Lurking is Just Fine With Me

[dlodoski]

Hi Folks,

There have been some disparaging remarks made lately against lurking and photo/video harvesting (vacuuming was how it was described). I don't like that. And that's because if it weren't for MPV, that's what I would be doing here.

I am, at the core of my sexual personality, a voyeur. A looker. I like to watch. I don't naturally want to participate. For starters, I just don't take myself that seriously (anger issues aside lol).

Many moons ago, I was recruited to attempt serious quicksand video production. Like the person behind that first project, I was unsatisfied with what was available and knew I could do better. This other person would recruit the models, leaving me to feel socially safe, hiding behind cameras. Cool. Well, years later, MPV has become what it has become. The drive to produce better and better videos and images created its own economy of scale. But, I am still pretty shy and somewhat awkward with the ladies. The shooting cycle is still the least desirable aspect of the business for me. Like I said, I would rather be lurking.

So, I think that there are different ways to define a community regarding 'participation'. It's wrong, in an atmosphere that engenders voyeurism, to demand 'active' participation, when passive participation is just fine. Our community is made of up both active members and lurkers. Neither is more important than the other. Seriously.

So, here's to the lurkers. Who knows, maybe some day I will be able to return to my own lurker roots.

[Fred588]

What I said about lurking was that it does not enhance the community. I did not mean to condemn it. My intent was to encourage activity.

[Billie Bonce]

I heartily support such tolerant attitude toward lurkers. When I have what to share, I would gladly share it. When I don't have what to share, I would rather keep silence. I do watch all what I like and download and collect all what I like, but in many cases I am not in the mood to leave comments, especially when I have nothing special to say. I do like those forums/communities where one can demonstrate the appreciation by "kudos", "thumbsups", "likes" or so.

If you remember "Fantasy Danger Island" - the project by Alucard and his redhead girlfriend (or as he preferred to say, his roommate) - there were some actions against lurkers that resulted in rather strict policy. I actually lost my interest in contributing there after that.

[Nessie]

I never could figure out why some folks come down so hard on lurking. I mean, yes, we all like to see high participation. It's nicer to see people talking than it is to wonder if they're here.

But the fact is that not everybody can do the creative stuff that keeps the forum fueled (shoot videos/write stories/draw/animate/Photoshop).

Some of us would have created some of it if nobody saw it at all, just to feed our own dreams, but without other people to enjoy said stuff, the joy of creating it goes down significantly.

I'm pretty sure that some of those other people are lurkers!

Nessie

[Fred588]

I never could figure out why some folks come down so hard on lurking. I mean, yes, we all like to see high participation. It's nicer to see people talking than it is to wonder if they're here.

But the fact is that not everybody can do the creative stuff that keeps the forum fueled (shoot videos/write stories/draw/animate/Photoshop).

Some of us would have created some of it if nobody saw it at all, just to feed our own dreams, but without other people to enjoy said stuff, the joy of creating it goes down significantly.

I'm pretty sure that some of those other people are lurkers!

Nessie

I did not "come down hard" on lurkers. All I said was that they do "not enhance" the community. That merely means they make no contribution since they don't really do anything. That is not harmful it just isn't involvement in community.

[Northerner]

Somebody told me he doesn't like lurkers because they are "creepy". I was like WOW dude, you must dislike 95% of the people on the Internet then.

I've done things to try and encourage lurkers to de-lurk in the past, but I'd never say they are a negative force, more like a neutral, quiet force

[Fred588]

Somebody told me he doesn't like lurkers because they are "creepy". I was like WOW dude, you must dislike 95% of the people on the Internet then.

I've done things to try and encourage lurkers to de-lurk in the past, but I'd never say they are a negative force, more like a neutral, quiet force

Pretty much what I said, I think.

[Ed Moss]

I guess I would consider myself a "lurker" based on what seems to be the definition of this forum..I'm ok with that. I also have 150+ videos in my Club MPV account library, as well as a few VHS tapes and DVDs from way back when..I think Dave would agree - patronage of that level from members here certainly allows for "enhancement" of the creative content on this forum - a financial contribution, if not directly creative. If this forum is a conduit for pushing "lurkers" to your site, Fred, or other sites like it (MPV), and investing in the product, what is the point in making the comment other than to troll?What enhancement in the content would there be if several of us lurkers weren't buying?

[Chimerix]

I don't follow everything on this forum, so I;ve missed the discussion, wherever it occurred, that disparaged lurking. Or didn't. But as a RL example of the approval of lurking, I'm a prof at a private university. The faculty there have a "governing" body, the Faculty Senate, of which every full-time faculty member is a voting member. This means we have a ruling committee of almost 100 people, and to achieve a quorum, we need 47 people to attend a meeting.

As academicians, we are all convinced of two things. First, there is no sound more melodic than that of our own voice. Second, that no one can possibly have thought of the subtle variation upon which we're about to pontificate.

What the world needs, and I mean this in all earnestness, is MORE LURKERS!

[Fred588]

I guess I would consider myself a "lurker" based on what seems to be the definition of this forum..I'm ok with that. I also have 150+ videos in my Club MPV account library, as well as a few VHS tapes and DVDs from way back when..I think Dave would agree - patronage of that level from members here certainly allows for "enhancement" of the creative content on this forum - a financial contribution, if not directly creative. If this forum is a conduit for pushing "lurkers" to your site, Fred, or other sites like it (MPV), and investing in the product, what is the point in making the comment other than to troll?What enhancement in the content would there be if several of us lurkers weren't buying?

My point in making the comment was to compliment and encourage activity. I meant no disrespect to lurkers.