On the poll: are " don't change anything" and "more threads will dilute" meant to be complementary or opposing positions? "Check one" implies, to me, that the three possible answers should be mutually exclusive, or at least clearly differentiated.

I'm going to delurk to say that the only person who can disenfranchise a lurker is the lurker herself. As long as I'm registered, I can vote. Unless you change that rule to include only active posters, I'm not voiceless unless I choose to be. Some people are trying to be very polite by worrying about the lurkers, but you shouldn't, in my opinion. There are ways we can make ourselves heard if we want to be and if we choose not to use those ways, that's nobody else's fault.

And if we lurkers get disgruntled about board changes and go away, no one will ever know because we weren't participating in the first place. And who knows, maybe that will free some shy lurker to find a new home somewhere else. (Quick, stop me before I start quoting, "If you love something, set it free.")

It is mildly intimidating to read the "Newbies, grr" attitudes that pop up occasionally, but I understand that reaction completely. Other people have cooties. Not you, you're fabulous. Those other other people! You're so fabulous, I'd love to know more about you but I can't subscribe to Natter or Bitches because I've lurked long enough for you to become Real, and reading N/B feels like eavesdropping.

In conclusion, brains are weird. Lurkers' brains, unknowably so. If you try to take us into consideration while structuring the board, your own brains will explode. (True story; I read it on the Internet.)

I said lurkers who post are usually cool peeps, and here's Ice proving my point!

I said lurkers who post are usually cool peeps, and here's Ice proving my point!

True, but sadly, I just went to an Ice-Ice-Baby place.

♥s Ice.

And waves.

I said lurkers who post are usually cool peeps, and here's Ice proving my point!

Duh.

On the poll: are " don't change anything" and "more threads will dilute" meant to be complementary or opposing positions? "Check one" implies, to me, that the three possible answers should be mutually exclusive, or at least clearly differentiated.

Should it be phrased so all three options are mutually exclusive?

Or should the first question be different? Or two questions?

Interesting! Thanks for posting, Ice. I lurk in other places and completely sympathize with the lurking urge. It's hard to start posting here. I think it's weird not to lurk in natter or bitches though-- it's public to all.

Anyway, as a lurker myself elsewhere, I don't think lurkers have cooties. I just think that the health of the board means if there's a difference of opinion between the people who post and the people who don't post, it's totally crazy to drive away the former in preference for the latter-- because there's no board for anyone then.

Thanks for the input, Ice. I think that really does cover the issue.

As long as you're registered you can vote. We made it that way a long time ago and that's not changing.

I said lurkers who post are usually cool peeps, and here's Ice proving my point!

Exactly. Thank you for posting that, Ice.