Why do so many lurk here at Degree Info and do not post?

I'm surprised to learn of the disproportionately high number of people who just read posts here on this great site and do not participate in the discussions. I'm sure that many of the folks that just read (lurk) here have many great things they could contribute. Why do you think they are reluctant to participate? If you are a lurker, sign up and answer my question.

I would like to encourage anyone who lurks this site to sign up and contribute to the conversations. It's free and we don't bite...uh, well most of us don't.

 

What about us that are sorta lurkers... ?

 

Nah, you're not a lurker, you're an occasional participant!

 

Not a lurker either, but I'd assume for the majority of people it's just not a lot of fun to discuss school options all day.

Two other reasons:

1. Our smileys stink.
2. We can't add cool avatars to our profiles.

Okay, not really, but I thought it was a great opportunity to mention it. Think about cool it would be if everyone had their favorite school's banner next to their postings.

 

I'm not sure why I don't post a lot, honestly, even though I know a great deal about online education. I guess, to be frank, some of the discussions are simply not something that intrigue me. I probably should be more open to posting and discussing, as I could probably be of some help in some regard, I just haven't been.

I'll try to be better about it and see what I can do.

 

+1 (Add smiley here if they worked when you click on them)

 

Michael, those who lurk do so for a reason. You have those from online schools who check occasionally to see what is being said about their school. Others visit to get information about schools of interests, and a few are just here to cause problems as well as wage their "degrees from online schools will never be good for anything" Jihad.

Also, maybe you should start posting those thought provoking questions again Michael. Like the ones your posted about a month or so ago. Some of us are interested in specific topics or areas of study. It seems there are more discussions regarding DL doctorates, which many lurkers may not be interested.

 

I don't post that often, but I like to check the forum to see if any new programs that interest me come along. I'm slowly working on the pre-reqs for a graduate engineering program, and I'm always looking for new options in that arena. I think the reason so many people read this board is due to very many resourceful, and sometimes entertaining, posters here.

 

The irony of this thread is that in times past a person would post with a question and the most immediate response was "Use the search function". Now it seems we have come full circle. I only post because I get paid for it...doesn't everybody?

 

In my experiance with forums mostly a local fishing forum, people use them for info and social reasons. The people that post the most, use it for the social aspects. Facebook has put a dent into forums, as people tend to prefer to socialize with people that they might actually know.

 

Yes, I'm also getting tired of talking about DL doctorates. I have learned a lot from the discussions though.

 

Yes, Facebook has put a dent into many forums. The problem with it is that people, at least many of my FB friends, talk about such inane things that it bores me to tears. I have little interest.

For example:
Quote from someone on my FB: "We went out to dinner last night. My wife had steak but I don't like steak, I ate pasta" OR "Here's a picture of the clouds by my house" OR "Jane just planted potatoes in Farmville"

Yawwwnn!! Boooriing!

 

I agree. FB is incredibly boring. I've caught up with some old friends, which is nice, but otherwise I don't see the point. Maybe I'm just anti-social!

 

I have seen this many times before, someone makes a forum post and the first response is "your an idiot".

Im not saying that this is a problem with this forum, but forums in general.

Instead of saying use the search forum, I have suggested a thread to someone where a "book" had been writen on the answer.

I ask questions on a Marine engine repair forum all the time, and I understand that the answers usually come back as cocky and sometimes quite rude. I just roll with it as I know that for some reason about 10 marine mechanics around the US are visting daily on that forum ready to answer about 100 questions a day. They know the value of their answers, and Im sure they provide that volume of info for various reasons, one being their ego.

I belong to a Fishing forum that has all but died since facebook came along. We had about 50-100 members that posted regularly and over 10K members.
The site had about 40 members that actually used the site to become close friends after we started having meet and greets at local watering holes. When those 40 members all became facebook friends, and started socializing there, the forum died.

Forums are very interesting since a person creates an image of themselves by their writings and volume of writings.

 

You can ask the question the other way around. Would the people who post still be posting if the only ones who read their posts were fellow posters?

The situation is similar to talk radio where millions of people listen and only a few thousand people call in. But it’s the attraction of being heard by a large audience that motivates the callers to call in.

 

Facebook makes me want to eat my own face. That doesn't even make sense, that's how much Facebook annoys me.

I prefer the company of strangers.

 

So true. It seems that a few people have some sort of ego they are supporting by their condescending and nasty responses to others. This seems to be apparent especially to newbies who ask questions that are honest, but maybe uninformed in some way.

I have always wondered what kind of person it is who is so nasty on a bulletin board. Are they the same people who are aggressive person? Or, are they people who might be shy or frustrated in person and take it out by typing aggressive things on a BB?

 

I think aggression in a forum comes from the freedom anonymity and a social arena with few external consequences. I bet some of the biggest internet trolls are probably decent people in real life. Just like serial killers can seem like decent folks... until they stab you and eat your face. (I don't know what's with the eating face comments in this thread.)