I have been a regular visitor to the SDMB for many moons, months of Sundays, donkeys’ years, and other synonyms. I very rarely post but I come here almost daily, and even subscribe to a few favorite threads. There are many posters that I see here that are fixtures, or at least post regularly.
I’m starting this thread to see how many other lurkers there are out there that regularly visit this site but rarely or never start threads or contribute posts. This is your chance to come out of the shadows. Come on, raise your hands and give us a shout. If you like, tell us where you’re from and/or anything you’d like us to know about you. I am a 58 year old man and live in Rhode Island.
I’m not a lurker anymore, but I was for a long time. I switched from reading the column in the Chicago Reader to online in 2004 which, of course led to the discovery of the message board, in short order. But I didn’t become a member until 2016. So, 12ish years of lurking. Not sure what took so long…
I’m an (almost) 40 year old man, also from Oregon. I read the Dope daily but average maybe one post every 3 weeks. Not quite as lurk-y as some, but certainly not a regular poster even though I’ve been registered and posting (infrequently) since 2007.
I started reading the board sometime in ‘99 and I registered in the spring of 2000. I never posted all that frequently but I stopped entirely when the board went Pay to Post. Since then, and even after the board opened up again, I mostly just read the forums… especially GQ, Cafe Society, and MPSIMS. There are a few topics that draw me out now and then, but clearly not that often.
66 year old guy, lurking since 2005 or a bit before. (Hence the name…) Maybe 100 posts.
I feel like I belong here and am at home, in spite of having no relationships with other posters. You folks make me think even when it’s uncomfortable. ( Remember Bricker?)
Personally I feel that my own ignorance is the stuff of legend and I will learn more by sitting back and reading a discussion than trying to put my $0.02 in as I almost invariably will prove my ignorance.
I’ve started a thread that led to a poster getting banned. I also started a thread that led to a pitting of a popular poster and she had a total flameout, never to return. I feel bad about both those instances and have made a commitment never to post anything remotely controversial. That may be an easy out, but I don’t want to be responsible for someone leaving or getting the jackboot treatment.
About the only subject I feel supremely confident in posting about is proper coffee preparation.