How to NOT lurk???

Find one topic you're interested in. Watch it. reply.

Find a second topic. Repeat

etc. to the time restraints you have

Like Kateness said.

I don't know if it's a useful thing, but I have "joined" a couple of game threads.

Some time ago I was in the UNSCRAMBLE THAT WORD game and did it for a while and "met" some interesting and very funny people. Some of us exchange writing we've done and crit the stuff. Even after that, we're still friends.

Recently joined the Count to a million game. I know it's ridiculous but I have found the exchanges, limited as they are, to be fun. And who knows what might happen. I have already read some of the other contributors shared work and it's great. Maybe I'll get to share with some of them.

It's something a shy person can do to ease themselves into a broader experience.

FWIW

-

send me money

It's all done with mirrors.

Don't worry, just post a bit here and there. You'll soon find you have no waking time for anything else.
Resistance is futile.

I see some old schoolers with thousands and thousands (and thousands!!!) of posts, comments in every thread...how do you do that?!?

Click to expand...

It's called 'I don't shut up IRL either'.

darlinglauren said:

As a lurker for several years, I decided to actually participate. Hopefully it'll encourage me to write. There are lots of great people here and I enjoy the conversations.

The problem? I keep lurking! There's soooo much here. Keeping tabs on the different topics takes hours. I haven't had any questions (until now), and may already agree with input in a post. Or I get stuck in a web of threads, following links to other posts within a post, before returning.

I see some old schoolers with thousands and thousands (and thousands!!!) of posts, comments in every thread...how do you do that?!? And there are some quick responses, too!

I want to get to know everyone and participate, but it may be a slow process. I apologize now. *deep bow*

Please share your forum secrets! Help me break the lurker habit. In return, you will receive the candy of your choice. Mmmm. Candy...

Click to expand...

quit your job.

IdiotsRUs said:

It's called 'I don't shut up IRL either'.

Click to expand...

Now this is a good answer.

I suppose I'm a bit talkative in real life, too. You'd have to ask my husband.


But of course he doesn't usually listen to me when I'm talking to him, so if you ask him he'll just nod and say, "Yes, she talks a lot."

I'm way past a bit talkative. Especially if I'm on a manic. My Old Man recently got back in touch with his first GF. We all met up for a drink, and she is so much like me it's scary (mental health problems too, as it appears all his exes have lol. Either he likes them nutty or he sends them nutty)

Poor OM didn't get a word in edgeways for three hours. *snicker*

Find a random post.

Derail it.

Viola. Postage.

Eat a large helping of Eggplant every day...

...It gives you magical posting powers














** Consult your physician if you experience dizziness, heart palpitations, blurred vision, nausea, leg cramps, constipation, nosebleeds, insomnia, suicidal thoughts or sexay dreams that last for more than 4 hours **

All kidding aside, if you set your AW up so you come to the main page and hit 'new posts' you will get the ones that have been added to since you were last here. You will find that you can clean up the way you view a thread by doing the tools on the page to read just the posts.

When I come here I just hit new posts and glance down through the titles to see if I am interested in reading said posts. After reading the post I just back out of the room and go on down the line.

I read a great many but do not reply to them. It also depends on how often you come in. If I miss a day or so, then I have like 10+ pages to browse through. If I come in a couple of times a day I only have maybe 3-6 pages.

If you only want to read certain topics you can narrow down your views by going to bottom of main page and clicking on the 'forum jump'. Pick the area you want to view and go for it.

I know this all may not make a lot of sense but once you get it set up it is pretty fast to view. Best wishes.

Lavern08 said:

Eat a large helping of Eggplant every day...

...It gives you magical posting powers














** Consult your physician if you experience dizziness, heart palpitations, blurred vision, nausea, leg cramps, constipation, nosebleeds, insomnia, suicidal thoughts or sexay dreams that last for more than 4 hours **

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, and don't forget the PHENTERMINE!

CACTUSWENDY said:

All kidding aside

Click to expand...

Pffft, you're no fun. We're teaching by example.

Lauren,

I joined in 2007, lurked for around 3 years, and started posting this July. Once you get involved, it's difficult to get uninvolved. So, that's my advice- get involved.

Yeah. I joined in 2005. And some people joined like last year and have 100000 times more posts than I do.

I'm not social in any other place than online.

**silenty judges lurkers**

Thread subscriptions, I'm subscribed to all threads I post in, but some that interest me I will subscribe just to keep updated in reading, and maybe at some point post a response.
Thread games...guilty!
Thread pubs/bars/groups...guilty!
Threads that are repetitive or daily (What song are you listening to?, Last "thing" you wrote?...)...guilty!
Threads there to keep me from writing...Epitome of Guiltiness!
Threads I can relieve my "need to help people" complex...guilty!

Come visit Jed's Super-Dooper Traditional Irish Pub! We'll help get you out of your funk...seriously...

I log on to AW every morning after checking my email, and look for new threads at the sections I frequent. If I feel that I can genuinely contribute to the thread, I post. If other people have expressed the same opinion or given the same advice and have done it well, I find it pointless, unless a) I want to add something or b) I find a post to be worth "thissing" (upon when I actually this it )

I've recently started welcoming new members because it felt good when others welcomed me eight nine months ago. It's nice.

Oh. And my experience after both stalking and posting led me to be very cautious about participating at the politics & current affairs section. If you've been lurking for a while, you probably know why.

Overall, feel free to give advice you feel confident about, share your experience, ask questions and express your opinions. Try not to read to much into posts (guilty of that one in the past), not to take things personally, and not to sweat over convincing someone that simply doesn't want to be convinced, and you'll be fine.