Culling the herd

[superbadgirl]

I just got a message from a board I joined but have never actively participated in. I lurk there. I like to lurk only in some places. Anyway, the gist of the message: post or you will be deleted.

Uh...what? Sorry, but why can't people be there and simply not have much or anything to add to discussion? It's messed up to just cut your lurkers, if you ask me.

Comments

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

They do that? *ouch* Isn't that sort of threatening? Kind of?......heck I thought I was a control freak!

Me? I won't even read a board if it means you have to register first...no way..I'm gone. I'm a lurker at heart and proud of it.

[superbadgirl]

Well, to be fair, the main reason I joined was so that I could watch episode DLs. It's a very young board, and all the posters and moderators have such atrocious grammar that I find I have little to say to them.

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's cold. Seems as if they should have a warning at the board that they only welcome active members; lurkers need not apply. :|

I've yet to have a completely positive experience at a message board so I've pretty much abandoned them entirely, despite the fact that means missing info I'd really like to know.

[superbadgirl]

They can be really tough to navigate, and this one definitely is. It's not very user friendly...and as someone who can't even figure out basics most of the time, I need user friendly.

[nialla]

The only time I recall seen a "post or you're deleted" rule is when it's a file sharing group. It's basically a "we share with you, so you must share with us and not be a leech" thing.

But on a discussion board? No way. Some of the most interesting observations often come from those who lurk 99% of the time. I guess when they have something to say, they have something to say. ;)

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I've belonged to message boards and email lists that were like that. If you didn't post a certain amount, you were cast out. I never stayed with those groups, obviously. *g*

I used to belong (actually still belong, but don't participate) to a group of people who were moderators on Yahoo Groups. Many of them were suspicious of people who didn't post--even of those who set their subscriptions for "no mail." They'd go through and "clean house" periodically.

I was kicked off one book discussion group for that, too. I liked to read the discussions, but didn't post much even if I'd read the book, and apparently that wasn't good, even though I was one of the first members and knew everyone on the group/list/whatever. It was an offshoot of a political group with which I was somewhat active.