I don’t know if this thread will work out or not so it will be no big deal if we just let it die, but…
This thread is for people who are major CREEPERS. [COLOR=Black]AKA Lurkers.
You have been reading threads in the community for months or maybe even years and you rarely or never comment. You are a member but you find yourself not willing to comment despite your interest in whats being said.
This thread is for YOU! Show yourself, and explain why you are what you are… a [COLOR=DarkRed]CREEPER[COLOR=Black].
Generally called ‘lurkers’ and such threads have occasionally worked in the past, I see no reason why this one might not unearth us another valuable poster or two.
Ok much better… but of course I didn’t mean the tone of this post to be how you took it. I will be sure to use more emoticons next time.
I was a creeper for a long time on the bikeforums.net. I can say that it was probably because many of the posters on there (especially the Roadies) were hardcore elitist. Maybe I should say clicky, but either way I felt like anything I said would be corrected with force.
I understood what you meant. I knew you were just being silly (a trait I admire). But nevertheless, creeper sounds too much like creep (you were inviting people to say “Hi, I’m ____ and I’m a creep”). Even the word lurker seems creepy – like a guy lurking around the lady’s room or the playground. Peeping Tom? Voyeur? None of these words describes someone who simply chooses not to post.
I can’t think of a neutral word, that’s why I said “people who read but never post”.
You pose an interesting question: why do people not post? Privacy concerns? Shyness? Something else?
A most excellent and insightful first post! And I love your signature.
Do you read the forums often? Have you gotten to know some of us by reading our posts? It just occurred to me that if you read without posting, in a certain sense, it’s like watching a TV show*. You can tune in to be entertained or informed. And in the process, you get to know the cast of characters. I used to lurk in a few Usenet newsgroups years ago (not unicycling). I got to know the main posters through their writings. But I never posted, mostly due to privacy concerns. It’s interesting to be in the opposite situation now. I’m glad I’m posting now. Some wonderful friendships have developed as a result.
or maybe a radio talk show or a newspaper or magazine with columns by regular contributors
Edit: I used to lurk on the Amiga forums on BIX, also. Anybody remember BIX?
I’ve been unicycling for just over a year, and started lurking here a few weeks before I got my uni.
You guys have been great, and if I’ve ever needed any information, a search always turned up some good answers. Recently, I’ve been coming here every day and reading posts. And yes, I have gotten to know some of the people here. I’ve never really thought of it as a TV show, but now that I think of it, I suppose it is a little like that. All users have a particular style in how they post, you get to know who will inject a little sanity into a thread, and who will probably make me laugh, or who posts in a style that you remember.
Hmm, let’s see… I’m thinking of someone that takes some brilliant photographs, and can be relied upon to tell people off for making non-descriptive thread titles, and reminding people to back up their files. No prizes for guessing who. Or, someone who, though no longer a teen, can get away with acting like one, and who’s unicycling movies make me laugh by doing things like riding his uni into Wal-Mart. Or say, someone who often colour codes his answers to questions, but lives in a different state than I am in.
Or, someone who, though no longer a teen, can get away with acting like one, 
and who’s unicycling movies make me laugh by doing things like riding his uni into Wal-Mart. Or say, someone who often colour codes his answers to questions, but lives in a different state than I am in.