Are You Lurking or Participating

Are You Lurking or Participating Are you a lurker?   I guess I should define the term to be sure you know what I mean.   According to Wikipedia: In Internet culture, a lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive system, but rarely or never participates actively. Research indicates that lurkers make up over 90% of online groups (Nonnecke Preece 2000). Lack of trust represents one of the reasons explaining lurking behavior (Ridings, Gefen Arinze 2006). Is it a lack of trust that prevents you from engaging? Spam, violation of your privacywhat is preventing you from participating? Why should you bother? Trust Agents and Crush It, two amazing books Ive recently read, reference lurking. It is, according to them, a good first step to take when exploring new tools. So, theres nothing wrong in getting the lay of the land.   Figuring out whos active and how they are active in the groups you are newly part of is pretty smart.   However, at some point, once youve figured it out, you need to participate. Participating means commenting and sharing.   Why is this important? Creates an awareness of you Demonstrates knowledge/expertise I moderate a LinkedIn group exclusively for job seekers who have completed a job search training program.   There are over 500 members.   The majority of them do not participate. Perhaps it is lack of trust or maybe they dont know that they can share news or add discussions. I am also part of a Yahoo Group which is extremely active. People regularly post information.   But you know what?   It is a clunky tool.   It is email based, it is difficult to find user profile information.   Yahoo groups were wonderful when they were first invented, but weve come so far. (Sorry, got sidetracked). Members of this group lurk too.   The majority dont participate.   When they do participate, they have been encouraged to introduce themselves.   They post a long boring resume-type message. If you are ready to stop lurking, then begin posting information that is on brand. You can do this in any of the groups you belong to or tools you use (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter)   What I mean is, if you are an Electrical Engineer, share an article, news or link that would help other electrical engineers. Look for ways to help others. Instead of introducing yourself begin by participating!   Your reputation will precede you (if done correctly).