# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/41 "2002-05-15T22:01:45Z")
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’ve just been waiting for the right time. It’s so bright coming out of the shadows, where are my dark shades? ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/42 "2002-05-15T22:20:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\* > What is with all these 1999 people i have never heard of?!?! Are there more 1999ers lying in wait, looking for their chance to strike? \*\* Mwahaha. I just registered here not too long after the AOL SDMB dissolved (as I used to post there) and just never got around to posting much until recently. jessica ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/43 "2002-05-15T22:21:11Z")
I’m a lurker and sometime poster - Everyone seems to know each other so sometimes feel intimidated to post. I have been welcomed to the board many times 'cause I don’t post much I guess - how 'bout other lurkers; how many times have you been welcomed to the board? Being welcomed seems strange to lurkers who have been around giggling, ohhing and ahhhing longer than you think. ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/44 "2002-05-15T23:28:05Z")
I used to be a poster, now I’m pretty much just a lurker. Not by choice, mind you. I don’t have a computer at home and our new policy at work (new being about six months ago) says that we can’t post to message boards or usenet groups. So I don’t get to post unless I happen to be somewhere else with access, like I am tonight. But I still check out the boards just about every day while I’m eating my lunch in my office. Ain’t no policy about _reading_ message boards on my lunch hour.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Modest\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Modest\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modest_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/45 "2002-05-16T00:11:16Z")
LOOOOONNNNG time lurker and “poster wanna-be” here. Hi, everyone! Although I’ve been lurking unregistered for years, I finally decided to join this merry bunch and start posting. Only the LOG-OUT gremlins got me every time I’ve tried to post! Grrrrrr! Anybody got any anti-gremlin spray? The Modest Goddess ---
**Author:** ![Hosayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@Hosayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hosayf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/46 "2002-05-16T00:54:10Z")
I guess I’m sort of a lurker still. Friends had been linking me to SDMB since possibly 2000, and finally I registered last October. Then I forgot about this board until a couple months ago and now I post maybe once or twice a day… ---
**Author:** ![Parrothead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/59ef9b/32.png) [@Parrothead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parrothead)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/47 "2002-05-16T16:31:23Z")
I have started to post a little lately, but I probably lurked on the board for a year before I even registered… Now… if I could come up with somethig worthwhile to say… **then** I would be rockin’ along. ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/48 "2002-05-16T16:46:32Z")
I have been lurking for years-- mainly with my hand on the mouse to close the window if I get caught at work. Not as easy when you are typing!! ---
**Author:** ![fizzestothetop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@fizzestothetop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzestothetop)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/49 "2002-05-16T17:36:02Z")
I’ve been lurking around here since last summer, registered last fall and I post some, but I never really have much to say that’s not been said already. Not to mention I’m just dang shy. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091/50 "2002-05-16T19:27:45Z")
[Lurker](http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame58.html) You can never know the true number of lurkers out there, because they don’t have to register to read, and by definition, won’t come forward to “say hi.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lurkers-are-there/109091.md?page=2)