# The Mind of a Lurker
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 2, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931 "2003-04-02T10:47:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SumLurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SumLurker)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/1 "2003-04-02T10:47:38Z")
I’ve been sitting here for quite some time now, doing the lurker thing and alot of thinking. Why do we lurk? Have we really nothing to say? Absolutely no opinion on anything at all? Not even a “Wow! Funny post!” or a “Geez, i usually don’t say much, but Soandso, you are a JERK!”.
I think what it boils down to for me personally is fear. Yep, i’m afraid of rejection. It’s the story of my life, really. I avoid confilct at all cost, and go out of my way to keep myself from a situation where someone has a chance to make fun of me, or whatnot.
This is a sucky way to go through life. So, what i intend to do with this post, it come out of hiding basically. I want to be more expressive. I want people to laugh at my witticisms. I want to make friends. I want to stand up for what i believe, and not be afraid to discuss it for fear of appearing different.
Disappearing into obscurity stinks, yes indeedy. It turns you into a backward, shy person, and certainly makes it hard to respect you.
Even now, it’s hard not to just erase this and go back to reading. Nope, i’m posting daggone it!
I am SumLurker, hear me roar!
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/2 "2003-04-02T10:55:40Z")
You’ve probably been welcomed before, but I’ll do it again, just in case.
Welcome to the SDMB, **SumLurker**. Yup, c’mon in, the water’s fine! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/3 "2003-04-02T10:57:38Z")
Welcome to posting! The first step is to admit you have a problem.
The second step is, apparently, to post a fallacious arguement in GD. I would avoid that one, if I were you.
Just relax. These are some of the most openminded and accepting people on the 'net.
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### Author:  [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/4 "2003-04-02T13:11:14Z")
Of course, some of us are jerks who constantly nag the lurkers to participate more. Pleased to meet you, and I am just such a jerk.
The boards are like everything else; what you get out is proportional to what you put in. I lurked for a couple of years before even registering, and only posted sporadically for the first couple of months. These days I post a lot more, and I find that I’m enjoying this a lot more.
Welcome again, and please quit lurking and get out here and play with us.
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/5 "2003-04-02T13:44:32Z")
Ya know, the nice thing about this board - it’s pretty anonymous if you want it to be. You can make your observations and express your opinions and share your bad jokes, and no one has to know who you really are. You can be as charming and suave and debonnaire as you’ve always dreamed, even if in real life you tend to trip over your own shoelaces and droll uncontrollably when you pass the Sara Lee display in your grocery. Not to suggest that you do, but even if you did, no one would know, right?
So come out of the shadows! Let us get to know you! Join the party! Send chocolate! Don’t feed the ducks! Yield when turning right on red! Supplies are limited, order today!
😃
Welcome!
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### Author:  [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/6 "2003-04-02T13:55:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \*
> **You can be as charming and suave and debonnaire as you’ve always dreamed, even if in real life you tend to trip over your own shoelaces and droll uncontrollably when you pass the Sara Lee display in your grocery.**
You’ve been spying on me again haven’t you.
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### Author:  [@SouthernSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernSky)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/7 "2003-04-02T14:34:05Z")
Post while naked. It changes your perspective on alot of things.
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### Author:  [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/8 "2003-04-02T14:34:49Z")
Hi **Sum**! Where in Ohio are you?
And don’t worry about the lurking–I lurked for a year before I registered, and then it took me another year to hit even a few hundred posts. Honestly, I think if some people lurked a bit more before they started posting thousands of times within a month or two we’d have a little less inanity around here. But you’ve done your lurktime, so jump on in!
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### Author:  [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/9 "2003-04-02T14:38:36Z")
Watch it…next you know your post count will be up in the high thousands and some blockhead will take you to the Pit for it like poor [Q.E.D.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=173382) 😃
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/10 "2003-04-02T14:41:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Exgineer \*
> \*\*You’ve been spying on me again haven’t you. \*\*
Me? Spy?? Would I spy? Is this the face of a spy?!? It’s just a lucky guess on my part that you wear Bob the Builder footie jammies and drink hot cocoa with 17 mini marshmallows every night. I have better things to do than crouch on your deck behind the grill. Really, I do.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/11 "2003-04-02T14:45:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Einmon \*
> \*\*Watch it…next you know your post count will be up in the high thousands and some blockhead will take you to the Pit for it like poor [Q.E.D.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=173382) 😃 \*\*
Hey, if that’s the only thing I ever get Pitted for, I’ll be extremely happy. 😃
And welcome to the wonderful world of posting, **SumLurker**. Might have to get yourself a new username now. Seriously, you seem like an intelligent, insightful person. I think you’ll do just fine here. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/12 "2003-04-02T14:51:30Z")
Despite my six hundred odd posts in four months time, everything you said pretty much applies to me too, **SumLurker**. If _I_ can do it, so can you. 'Course, in my case, I lucked out and found a group of Dopers that’re as geeky as I am, helping me get into it quicker.
So now you must go find your geeks. Go! Go, go, go!
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### Author:  [@CCYMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCYMan)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/13 "2003-04-02T14:56:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SumLurker \*
> \*\*I think what it boils down to for me personally is fear. Yep, i’m afraid of rejection. It’s the story of my life, really. I avoid confilct at all cost, and go out of my way to keep myself from a situation where someone has a chance to make fun of me, or whatnot.
>
> This is a sucky way to go through life. So, what i intend to do with this post, it come out of hiding basically. I want to be more expressive. I want people to laugh at my witticisms. I want to make friends. I want to stand up for what i believe, and not be afraid to discuss it for fear of appearing different.\*\*
HA-HA! WHAT A LOSER! MAN, ARE YOU EVER _DIFFERENT_!
😉
(oh come on, someone had to be a smartass and say it. See my post count to appreciate the irony)
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### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/14 "2003-04-02T15:55:42Z")
I reject **Sum Lurker** and all his empty promises.
O.K., I don’t really, I’m actually quite glad you’ve decided to join in the fun. Welcome to the Board.
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### Author:  [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/15 "2003-04-02T16:05:04Z")
that is a nice OP for a lurker. 🙂
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### Author:  [@beegirl13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beegirl13)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/16 "2003-04-02T16:13:55Z")
Yay, someone else has joined me in the light! I posted a lot less until a month or so ago, now I post as much as three or four times a week! Sure, the high post count members are laughing hysterically at that statement, but go at your own pace. I might even post more if I wasn’t bogged down with pages and pages of 20th century Spanish literature right now. Welcome to the boards, \*\* SumLurker\*\*!
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### Author:  [@beegirl13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beegirl13)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/17 "2003-04-02T16:15:28Z")
Argh! The one time my sig was relavent to the conversation, I forgot to post it! :smack:
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### Author:  [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/18 "2003-04-02T16:25:58Z")
Hey **Sum**! As a fellow lurker I say good on ya! I certainly don’t have the nerve to start my own thread, but I’ll tag along with yours if you don’t mind.
I’ve been lurking for over a year, and finally had a question I HAD to ask, so I registered last month, and now look I’ve got three whole posts! I think I’m going to follow the “start with baby steps” philosophy on this and take it slow. But, you go dude! (or dudette, as the case may be)
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### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/19 "2003-04-02T17:13:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by beegirl13 \*
> **Yay, someone else has joined me in the light! I posted a lot less until a month or so ago, now I post as much as three or four times a week! Sure, the high post count members are laughing hysterically at that statement, but go at your own pace. I might even post more if I wasn’t bogged down with pages and pages of 20th century Spanish literature right now. Welcome to the boards, \*\* SumLurker**! \*\*
At five in the afternoon.
It was exactly five in the afternoon.
A boy brought the white sheet
at five in the afternoon.
A frail of lime ready prepared
at five in the afternoon.
The rest was death, and death alone.
Now get back to work!!!
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### Author:  [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mind-of-a-lurker/165931/20 "2003-04-02T17:45:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SumLurker \*
> \*\*I think what it boils down to for me personally is fear. Yep, i’m afraid of rejection. It’s the story of my life, really. I avoid confilct at all cost, and go out of my way to keep myself from a situation where someone has a chance to make fun of me, or whatnot. \*\*
One of the good things about this board is that you can avoid the conflict threads and just do the polls or MPSIMS, like you just did! Congrats on “coming out.” 🆒
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