# How many lurkers are there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091 "2002-05-14T21:35:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/1 "2002-05-14T21:35:28Z")
I’m on the Straight Dope website nearly every day, but it’s not too common that I post. I’d like to post more often, but I just don’t have that much to say. 🙂 Does anyone have an estimate of how many lurkers there are on the board? How big an effect would it have if every lurker were as proficient as **Flamsterette\_X**? ( who has almost _20 posts a day!_ ) ---
**Author:** ![stupidgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@stupidgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stupidgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/2 "2002-05-14T21:42:54Z")
Well, there is me for starters, but I guess I am not a ‘lurker’ anymore? I’d imagine that there must be lots of people who read the boards for the entertainment value, but are like me far too intimidated to actually post, because everyone seems so knowledgeable and funny. ---
**Author:** ![masafer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@masafer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masafer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/3 "2002-05-14T22:12:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stupidgirl \* > \*\* > I’d imagine that there must be lots of people who read the boards for the entertainment value, but are like me far too intimidated to actually post, because everyone seems so knowledgeable and funny. \*\* For some of us, it’s not that we’re too intimidated to post, we’re just too lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Raini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@Raini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raini)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/4 "2002-05-14T22:35:12Z")
I lurker…there…i said it…are you happy? ---
**Author:** ![Raini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@Raini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raini)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/5 "2002-05-14T22:36:57Z")
see…and that is why i lurk…cuz i alway make stupid typos and never go back and read before post…which makes me look not so smart! above post should read…‘i’m a lurker’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Raini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@Raini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raini)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/6 "2002-05-14T22:38:10Z")
dammit i did it again…im not saying another word!!! ---
**Author:** ![Luna\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Luna\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luna_Child)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/7 "2002-05-14T23:14:38Z")
i lurk. alot. ---
**Author:** ![BelZarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BelZarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BelZarak)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/8 "2002-05-14T23:15:23Z")
Another regular lurker here. Don’t post very often, but I do keep up with many of the regular threads. -Belz ---
**Author:** ![Alexxandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@Alexxandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alexxandra)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/9 "2002-05-14T23:31:47Z")
I’m on here nearly every day, too. I tend to write posts, but chicken out before I hit the “post” button. I’m tryin’, though, I am! I guess that a lot of the time, I feel that whatever it is that I have to say has already been said. This place rocks, by the way. It’s frighteningly addictive tho! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alexxandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@Alexxandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alexxandra)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/10 "2002-05-14T23:33:37Z")
Sorry, that was supposed to be “though”. I’m temporarily stuck on chat-speak. ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/11 "2002-05-15T01:29:18Z")
Oh, there are a few of us about. Those with old registration dates and small post counts - I thought I was among them until this thread . . . **BelZarak, Luna Child & masafer** - I stand humbled. I am **no** master lurker. Suppose I will have to stick to masterbat - 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Molly\_Coddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@Molly\_Coddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molly_Coddle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/12 "2002-05-15T01:31:36Z")
I’m a selective lurker… ---
**Author:** ![BillDozer74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BillDozer74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BillDozer74)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/13 "2002-05-15T02:07:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stupidgirl \* > \*\* > I’d imagine that there must be lots of people who read the boards for the entertainment value, but are like me far too intimidated to actually post, because everyone seems so knowledgeable and funny. \*\* And on top of that, when I actually have something interesting to say, someone else has already said it. _And_ they’ve said it better than I ever could. :mad: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MIKE\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MIKE\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MIKE_P)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/14 "2002-05-15T02:15:37Z")
_steps out of shadows_ Yes, I’m a lurker. I never really have much to say. But I read the SD almost everyday. _steps back into shadows_ ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/15 "2002-05-15T02:21:49Z")
I generally lurk more than I post, probably because I’m lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/16 "2002-05-15T02:41:02Z")
Do you ever have the feeling. . . . your being watched? I think I remember reading in ATMB that the SDMB gets over a million views per day. I don’t think we’ve hit 2 million posts yet. That’s a lot of lurking. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/17 "2002-05-15T03:50:33Z")
Welcome to the boards, **stupidgirl**! Or, more specifically, welcome from the shadows. By the way, I think **Molly Coddle** may have joined too recently to qualify as a lurker. Wait a month or two, and then you can call yourself a lurker. ---
**Author:** ![Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disciple_of_Alf)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/18 "2002-05-15T04:16:49Z")
Yes…I lurk. Lurkidy lurk lurk lurk. Day in, day out, I’ll be lurkin’. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/19 "2002-05-15T04:43:14Z")
I swear, about half of my posts are in threads like this one… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/20 "2002-05-15T04:44:21Z")
Yeah, I think I am. I have been here longer than it looks though. My registration was lost in the hack. Generally I lurk because what I believe has already been said. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091.md?page=2)