BEDA Entry 27: Lurking the Web
I'll be the first to admit it: I'm a lurker. When I'm on YouTube, it's my first instinct to merely exit the video after it's done. While reading other people's blogs, I prefer to just read them without any interaction on my part. When I watch BlogTV live shows, I really don't care to talk in the chat room. I prefer to just to listen to the show and come and go at my convenience.
I've been an online lurker for years, I'd say. With the exception of close friends, I never left comments on the blogs I read or the videos I watched. These sites were merely one-way communication for me: The person would share and I only took in what they had to say. In recent months, this has somewhat changed for me. I decided to stop lurking and start communicating. I have forced myself to attempt to leave a meaningful comment on most videos I watch, knowing I would appreciate the same thing. I have @replied a variety of people on Twitter. With BEDA, I have attempted to leave blog comments on several different blogs. I have started talking a little bit in BlogTV chats, though I still really would rather just be a spectator. From doing this, I have actually made a handful of online buddies. People I'm subscribed to have taken notice of me and replied to me. Some have followed me on Twitter. Some have ended up being my Skype, Facebook, and Myspace friends. It's made me wonder why I remained anonymous for so long.
This whole topic made me wonder: Do I have any lurkers? Are there people who read my blogs or watch my videos and don't comment? If I do, why do they lurk? Are they people I used to know or are they people I have never met?
With the internet, it's all too easy to be anonymous. I challenge all of you to comment on a blog or a video you usually just lurk. You never know, you may make a new friend. I will do the same. Let me know if anything comes of it.
I've been an online lurker for years, I'd say. With the exception of close friends, I never left comments on the blogs I read or the videos I watched. These sites were merely one-way communication for me: The person would share and I only took in what they had to say. In recent months, this has somewhat changed for me. I decided to stop lurking and start communicating. I have forced myself to attempt to leave a meaningful comment on most videos I watch, knowing I would appreciate the same thing. I have @replied a variety of people on Twitter. With BEDA, I have attempted to leave blog comments on several different blogs. I have started talking a little bit in BlogTV chats, though I still really would rather just be a spectator. From doing this, I have actually made a handful of online buddies. People I'm subscribed to have taken notice of me and replied to me. Some have followed me on Twitter. Some have ended up being my Skype, Facebook, and Myspace friends. It's made me wonder why I remained anonymous for so long.
This whole topic made me wonder: Do I have any lurkers? Are there people who read my blogs or watch my videos and don't comment? If I do, why do they lurk? Are they people I used to know or are they people I have never met?
With the internet, it's all too easy to be anonymous. I challenge all of you to comment on a blog or a video you usually just lurk. You never know, you may make a new friend. I will do the same. Let me know if anything comes of it.