# How long from lurker to poster? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786 "2006-10-09T06:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/21 "2006-10-10T04:20:10Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I was reading the archives of the Dope and I wanted to comment on one of the articles. I set up my guest account and joined. I guess technically, I did not lurk at all. I decided to join a short time later. Jim [/QUOTE] …And thus I am reminded that we discussed join dates… I lurked (aka: read) for several months before joining, and if memory serves, i began posting right away. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/22 "2006-10-10T10:54:28Z")
[QUOTE=toadbriar] Finally I said ‘what the hell’ and joined - there haven’t been any 6+ page long TMI poop or pus threads (I’m a sucker for the dreadful - **Qadgop** and **gabriela** workplace tales are a favorite, too) - so I’ve been able to be expeditious lately in my reading. [/QUOTE] I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for a 6 page poop or pus, grossout, dead people topic just in your honor. Sure **Qadgop** will, too. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/23 "2006-10-10T10:56:51Z")
[QUOTE=DJ Motorbike] This seems as good an opportunity as any to make my first apperance. It is nowhere near as dramatic as **hekk’s** but I’ve been lurking on these boards for years now. It was sometime in 02 when I first got the idea to Google “Straight Dope”. A few nights ago I read a thread that made me want to post, I grabbed my card, signed up, wrote a lengthy response. I got an error message. This seems a bit less audacious as a first post than the one I had originally meat to post anyhow. Cheers! [/QUOTE] Good lord! People like you scare the **hekk** out of me. On my virtual knees in awe, chattering gabriela ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/24 "2006-10-10T10:59:11Z")
[QUOTE=gabriela] I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for a 6 page poop or pus, grossout, dead people topic just in your honor. [/QUOTE] Something tells me you can probably tell us a lovely story involving all those at once. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/25 "2006-10-10T11:17:32Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] Something tells me you can probably tell us a lovely story involving all those at once. [/QUOTE] But not for six pages. For that I need the Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![bellybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@bellybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bellybean)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/26 "2006-10-10T18:17:06Z")
This is my first post. I have been a member for years, and a paying member since paying subscriptions were introduced. What can I say–all the smart people on here intimidate the heck out of me! ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/27 "2006-10-10T18:35:35Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] I posted a couple of times back in Sept of '99, then nothing until May 06. 6 2/3 years between posts - lurking the whole time (I didn’t pay for any of that time, tho) [/QUOTE] Hello, mirror universe version of myself! I was in a similar situation, resulting from un- and under-employment. I hope I stay on for a while, this time… ---
**Author:** ![toadbriar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@toadbriar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadbriar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/28 "2006-10-10T19:49:35Z")
[QUOTE=gabriela] But not for six pages. For that I need the Dopers. [/QUOTE] The Dope _is_ a pretty special place. The combination of frequently bizarre topics with erudite and astute participants is irresistable. Not many places where I can read not only the proposal of people drinking chimpanzee milk instead of cow’s milk, but also reasoned explanations of why we don’t. [QUOTE=gabriela] I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for a 6 page poop or pus, grossout, dead people topic just in your honor. Sure Qadgop will, too. [/QUOTE] Well duh. Isn’t that why you guys went to medical school? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/29 "2006-10-10T20:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=bellybean] This is my first post. I have been a member for years, and a paying member since paying subscriptions were introduced. What can I say–all the smart people on here intimidate the heck out of me! [/QUOTE] A Charter Member with one post. I am impressed. I think you are the Anti-me. Welcome out of lurkdom. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/30 "2006-10-10T20:59:25Z")
I’ve been posting more often nowadays but I lurked for maybe half a year before I actually joined. My first post was something about being willing to have sex with yaks for white chocolate. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/31 "2006-10-10T21:39:43Z")
I joined in 2001, forgot all about the boards for a year, went away, came back, lurked for a few months, then joined. Shortly thereafter the damn boards went pay. But I was already hooked, so no way. I also did something like pinkfreud, on a larger scale of course…was driven away, and then came back determined to be politer and nicer and piss as few people as possible off. I’m not here to fight. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/32 "2006-10-11T00:15:13Z")
I posted on the odd occasion on the AOL boards way back when. When this board was launched, I checked it out a couple of times but never joined. I drifted off to other things and interests over the years but every couple of years or so I would drift back. Finally, I drifted back for good around the end of 2003/beginning of 2004, and joined up. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/33 "2006-10-11T02:17:22Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] Something tells me you can probably tell us a lovely story involving all those at once. [/QUOTE] Um, I’ve got a whole heaping assload of pushing (pun intended) if I’m going to poop out a pus-filled dead person. Not to mention that I have to change my diet something fierce. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/34 "2006-10-11T02:31:53Z")
I lurked for as many years as the OP. I tried to post early on, but there was something about my browser or something that prevented me from doing it. I was lazy, so I just read, and didn’t write. Then I changed my OS, and I could post. By that time, you had to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/35 "2006-10-11T02:38:46Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] I’ve been lurking on the SDMB for 5 years(!) apparently, and it’s come to my attention that I’ve never once posted in any thread, on any board… [/QUOTE] I’ll have to check, but that may be a bannable offense. 😛 I started lurking sometime between 9/11 and The Winter of our Missed Content, then joined in order to take a dig at Bud Selig after the All-Star Game fiasco. Say six months or so as a lurker. This is a sig appropriate post, I think ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/36 "2006-10-11T02:53:33Z")
I started hanging out (lurking) in 1999. Back in those days the internet was in black and white. As you can see I have not been burning up the place since joining in 2001. My post average is .1 per day, and that is because I have gone through a recent spurt of posts. I was reading Straight Dope books back in the 80’s if that counts. ---
**Author:** ![veemoffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/35a633/32.png) [@veemoffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veemoffa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/37 "2006-10-11T08:40:11Z")
First post for me. I’ve been lurking for a few months, but have been reading the columns for a couple of years. Both the columns and the boards are remarkably addictive, and costing me a lot of sleep. Here it is 1:30 am and I really should be in bed . . .Curse you all, must you be so interesting? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/38 "2006-10-11T14:22:42Z")
My first post, as I recall, was back when I was still in college. It was a post to a thread about some new skyscraper that was being built in downtown Chicago. (Being an Evanston resident at the time, it was a topic of interest to me.) So that would have been in 1999, most likely. I think it was another couple of years before I started posting to the boards on a regular basis. My official join date says 2001, but I know that I posted before that. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/39 "2006-10-11T14:24:41Z")
Er, actually it says 2000. Okay, still. ---
**Author:** ![david8686a\_netscape.net](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/david8686a_netscape.net/32/3352_2.png) [@david8686a\_netscape.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/david8686a_netscape.net)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786/40 "2006-10-11T15:53:42Z")
still lurking… D [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-from-lurker-to-poster/375786.md?page=3)