Wow, what a great and expansive topic.
Hello all,
Many very insightful things have come up that I wouldn't have thought about ordinarily. While I’m contemplating them I suppose the best way I know to share my experience with you is to describe my experience to you.
It is best to say that I began my journey as a lurker in like 1995 when I found ASFT. Never posted - not once, I just went there for information, re-affirmation, and tons of free downloads.
Jump ahead to TMF, I came for the same reasons (free downloads admittedly being the greatest attractant).
Over time I've grown comfortable with a myriad of concepts once new to me:
A) I'm a ticklephile.
B) That is normal and somewhat common (i.e. it's called a fetish and there are enough people with it to make lots of videos).
C) "Everyday people" post everyday on BBS's and the latest Manson Family Stalkers don't show up on their doorstep the next day (or even more terrifying - my friends and family won't find out).
After I became comfortable with these elements, the concept of posting became plausible. Then of course the next hurdles.
D) Will I seem tactless and crude. [I still recall the first misunderstanding online I ever had (it had to do with CAPS meaning shouting not that I was too lazy to hit shift more than once).]
E) How do I post, I don’t have all day. Do I really want to take the time to say what I have to say. This is very likely the reason that 10% of the people post once and yet another reason why 52% of the people post never. I’m definitely computer literate and not only did I not know how to post till last week, it took me … longer than you’d think to post my first message (e.g. I posted 3 THREADS before I finally got my REPLY correct). I’m amazed I had the patience to try again, but this is like my 4th message and now I feel like I could teach the world and do it drunk. Thus my case for why people post once and only once.
Well as for my final revelation, I feel like people, lurkers in this instance, go through an evolutionary process on this matter – what they want out of the TMF.
I love that "cruiser" comment, that is SO me normally. I log on, check out the TMF photos section to reassure that ticklephiles are indeed "normal," i.e. look like people that I would hang out with or date. Then I cruise through the Celebs section. So worthless in the sense that what good does it do to know that Alysso Milano is ticklish, the chances of me seeing or even better actually tickling her in real life is like ... none( and if I do I promise to immediately confirm it in the Celebs section), yet still I'm drawn like a moth to flame to read which celeb is next to be exposed.
Then if time is left I skim the pictures and videos section for new content and news, which used to be my first stops.
So you see, I guess that I'm evolving from a lurker, one who observes, learns, and scavenges (in no derogatory way), to a more active member who posts and speaks out here and there. One day, I may even further evolve into an active member who "socializes" online and/or in gatherings.
You see, I see the degree to which people utilize the TMF to be similar to those seven stages of adolescence that they taught in my high school. First is punishment/reward, (I'm still in that one so I don't recall the rest). If you’re still with me though, lurkers seem to begin as scavengers and DISTANT observers who get their information from the safety of the shadows. Next, when they are comfortable enough with themselves and with their environment (the TMF community), they decide to participate in restricted interaction with the community, and finally as their comfort and confidence in the environment increases they interact in increasing ways, such as interpersonal relations and possibly even real life interactions.
Well, there’s my thoughts, theories, and experiences on this topic, and if this reply isn’t long enough, here’s my summary and advice. Lurkers have a great deal to learn within themselves before they are ready to share it with others, and not everyone’s goal is to share their experiences with others. Lurker’s may need to go through an evolutionary process of interaction, as they interact in increasing ways at their own pace.
You can’t rush people, but if you wanted to encourage them to participate more readily you could coax them to get past the 2 message posting barrier by rewarding people with something, like sending original or rare tickling media to the posters to a certain thread.
Another thing that could be done is create an expected etiquette link that would help reassure the painfully polite people (like them Canadians) what is considered rude or not.
Well, there is much more than 2 cents, and I’m exhausted. If only my High School English professor could see this he would die, me writing MORE than was expected. I was the king of very, very, very, … exactly 1500 word essays.
I’m going back to vacation, you all take care.
T
[email protected]
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