Lurking: A Defense Of

When I logged in to NS a few moments ago after months away, I was appalled to discover that my fandom privileges are limited by my participation in the community.

Let's just take a look at that, shall we? [I]Fandom[I] privileges. My right to read fanfiction is based on my willingness (or ability) to talk to strangers? I understand that authors in this fandom might have rational, understandable arguments for desiring more feedback from their readers. I understand, as an author, that hearing from one's
readers is one of the most gratifying parts of the writing experience. But to demand, to require, that people who are only peripherally interested in this fandom, who only really read maybe a fifth of what is published—most of which was written a long time ago—be active in some other way just to have the capacity to return and reread a favorite from long ago?

It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.

Hi curi,

This policy wasn't implemented as any kind of punishment, but rather as a way to try and encourage users to be more active and, and in the case of fanfiction, which most of the users are here for, to give feedback.

You can still leave feedback/reviews on the older completed stories, it doesn't matter where you post :)

The admins don't want us to leave. At most, they're just reminding people that this is an active community. I was marked as a lurker once, and that doesn't bother, because i haven't been very active. I didn't see it as a punishment or even as a strategy to drive us away. I write fanfics and I know how difficult it is for an author to write a story and not having some sort of response from the readers. It really kills your muse.

It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.[/QUOTE]

Well said curi.

Thanks for summing it up curi! I'm in the same boat as haven't logged on in forever...thanks.

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Originally Posted by curi

But to demand, to require, that people who are only peripherally interested in this fandom, who only really read maybe a fifth of what is published—most of which was written a long time ago—be active in some other way just to have the capacity to return and reread a favorite from long ago?

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I completely respect that you're upset by the policy, and I think that the above is an important issue so I wanted to add my thoughts.

I agree that some people might wander in and out of this part of fandom and so, for them, it's not something they participate in to much extent and it might feel more like a burden to have to make a post every time that they come back around. But for some, who have been an active part of this community, the realization that it's been so long since they've posted or the welcome back they receive from friendly faces after posting again actually has helped to draw them back into the community in some ways.

The thing is that I can sympathize with you that it may be an inconvenience for some people passing through, but the fact is that keeping the community active is important because a dead community usually leads to an offlined site. And so while I definitely understand that there are people who come by occasionally to read some of their favorite fics, if the site is gone then they're not going to get to do that. So keeping the community going, even in a very small part once a year or so, benefits all of us, even those that rarely drop in.

~Sarah~

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Originally Posted by curi

Let's just take a look at that, shall we? [I]Fandom[I] privileges. My right to read fanfiction is based on my willingness (or ability) to talk to strangers?

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I have always thought the idea behind a community like this is to get to know other people through the shared bond of fandom. We may be strangers but we all have come here to enjoy some Lex and Chloe so don't be warded off from posting because if anyone is going to understand how you feel on the pairing its the people in this community.

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Originally Posted by curi

It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.

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The idea behind the post does in no way make you sign up for a long term commitment. The policy states you can post any where to get your privileges back. So you can leave for a month come back with one post and read to your hearts content.

Administration just wants to keep the site a live and well. I think its something people that stop in everyday and lurkers want. To keep N~S alive! Please don't see it as a means of punishment.

I think the key word here is "community". We aren't just a repository of stories such as ff.net where you can leave feedback if you want but where the sense of "family" is lost because the objective isn't bonding or sharing with fellow shippers or members of a fandom.

NS is more than a place to read and post fiction, though the fanfiction subforum is undoubtedly the most popular and one of its main attractions. We're a family and to keep communication flowing, to keep it growing and for it to stay healthy we need participation. Lack of input and sharing in a community is like having a meal with your parents and siblings with the TV on- you watch, you read , your alleged "family" is there but it might as well not be present. You're a member in name. And let's face it, lack of bonding and communication means death to family/community life.

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Originally Posted by letia84

I think its something people that stop in everyday and lurkers want. To keep N~S alive! Please don't see it as a means of punishment.

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I come in every day and I don't want it. I'm posting this because I need to in order not to become a lurker. I just typed up a post, hit the wrong freaking button and lost it all. I'm not going to say it all again except to say that I don't read fic anymore, therefore I don't feedback and that's mostly where my posts come from. I, like most of you, are busy with life and writing and other fandoms, therefore, I don't want to be forced to come in here and post just to have the privilege to read threads every 30 days.

I know people keep saying you can choose which thread you want to post on and blah, blah, but that's not the point. The point is that forcing participation and forcing people to be more active, is not going to make them so. I've been here for years, participation goes up and down, mine does as well, but this new rule hasn't changed things. It did for the first few weeks or month that the new rule was instated, but as always happens, that died down.

Forcing people to do something is not a good way to inspire them to be sociable.

I'm only posting this, as I said above, because I need to before I'm knocked down to lurker status. Then I'll go back to not saying anything unless a thread or post really inspires me to speak up.

I've been for the lurker rule ever since Julie implemented it. Up until recently though (the last month or so), I'd been fairly active here (not as much as I should've been, but I posted on any threads that interested me and tried to be a part of the community at large). Now, however, I'm simply too busy with other pursuits to do more than check the site for PM's, and I stand the very real risk of being delegated to lurker status (and probably would've been sometime in the next couple of days if I hadn't replied to this thread).

So, have I changed my mind on the rule? Considering that six weeks from now I might get the urge to read an old favorite, but I'll probably be prevented from doing so? No. I still think it's a good idea for the most part and I don't think the requirements to regain full member priviliges are all that difficult to meet.

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We may be strangers but we all have come here to enjoy some Lex and Chloe so don't be warded off from posting because if anyone is going to understand how you feel on the pairing its the people in this community.

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I'm going to speak up here and say something that I had avoided bringing up for the past few months.

Yes, we are a Chlex community, and therefor, this is a safe place to come and discuss the pairing (and the characters individually) without worrying about what people may think. However, we are not a very Lana/Lois/Clark-friendly environment, and someone who is a big fan of one or more of those characters may not feel comfortable in becoming an active part of the community. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I've become more of a lurker lately. I just don't feel comfortable anymore being involved in threads that, more often than not (at least in my experience), end up turning into character bashing. I'll still be here, posting stories whenever I manage to tear myself away from the original work I'm doing now and write a Chlex story, and occasionally reading someone else's story, but for the most part, I probably will not be the more active member I used to be.

-Momdaegmorgan

What truly baffles me is the fact that people like curi are fine with spending time writing a long rambly post... on the fact that they don't want to post at all? I'm fairly certain thats what we call a contradition in terms! lol

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Originally Posted by momdaegmorgan

However, we are not a very Lana/Lois/Clark-friendly environment, and someone who is a big fan of one or more of those characters may not feel comfortable in becoming an active part of the community. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I've become more of a lurker lately. I just don't feel comfortable anymore being involved in threads that, more often than not (at least in my experience), end up turning into character bashing.

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I think I have a tendency to take my dislike of various SV characters who aren't Chloe or Lex and stuff it way down inside until I get to here because I think of this place (and my live journal) as being safe havens where I can spew all of my dismay at how terribly Chloe and Lex were treated by the writers and how other characters are placed on pedestals and excused for their every mistake.

But I would never want to make anyone feel unwelcome from posting their own personal viewpoints on characters and if I have done that then I sincerely apologize.

And getting back to the “lurker status”, I do think it's important for a community to have an active membership and I think that’s all the posting rule is trying to promote.

I don't have much of a defense of being a former Lurker...

RL got in the way for while which stopped me from visiting the site, but even before that I was lazy...in that I read many of the wonderful stories created here but didn't leave a review or comment. Which is something I intend to change; as people spend time to create the stories that I enjoy and I think the least I can do is spend a minute to give a few comments on it; so from here on out I intend to do my best!

xx Damaged

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Originally Posted by momdaegmorgan

I'm going to speak up here and say something that I had avoided bringing up for the past few months.

Yes, we are a Chlex community, and therefor, this is a safe place to come and discuss the pairing (and the characters individually) without worrying about what people may think. However, we are not a very Lana/Lois/Clark-friendly environment, and someone who is a big fan of one or more of those characters may not feel comfortable in becoming an active part of the community. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I've become more of a lurker lately. I just don't feel comfortable anymore being involved in threads that, more often than not (at least in my experience), end up turning into character bashing.

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I think this is a very interesting and valid point both in conjunction with and independent of the recent participation standards. I know that my own posts have occasionally slipped into that character bashing trend. Much as I dislike what the show has done with some characters, it's important to put that into perspective so we can keep this a place where many people feel welcome and included.

I really don't see what the big deal is. I've been busy and haven't been reading as much as I would like. I very easily get lurker status. That doesn't stop me from posting a comment so that I can read.

On that note, now that I am de-lurked with this comment. I'm off to read some Back from the Dead by Lexie :)

I agree with Curi's comments.

And here we go round again. Some time has past and I know my participation hasn't wavered but it has changed. I'm not reading as much fanfiction as I used to. I don't know if that's me or the community. It's probably me, but I have noticed the stories I used to read and used to be updated somewhat regularly haven't been updated. This participation from those writers being down could be because of lack of interest in the show as it was this way before the new rule. Those writers who use to participate could have longed moved on and never be coming back. Then again it could be because people have lives and are not as active, I have a somewhat half-life, and I haven't done much fanfiction lately.

I have noticed the increase in complaints of the Clark & Lois characters recently. In fact, I have participated in them a lot. It pretty much accounts for what I am posting these days. And I say that's because of where the show is going and people have complaints, we've always had these complaints, and we like this place because other people share these complaints and they will listen. It's no fun to rant if no one will listen, and rarely any fun if no one will agree. So as one of the few places that allow the comments against characters, writers and show that I tend to agree with and allow me to let that frustration out and not keep it in and drive myself crazy, I'm not going to apologize. I'd just as easily read comments in favor of those things. I may not agree. I may not comment, but I'd never hate you for saying it, and I certainly wouldn't want my comments to be the reason to drive you away. But if there was a rule telling me I can't complain about the show anymore, that would drive me away faster than anything else. Petty? Hell yeah. Going to change? Not likely. But please feel free to make your comments in appreciation for whatever characters you wish because I love hearing both sides, and there is always a chance that it could melt my cold, hard heart.

So what was the point of this post? I don't know if this is going to change anything. I don't know if it will bring anyone back. I just know I'm sad, and I'm not reading like I used to, and I want to come back and love this 'ship like I once did, but I don't know when that will happen. I just hope this place is still here when I do.

I just wanted to add my own belief that I don't see the lurker policy as a punishment, but to make us more active as a place for Chlex love and goodness. I admit, I don't post as often as I used to, basically because I've fallen off SV since Lex left and Lois came on, and because of RL, but I forget how much I love the people that post here, people that have been with me since day one of the Chlex fixation and new ones I'm meeting for the first time. This site has always been a haven for me, even when I don't visit as often, but knowing the people here are connecting and posting, and engaging in keeping Chlex alive in some form is a huge draw for me to both come back and to post. And while I admit to probably leaning into character bashing now and then (because I have such strong opinions), I apologize for anyone that might have made uncomfortable, I don't mean to, but like someone else mentioned, I guess I see this place as a haven of sorts.

So I guess what I'm saying is that through posting, I'd like to get to hear from and know people like Curi, or other lurkers, who hopefully would find this community so welcome and active that they WANT to post and to connect. I hope they'd read and respond to fanfiction as well because they were moved, or confused, or annoyed, or emotive of some sort and needed a way to express it. That to me is what I see the posting issue related to -- not a punishment, but a way of getting to know each other better, getting more response and posting of good Chlex fix to get us through the seasons long drought, and keeping this community alive and kicking. Because I don't know what I'd do without one place on this monster we call the Internet where I can comment on the diabolical loveliness of Lex, the journalistic brilliance of Chloe, and the star-crossed romance of Chlex.

And my own vow is made to post more and become more active, because, let's face it, we Chlexers need to stick together and I can't think of a better "gatherer" than N-S.net.

SaraC

OK. I'll share my thoughts. Real life sometimes really takes charge and you can't spend time encouraging people or talking. I'll just tell how I felt. I could steal a few minutes to myself ( like it was said before - a personal heaven time?) and I decided to read old favs and check what have I been missing. Really, I had five minutes. This is a community for people around the world , and honestly not all of us have english as our first language and tha makes us spend lots of time thinking if we're expressing ourselves correctly, if we are not using unintentional bashing words, and finding encouraging messages. Not all of us are english teachers, OK? I spent MY fiive minutes having to post to regain a status. How I felt? I guess I said it all. I love some of you(writers), I've been around for some time, but I'm not sure I want to spend my whole personal time proofing what I'm writing to make sure I'm not offending anyone because I'm obliged to post even if I don't have the time. I think if there were more initiatives like Cy made we would be around more often than by this kind of rules. I tried to take part on that. Sorry if it offended anyone, mispelled anything, but now I do have to go. Without any Chlex.

All right, I think I'm going to close this thread now. Seems like both sides have been able to express their opinions on the lurker policy. And I've said this many times before, I respect everyone's opinions, and you're all entitled to it, but I will not change this rule.

Thank you.