Terrific! Another first-time-poster to SDMB comes in by way of the Call of the Lurker. Good to hear from you after all this time, Big Marlin!
I find it utterly fascinating that people will join a board like this basically just to lurk. There’s no way I could do that. I mean, I read a lot of threads just to learn things that I never post in, but…there’s no way I could just lurk. Just look at my post count. I’m a new kid around here and I’m knocking on 10,000 posts already!
I’ll surpass Diogenes at this rate in about 10 years. Okay, that won’t happen but reading this thread makes me feel like some kind of a blabbermouth!
And as an aside…who is our most prolific poster? Who has the most overall posts? Is it Dio or someone else? Also, how do I find out how many posts per day I average?
The stats from your profile page:
Total Posts: 9,428
Posts Per Day: 7.49
And yeah, I mainly lurk in GD. I don’t feel confident contributing, just listening and learning. But I do sometimes post there, if my posting finger gets really itchy.
Where do I find that information that you found on me? Jeez, almost 10,000 posts on a messageboard who’s software was patented in the 20th century and I still don’t know how to access Multivac. What a shame.
Nevermind…I am an idiot. You did say “from my profile page” for a damn good reason. Time for more vodka and lemonade.
So is there a way to figure out who on the Dope has the most posts without accessing individual profile pages? Is there some kind of a sortable list or something?
Thank you for the Welcome Aboard Zeldar, I just noticed I can use spell check!
I will now turtle my head back in my shell for time being.
If there is I don’t know it yet. From time to time threads about such superlatives will pop up and one of the Mods will provide some sort of answer that they have access to that the average Doper may not. Maybe one of them will spot your question or you could post a question thread in ATMB for quicker response.
Fair enough. Just don’t stay away so long this time. 
What are the primary reasons lurkers lurk beyond what’s been mentioned already? Shyness, someone says something better than me, I just like to read…???
I am a social creature and I do not understand the mind of a lurker!
Well, with any luck you may be in the right place to find out more than you knew before. Perhaps one or more of the professed Lurkers will share their thoughts on the subject.
I’m unable to give a personal confession since I’m as much of a non-Lurker as you are, but I can offer a hunch. It has to do with the basic relationship people feel with such things as Reading, Watching, Listening and other ways of “participating” in such things as Literature, Movies, Theater, Music, Ballet and so on. Not every theater goer feels obligated to get into acting, not every reader considers it a challenge to write and not every fan of music is drawn toward performance.
As several have already said, reading here is rewarding in and of itself, and joining in as a writer just isn’t their thing. I can live with that. I’m just pleased that so many (not just in this thread but in some of the ones mentioned in the OP) have decided to “break their silence” long enough to let us know they exist and aren’t ashamed or afraid to say so.
I do hope the ones closer to the facts can elaborate or correct my impressions.
You have more posts in less time than I do. You definitely get noticed and are not a lurker.
I think I considered myself a lurker the last time one of these threads came up, but I’ve nearly doubled my posts in the last year, ever since I changed my user name. I’m a lurker no more!
This thread has inspired me to get a little more involved here and there on this forum. Mayhap I will now no longer consider myself to be such a lurker.
I post now and agan, but my threads sink like a stone and my post kill threads. or so it seems.
Hello, I made an account in 2010 but I’ve been lurking since 2008. I haven’t had anything interesting to contribute yet, so this is my first post.
now know I know that someone, even if its only one person, will vouch that I was funny. And could wail on the geetar.
Ugh. ENORMOUS editing fail. Lo siento.
Que importa?
Bodacious! Impressive, too.
A lurker should be permitted to graze in the pastures of the Dope, left even to his own devices and handsomely neglected 
I don’t think Spiny Norma has surfaced yet.
Indeed! Where do you suppose that chatterbox is? Her (his?) stats:
Total Posts: 54
Posts Per Day: 0.01
There are some folks just making their very first posts ever in this very thread, but **Spiny Norma ** keeps a lot to herself (himself?) for sure.
Good to see you, too, Cicero!
Oh, she is the Howard Hughes of the board. And a nice person. I would guess she is watching this thread and giggling.