RENAMED: Roger is bored. Do something!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I expect there were people in the room who didn't deserve to get shredded.

I rather doubt that.

In any case, I'm glad you responded.  I was beginning to feel like I was watching PD TV, where everyone views all the time, and nobody says a word.  I have never before associated being bored and lonely with an internet forum, but I am being conditioned that way by PD recently.

I am also developing a deep-seated hatred of lurkers.  Seriously.

I do when I can, sadly limited by being at work, training a moron as my replacement, and posting on my phone since the nannywall here is locked tighter than a hummingbird's twat.  (What I go through to fix typos is insane.)

It has occurred to me that, if I am reading and put the phone down to go back to the elephant dump sized pile of work I have here, it probably looks like I am lurking.  Possibly for days.

It ain't you, Luna.  You have the good grace to occasionally speak to people.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

But it's like this place has turned into television for wierdos.

Everyone wants to look at what everyone posted, but nobody wants to post.  Or even say hello.  Figures, you wouldn't say hello to the plastic people on daytime TV, would you?  And that's what we're becoming. 

If you post, you're not jabbering with the community, you're jabbering AT it, because IT'S "viewing".  You're television.  Or a fucking nook or something.  Or just a trained monkey.  Hey, check out the funny little monkey!  I wish they had little cyber hats we could throw change into.  Or a button I could click to LIKE the monkey.

But interact with the monkey?  Don't be stupid.  That would be like WORK.  I might have to THINK.  Fuck that, I'm not getting PAID for it, right?  So to hell with that, I'm gonna VIEW.  All fucking day.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Annnnnnd my rant gland has shriveled up.

[Luna]

I expect there were people in the room who didn't deserve to get shredded.

I rather doubt that.

In any case, I'm glad you responded.  I was beginning to feel like I was watching PD TV, where everyone views all the time, and nobody says a word.  I have never before associated being bored and lonely with an internet forum, but I am being conditioned that way by PD recently.

I am also developing a deep-seated hatred of lurkers.  Seriously.

I do when I can, sadly limited by being at work, training a moron as my replacement, and posting on my phone since the nannywall here is locked tighter than a hummingbird's twat.  (What I go through to fix typos is insane.)

It has occurred to me that, if I am reading and put the phone down to go back to the elephant dump sized pile of work I have here, it probably looks like I am lurking.  Possibly for days.

It ain't you, Luna.  You have the good grace to occasionally speak to people.

I try.  Mom did her best with me, anyway.

I wish I could post like I used to, but often, I read from home, and any conversations are effectively over.  Hoping the next job makes things easier.

And, I have some personal shit going down.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Let me be clear, here:  I am not referring to people who check in from work, and don't have time to do much.  I am referring to the habitual lurkers who are here every day, but can't be arsed to take part in a conversation or even say "hello".

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

[Sita]

Lurkers can be quite annoying, because if everyone is lurking then there is nothing going on.
I'm trying to get myself out of this (I have been posting more, at least it seems like it to me) but everyone here is so much better at conveying thoughts than I that it is quite intimidating.

I will admit that there have been plenty of times that I wished this forum had some equivalent of a 'like' button. But that is because it's the easy way, the safe way. Clicking a button doesn't leave a chance of being ignored or yelled at or whatever.

Let me be clear, here:  I am not referring to people who check in from work, and don't have time to do much.  I am referring to the habitual lurkers who are here every day, but can't be arsed to take part in a conversation or even say "hello".

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

So where would the best place be to say hello? I thought that was pretty much what open bar was for, but no one wants that thread back.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Lurkers can be quite annoying, because if everyone is lurking then there is nothing going on.

Precisely. Also, rants don't thrive in a vacuum.  They feed off of each other.  When not enough people are participating, it comes to an end.

I'm trying to get myself out of this (I have been posting more, at least it seems like it to me) but everyone here is so much better at conveying thoughts than I that it is quite intimidating.

Lots of people won't go to the gym for the same reason.  They're all flabby and the people there are all muscled and they'll feel intimidated.  What they don't know is that - much like here - most gym rats will try to encourage people to participate.  We do not demand Faulkner or Fitzgerald; we ask only participation.  The technical quality will come with time, just as the physical condition will come with time to a person who sucks it up and actually goes to the gym.

So where would the best place be to say hello? I thought that was pretty much what open bar was for, no one wants that thread back.

I'd say the best place would be in a thread that's caught your interest.  There's nothing more disheartening than to post a rant or an article and then see 200 views and no responses.

[Placid Dingo]

The change I made was to post replies to high quality work expressing the equivalent to 'good' even if I felt it wasn't an adequate response. I had nothing worth saying to Nigels dad thread but at least ny putting it out there that I found it was great I got some ideas rolling, loosened up my own thoughts and turned a one off post into something that felt like a discussion.

[Luna]

Lurkers can be quite annoying, because if everyone is lurking then there is nothing going on.
I'm trying to get myself out of this (I have been posting more, at least it seems like it to me) but everyone here is so much better at conveying thoughts than I that it is quite intimidating.

I will admit that there have been plenty of times that I wished this forum had some equivalent of a 'like' button. But that is because it's the easy way, the safe way. Clicking a button doesn't leave a chance of being ignored or yelled at or whatever.

Let me be clear, here:  I am not referring to people who check in from work, and don't have time to do much.  I am referring to the habitual lurkers who are here every day, but can't be arsed to take part in a conversation or even say "hello".

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

So where would the best place be to say hello? I thought that was pretty much what open bar was for, but no one wants that thread back.

Anywhere, Sita.  Like this.

Find an opening, and fill it.

Yeah, some of these guys are intimidating as hell... but, I swear, almost NONE of them can actually reach through the inter.net to bite you.  (I am not sure about GIGGLES.)

Will some of 'em do it verbally?  Maybe.  I have phrased things badly and gotten chewed for it...  I'm learning to do it better.

Practice.   

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The change I made was to post replies to high quality work expressing the equivalent to 'good' even if I felt it wasn't an adequate response. I had nothing worth saying to Nigels dad thread but at least ny putting it out there that I found it was great I got some ideas rolling, loosened up my own thoughts and turned a one off post into something that felt like a discussion.

EXACTLY.  THIS ^^^

Nobody is expecting Shakespeare, here.  The idea is to have conversations, not an E-Zine.

[Luna]

The change I made was to post replies to high quality work expressing the equivalent to 'good' even if I felt it wasn't an adequate response. I had nothing worth saying to Nigels dad thread but at least ny putting it out there that I found it was great I got some ideas rolling, loosened up my own thoughts and turned a one off post into something that felt like a discussion.

EXACTLY.  THIS ^^^

Nobody is expecting Shakespeare, here.  The idea is to have conversations, not an E-Zine.

My response in that thread, if I recall, was nothing more brilliant than, "wow."

Lurking lets your brain idle.  Run it through its paces once in awhile.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

But lurking is how new people don't get their faces eaten!

[Luna]

But lurking is how new people don't get their faces eaten!

Nope.  Not being asshats is how new people don't get their faces eaten.

New people learning the ropes isn't the issue, I suspect, it's the ones who have done little but lurk for a long time.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

What's even worse than lurkers is people who won't acknowledge someone because they feel a rivalry, or because they're nursing some ancient stern damage.

I mean, this is the fucking internet, right?  Even *I* get over my butthurt in fairly short order, and as far as rivalry goes, just exactly how much are we being PAID for this?

The FUNNY ones - to me, personally - are the ones who disapprove of my (or someone else's, same thing) attitude or beliefs.  The person in question (me, usually), is the WRONG KIND OF DISCORDIAN, and any encouragement would RUIN IT ALL FOREVER.

And the very funniest part of THAT is that they think they're not being obvious about it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

But lurking is how new people don't get their faces eaten!

Actually, being civil is how people don't get their faces eaten.

Lurking is no different than sitting in front of the teevee.