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

I am mostly a lurker

I occasionally post when I see a thread where I feel I have something I can add. Part of my problem is I have finished my BA and I have not decided if or what to go further with my education.

I am also trying to become an alternate route teacher in NJ and I am at the point where most of my time is just waiting th_yawn.gif ( I can't get the gif to show) for the state of NJ to approve my paperwork in 10-12 weeks.

I do feel this forum is not as friendly to newcomers and those that are just starting out on thier degree path. We tend to forget that this whole DL process can be overwhelming and confusing in the beginning.

 

Linda,

The above concerns me, and it's not the first time I've heard it stated. If you could elaborate on that, it would be really helpful, as making degreeinfo more accessible and welcoming to newcomers is something that's important to me and the rest of the admin team. The more the moderation team (and members) know about how we can make the community more welcoming to newcomers, the more we can work to make it a more inclusive place.

 

Hi Linda, thanks for sharing this insight... I hear you. In what ways, could the forum be more friendly to newcomers?

 

This is post 8 in the eight years I have been registered here, not counting the pre-registration lurking back to 2000 when I was in IT and looking for certifications. My last post before today was in 2008 I think.

My reasoning echoes some above, in that though I have a great deal of experience in online learning, unless I see something I can directly contribute, I don't post. I have always adhered to the "Too Many Cooks" school of thought when it comes to answering newbie questions, and there is such a wonderful community of practice here that most are answered sufficiently by the regulars.

From a personal perspective this discussion has been very valuable to me, whether I have posted or not. It has been partially instrumental over the years in helping me decide on and complete my MA, a certificate from CSU Hayward (Now East Bay), real estate courses at Sacramento City College, and Haz Mat classes at UC Davis. Now I am hoping that it will help me in my next career move. All the above has been primarily online. With some of these it has been best to simply lurk. The questions I had about Davis and Sac City were answered with a simple series of searches, no need to post anything.

Wonderful resource here and a great community. I would hazard a guess that many lurk to find general information that is satisfied by searching the archived discussions. Others lurk because it is just so darned entertaining.

I would argue that the discussions have become less formal and more accessible to new users over the last five years or so. Or at least that is what I have observed.

Lloyd

 

I see this too, Linda and it bugs me. One thing I see from time to time is a the poor treatment of a new user who asks a question that might irritate some of the regular users because of its naive or redundant nature. Often very rude and critical replies are posted to this new person. It's only a few who practice this, but it only takes one person to ruin the experience for another. I've had some of these people criticize me, and I'm a moderator! It's sad because we should all be on the same side.

 

Sounds like you have gotten some good information here. Glad to hear it! Congrats on your good decisions and thanks for your contribution.

 

I have been a lurker for just over three years. My reasons for not posting before are as follows:

1. Problems registering.
2. A feeling that there are “right” and “wrong” answers and if you are wrong you will be corrected hastily.
3. Similar to what Lindagerr said regarding newcomers, however from some of the comments I have read (IMO) it sometimes feels like academic elitism.

I’ll be the first to say that I don’t feel comfortable with a NA degree (let the flaming begin…), however I would like to be able to qualify my opinions with personal reasons, my professional reasons, and a friendly discussion of why NA is not right for me. It seems the ability to do this is trumped on many occasions by other members feeling that “they are being personally attacked.” Or, I must be an idiot, uneducated, ignorant, troll, etc….

However, fair being fair, because of this forum, as of December 18th, 2010 I will have completed 2 Associate Degrees and a Bachelor’s degree completely via distance education in 3 years and 3 months. Additionally, in those same 3 years I have increased my income by 50% because of said education, and lastly I already have a conditional offer to start a graduate program in January 2011. All because of the fine folks on this Board and a family that has sacrificed tremendously to see me fulfill my dreams.

Despite some threads suggesting that I am not entitled to wear the colors of these B&M schools because I did it via distance, that I am somehow ashamed to admit I completed these degrees via distance, or that I would not have been capable of accomplishing the degrees in a traditional environment (read as buying my degree vs. earning it) I still owe much thanks and gratitude to some of the “fore-fathers/mothers” on degreeinfo.

Bottom line, to come full circle, maybe it takes people 1, 3, 5, 8 years to have accomplished something via distance education before they feel that they will be accepted and what they say is credible. I know personally I have been humbled and ennobled by many folks here, so after 3 years thank you to those who have always been supportive and welcoming. I’m glad to have finally made my first “official” post.

Brez