the word "lurker" is your own.

I have read ATS on and off over several years. I've never commented until the past month. I used the term long time lurker in my first comment.

IMHO Internet comments rarely stay on topic. After the first several comments it seems to degrade into trolling or monkeys flinging # at each other. That's why I avoid web site commenting.

However, when there are especially egregious and misinformed posts, I can't let that go unanswered. So, I commented on two ATS topics; conservatism, and Christianity.

I went back to see if the original poster had commented after mine. Lo and behold they have not. What can I take from that? Lack of conviction? Someone just wanting to see their words on a web site? A person who never wanted a debate?

We have enough people talking about themselves and their inflated sense of self importance on Facebook, Twitter, and the like. I talk directly to my real friends. I'm not a follower.

Is ATS just one other place to feed self importance? I hope not. Do we have the guts and capacity to defend our posts? Did we ever really want exposure to a different viewpoint?

Third time commenter with only one ATS account.

Awhhh man, I just posted my introduction thread and in my first sentence claimed to be a lurker (which I really have been for the past couple years). Come to find the next post I see is full of hate for lurkers I only used the word because it's commonplace on here and other forum sites, had I known it bothered people to the extent of posting about it I probably would have chosen another word!
Second comment ever from a longtime lurker here

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Hi. Your avatar description says you are an unforgiving member and are furious. Double wow! Sorry you feel upset enough to change your avatar description. It signals to me anyway that you are having one helluva lousy day or three. I do hope things improve for you and that you find some way to de-fuse and help feed some positivity into your spirit.

To address your OP though I suspect some banned members have returned under a new alias or IP addy, but that's for the site admins to worry about if they care to, isn't it? As for the term you object to, the only substitute term I can think of is vagrant, someone who hangs out too much without doing anything, according to my understanding of the term. However admitting to 'ATS vagrancy' sounds ridiculous. We can't call them watchers cause that's already taken. Wannabees is a condescending term imho, so how about an ATS pre-member? I know, lame it is, but that's the best I can come up with at the moment.