Editing Lurker (section)

==History==
Since the beginning of [[computer-mediated communication]] lurking has been a concern for community members.<ref name=rafaeli04>{{cite conference|vauthors=Rafaeli S, Ravid G, Soroka V |title=De-lurking in virtual communities: a social communication network approach to measuring the effects of social and cultural capital|conference=Proceedings of the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences|year=2004}}</ref> The term "lurk" can be traced back to when it was first used during the 14th century.<ref name=merriamwebster>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Lurker Definition| date=6 March 2025 |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lurker?show=0&t=1353346917|dictionary=Merriam Webster}}</ref> The word referred to someone who would hide in concealment, often for an evil purpose. In the mid-1980s, the word started to be applied to the Internet when [[bulletin board system]]s became popular. The bulletin boards were accessed through a single phone line that users would call to upload files and post comments to share with the community.<ref name=nguyen>{{cite web|title=Hacking-Lexicon / Linux Dictionary V 0.16|last=Nguyen|first=Binh|url=http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Dictionary/html/index.html|publisher=Hacking-Lexicon / Linux Dictionary V 0.16}}</ref> It was expected that those using the system and consuming resources would contribute. Because lurkers would keep the phone line busy for extended periods of time without contributing anything, they were often viewed negatively and would be barred by the [[Sysop|system operator]] who managed the BBS.

Today, lurkers are viewed both positively and negatively. In many communities lurkers are still seen as free-riders.<ref name=nonnecke06>{{cite journal| title = Non-public and public online community participation: needs, attitudes and behavior| author = Nonnecke B. |author2=Andrews D. |author3=Preece, J.| year = 2006| journal = Electronic Commerce| volume = 6| issue = 1| pages= 7–20| doi=10.1007/s10660-006-5985-x| citeseerx = 10.1.1.457.5320 | s2cid = 21006597 }}</ref> They are perceived as a drain on the [[public goods]] since they "take without giving back." However, some communities encourage [[newbie]]s to lurk.<ref name=jensen11>{{cite conference|author=Jensen, C. |author2=King, S. |author3=Kuechler, V. | title=Joining Free/Open Source Software Communities: An Analysis of Newbies' First Interactions on Project Mailing Lists| year=2011 | conference=Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences}}</ref>
By lurking, newbies can learn more about the culture of the community, understand the community's [[Norm (social)|social norms]], and become familiar with the key members of the community.<ref name=nonnecke00a>{{cite thesis |degree= Doctoral |title=Lurking in email-based discussion lists |publisher=South Bank University | author = Nonnecke B. | year = 2006}}</ref> Lurkers are also viewed positively in present-day communities because they provide an audience for the mass media.<ref name=rafaeli04 /> The presence of lurkers is often the justification for receiving [[Online advertising|advertising support]].

Lurkers are often hard to track in computer-mediated communities.<ref name=rafaeli04 /> Because they are not posting and mostly just read content, they leave behind few traces that can be tracked. In [[open source]] project communities, it is estimated that at any point in time, 50% to 90% of the community may be lurkers.<ref name=zhang01>{{cite conference | year = 2001 |author=Zhang, W. |author2=Storck, J. | conference = Americas Conference on Information Systems | title = Peripheral members in online communities }}</ref> Depending on the community, this may be consistent with the [[1% rule (Internet culture)|90-9-1 principle]].