Lurker
Non-participating online observer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Lurkers" redirects here. For the punk group, see The Lurkers.
"Lurking" redirects here. For the statistics term, see Lurking variable.
In Internet culture, a lurker is typically a member of an online community who observes, but does not participate by posting.[1][2][3] The exact definition depends on context. Lurkers make up a large proportion of all users in online communities.[4] Lurking allows users to learn the conventions of an online community before they participate, improving their socialization when they eventually "de-lurk".[5] However, a lack of social contact while lurking sometimes causes loneliness or apathy among lurkers.[6]
Lurkers are referred to using many names, including browsers, read-only participants, non-public participants, legitimate peripheral participants, vicarious learners, or sleepers.[7]