Lurker
what it means
Not an insult — most people in any online space are lurkers. "Delurking" is the moment a long-time reader finally posts something.
Someone who reads a community or watches a stream without posting or commenting.
the origin story
Usenet and early forum vocabulary from the 1980s-90s, one of the oldest surviving internet terms.
"Lurk more" was standard advice to newcomers on early forums: read before you post. The word survived the transition to streaming, where "thanks to the lurkers" is a routine acknowledgement of silent viewers.
in the wild
Shout out to the lurkers.
Been watching for two years, first message.
I've been in this forum since 2019.
Have you posted?
Once.
how to use it
- Describing silent community members
- Streaming and forum contexts
- Self-describing
- As an accusation of something sinister
- About people monitoring someone's profile, which is different
- Professionally
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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