Lurker Roll Call
I’ve always wondered who all these people are that have subscribed to my feed. There’s anywhere from 600 to 900 of you but I still only see comments from the same 50-odd people. Now’s your time to shine, lurkers! Just pop a comment here, no reason to be shy. Let us know who you are, where you’re from, what you do, whatever. It will help you get to know some of the other lurkers and will even give you a few hits to your site if you have one. Think this was a great idea? Well it’s not mine. It comes from Bryan who got it from Veerle who found out about it via a napkin. For those of you still scratching your heads as to what a lurker is, Bryan’s got your back:
So most people know what a lurker is, if you don’t, let me pull you out of your hole by saying that a lurker is a person that decides to stay shy in either a chat room, a forum or a blog, by not contributing their comments and electing to just watch the babble ensue in front of them. Now that made no sense, but I’m sure you got it.
Bryan Veloso
And yes, if you are one of those regulars you can comment too. If you run a blog as well, I think it would be a great idea to get to know some of your lurkers too. You might even find some people that live across the street or always go to that StarBucks you work/study/live at - you never know. I’ll try to resist the urge to blog too much so this one stays on the frontpage for a while.
/de-lurk
I’ve been reading the blog for a couple of weeks, picking up tips to get my blog running more smoothly and generally keeping up to date with tech news.Thanks!
I blog about Scout construction projects- if you’ve ever wondered how to build a treehouse or a trebuchet using ropes and poles my blog is the place to look.
/re-lurk
Lurker is a stupid term to use in 2006, with the prevelance of RSS. I monitor 250 or more feeds. There’s no way I intend to participat in each and every one’s discussion.
But I am from Georgia Tech (Class ‘74). I reside in the Philippines where I’m a consultant in the electric power sector.
Love your blog, Paul.
i thing nick up there has a good point, these days a lurker is less stalker and more subscriber. i’ve been enjoying your blog for a few months now, though i dont remember how i ended up here…
I agree with Nick. In the time of RSS it is quiet hard to expect everyone will come in front of the curtains and present themselves [I know coz I am one of them, residing behind quiet a many curtains myself]. It’s like giving someone power of Proxy & then expecting them to turn up in the class :-)
Anyways, I’m from Mumbai [India] and a Team Leader for Testing & Infrastructure.
I didn’t realise I was lurking! I feel all dirty now! ;)
Anyway, I’m from the UK, work for a software company and do a bit of radio presenting on the side. Excellent blog Paul- keep it up!
If I was ever in any doubt as to the interconnectedness of the Internet, this one post has reassured me. Had it on five completely unrelated blogs that I check (and counting). Though perhaps all those blogs aren’t as unrelated as I suppose… Hmmm, there’s something to ponder in the shower.
Anyway, I’m just can’t say ‘no’ when one of my favourite bloggers asks, so here goes:
I’m Cas, and I’m a post graduate student in the UK looking into how new web technologies and social apps can get people working together, with the added spin that the people I am trying to get to work together are Archaeologists who have an aversion to trying new things. It is, then, mildly ironic that personally I am an inveterate lurker, though as Nick up in comment number one points, perhaps “lurker” isn’t the quite the right term, but we all know what it means, so it will suffice.
What more is there to say? I know I shouldn’t lurk, but my only excuse is that I spend so many of my days telling other people that they should contribute, that when it gets to my personal browsing, I just don’t have the energy left. That, and by the time I get to things most often there’s nothing new left to add. Oh, and (all evidence to the contrary) I have a marked aversion to making a fool of myself, so tend to keep my trap shut incase I say something that gets me ridiculed from here to the middle of next week.
I can’t quite remember how I came to your site - though I do have vague memories of following a trail of links to one of your how-to’s, liking what I read, and subscribing to your feed. Since it’s a good few months later and I’m still reading, you must be doing something right :)
That’s me. The suicidally curious can follow the link made by my name, back to my site to find out more, and now that I have completed my daily dose of ritual humiliation, I’m going to skulk back to the comfort of lurking anonymity.
Cas
Hey Paul, yeah it’s a little tough commenting on the 300 subscriptions I do have - but will try to in the future - dig your blog, am always pleasantly surprised at the content you throw at us. Awesome stuff.
Class of 2003, Web Developer from Pretoria South Africa. Run a lifestyle blog with a number of fellow South Africans, Chump-Style.
I must admit that I’m as guilty as every other lurker. I think that’s mainly because of the reasons which are already told by the other lurkers. If you are an syndication power user (like us), you can’t participate in every discussion on every blog. But this time, I did participate ;-).
As the other folks have already said, I did not realize that I was “lurking,” per se, but that I was following along via RSS. :-) It is quite cool to see an open call for posting, just to see who, out of all the lurkers, does come up for a short breath of air and post. :-)
Great idea Paul! Love your blog mate. I’m from Newcastle, Australia. I’m an eCommerce Business Analyst and I’ve just launched an independent fashion blog. Keep up the awesome work!
This is a great blog and you produce some of the best content out of all the blogs I read (147). I live in Kentucky just outside of Lexington.
I lurk around your blog using some great information and relaying it to educators through my blog. I don’t leave comments mainly because the nature of your posts seem less conversational as information-giving. I hope I share the conversation in some way, though, through the content on my blog. Cheers, Paul.
Same as above, RSS. I’m a library science grad student at the University of Illinois, I broadcast distance ed classes for my job, and am an Army retiree. I subscribed a few months back as I got a PowerBook this past summer and was looking for intelligent Mac info. I also have a desktop PC and use about 8 different PCs at school/work. The mixture of platforms here is a bonus.
Hi Paul - I found your site just before you joined 9rules and been watching your RSS ever since. I’m a web designer and blogger and IT Manager from Crumlin in Northern Ireland. Not a lurker as such - I’ve got commenting cred - but normally only when I’ve got something to say. Otherwise it just looks like I’m building backlinks :)
I post from time to time on some of the feeds I read, but for the most part unless something really annoys or inspires me I just read along. On a certain level commenting is kinda like a letter to the editor, only the really great or the really offensive articles are likley to get one. Posts are easier to write so the threshold for writing the letter is lowered, but not removed.
Lurker No More! I’m a free-lance web designer (part-time) and a business analyst/project manager (full-time).
Hey Paul, you could always use one of those WordPress sticky post plugins so you can blog and have this stay on the front page. I would hate to see you not blog while you get to know your readers. ;-)
I suppose I am a lurker. And also a user. I’ve used your deviance theme for K2 and it’s just the best thing since…well…I don’t know what. I subscribe to your blog because you regularly post great webdesign info. Love your current one-column K2 mod.
You have a great blog that’s why I read your blog!
I am most definetly a lurker. I’m from England and I’m fifteen. I found your blog from Google, probably, but possibly digg. I enjoy your works and I like your webdesign style and I find your writing clear though I wish you’d get a little more detailed some times. ;0
Hi Paul, I really dig the Mac posts. Keep up the good work. Thanks!
Hey Paul,
I’m out. Finally. I’ve been reading your site for about the last 4 months or so. Great to see that your gonna one day be a Tech alum like myself. I studied Industrial Design there and currently live in Atlanta working as an interface designer.
If you ever want to meet up, grab lunch, or discuss working on a project together, I’m game.
Enjoying your site . . . happy new year.
- Josh
I’ve been enjoying your blog for bit. Thanks for all of the great content.
I tend to only speak up when I have a really good question or something worth while to say. People that comment just to comment drive me nuts!
At any rate, I live in Walla Walla, WA and work for a small graphic design company. Our speciality is web design and web applications.
Take care.
Norman Brightside. London, near England. Aging (Oracle, Unix, CRM) techie desperately trying to keep up with you hip young things.
1 lurker on Bloglines
1 lurker on Newsgator
1 lurker on Google Reader.
1 lurker on Rojo
1 lurker on My Yahoo !
1 lurker on Live!
I actually thought I was doing pretty well until my wife pointed out that each and every one of them was me, myself and I.
Honestly, right before I posted this the title was going to be Subscriber Role Call, but I didn’t think that would get as many people to click the title and read it… I had to go on the offensive with lurker. haha :-D
Thanks for actually commenting everyone, I woke up this morning to some 20 odd comments and was surprised to say the least. Keep ‘em coming.
@cavemonkey50: Never heard of those plugins, I will definitely look in to that.
@Josh Teague: Fantastic site you’ve got there. Ever heard of AtlantaBlogs.com? They are starting up a website but when they do I think they will have blogger meetups, etc.
As for Tech alum, the keyword in your sentence was “one day.” After switching majors from Computer Engineering to Computational Media I am wayyy behind - at least a semester behind. So I think I’ll pull the regular 5 years as everyone here seems to do.
Also, looking through your blog it seems like you went to Cre824… I was there!
http://www.paulstamatiou.com/2005/11/18/live-from-cre824/
Hey. Been a subscriber since you flamed me once on a Digg story I submitted (yet you dugg it anyway so thanks :) I have since come to your blog because I really like the design and am interested in making my own personal blog as popular as yours (50 lurkers and counting). I’m an Auburn Computer Engineering Alum so we probably have a few shared friends. Keep up the tech man.
I’ve got you on the 9rules favorite page.
I don’t think I comment quite enough to be a regular, but I have commented… so I guess I’m not a lurker, either. ;-)
I’m a systems analyst (fancy name for a help desk/tech support professional) in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, and a Comp Sci student at the U of MN. That’s probably enough about me.
I hope to see a lot more comments, it’s always interesting to see who else is reading the same thing.
my name is tim, I’m from Montreal but currently in Paris. Been reading your blog for a couple of month and find it very interesting. I’ve tried to run a blog, but got bored after 3-4 posts… *shame*
anyways, keep the good stuff up. always impressed by the rythm of publication on this site.
I guess now is an okay time to inform everyone of my Top 100 campaign. hehe My new years resolution was to become a Top 100 blogger - and I’m sticking to it. I am ranked around 700-800 on Technorati and I plan to join the elite ranks of the Top 100 before 2007. I’ll probably talk about this one day in an over-glorified post, but I’m going to need everyone’s help.
I come here because you modified K2 in an interesting way and I liked what I saw when I dropped on by, so I subscribed. Most of the time I don’t have much to comment on anyway, so I almost prefer the shadows on some of the sites I visit.
My name is Chuck. I lurk, and I kill. For fun.
Hello, I’ve posted a couple of times but I thought I’d say hi. Love the blog. Dan
Hey Paul, really dig your site and I think this is a clever idea. Anyway, I’ve been reading for about a month or so now, and I think you’ve got some great how-to’s and tips. Keep up the great work!
Brandon
Great site Paul - thanks for the mini-tutorial on blog banners.
I’m from Long Island and am a high school student. I plan on majoring in journalism, and I think that blogging is a practical way to get started. Love your blog! :)
Hey Paul-
Just recently graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Information Technology… really enjoy reading all of your tech stuff–it sort of keeps me back in that college mindset even though I’ve moved on into semi-adulthood :)
I love wordpress, K2 and css tips so thats why i subscribe. I love the effort you put into your site. Keep it up.
My name is Chris and I’m Paul’s roommate at Georgia Tech. I wouldn’t refer to myself as a regular, because I don’t read your articles unless you force me too. But I like what I see when I see it. Very nice job so far; here’s hoping you make it far, yo.
Hi there Paul and everyone, I’m Adam, I’m from the UK and I am a lurker. Wow I feel much better for coming out and saying that. By the way Paul keep up the good work and you’ll make it into that Top 100.
I just subscribed to the RSS, so I haven’t lurked for too long. Great site, keep it up!
No way i’m reading the 40-something comments before mine.
But i guess i fit into the lurker type, i found your blog through Flickr when K2 had its forums there and you were an admin. I’ve been reading you ever since. (couple of months).
You’ve had some great articles, and some not so great. Keep trying :).
Haha, i hope you become a top 100 blogger dude.
Cheers from Costa Rica.
I’m a recent college graduate from Michigan currently living in D.C. Been subscribing to your blog for the past couple months, great tech/blogging tips. Keep up the good work!
I am a guilty lurker. I lurk for fun :P
hi paul. yes I’m afraid I’m a lurker. I’m currently an mp3 blogger, and I’ve been lurking all over the internet for the past decade! I’ve been reading your blog since I installed K2 and needed to figure out how to customize it, and I’ve been coming back for all the interesting posts you make. Keep up the good work! good luck with the top 100 goal :)
Paul, I came across one of your howto posts on digg a few months back, probably something to do with Wordpress. You spell stuff out clearly, without assuming too much proir knowledge. So I added you to my Bloglines feed.
Enjoy your posts, even the Mac ones - I am a potential “switcher”. Keep the howto’s coming.
I live in Melbourne, Australia.
It’s really funny…
I’ve found a link to your site yesteday when searching for the Mediaman library (delicious library clone), and now i’m here again now from http://9rules.com/ !.
Anyway… greetings from Alexandroupoli - Greece (i assume from your name, you have some Greek roots too) !
Sup Paul. I found your site from the 9 rules network. Then found your articles on K2 on the Binary Bonsai forums. They were informative and helpfull. I’ve been coming back since then.
Live just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
I’m an archaeologist living in Uppsala, Sweden. Been subscribing to the site for a while, primarily for the tech news/insight and geeky Mac stuff. -:o) Really enjoy it, keep up the good work!
I’m not subscribed yet, but it seems all your best posts hit Digg or Del.icio.us/Popular, which I then read. =)
Your blog also has sweet design. For all those reasons, as Ali G would say, Respect.
Soon to be a more “serious” subscriber in ‘06,
Shanti
I guess I fall into the “lurker” title too. I dugg a couple of your stories and realized that the blog was a better way for me to see cool tech stuff. I also launched my blog, zamwi.com, with your help…which is still being improved. Anyway I love the posts, good luck in the top 100.
- Zach
I read your feed but haven’t commented yet. You’re brilliant, what’s there to say? :)
I’ve commented before, but I am far more of a reader than contributer.
Paulie from (East) Atlanta, GA
Software Manager for Dish Network
I am a reader and as you are aware chatter often
I guess i’m a lurker. i read your blog often, great site and keep it up.
I found your site a couple of weeks ago and have been quite interested in the techie things that you are writing about.
There I de-lurked!
Paul, I think I came across your blog from Steve Rubel at Micropersuasion. I could be wrong, though. I’m trying to stay on top of tech, and I find you help make it easier.
Thanks for all the comments guys; really interesting seeing where everyone comes from and what you do. I’ll start posting again tomorrow, tonight I have lots of history and media studies reading so no blogging tonight. I’ve recently been working on a website for my computational media class, you can take a look here: http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/~bogost/courses/spring06/lcc2700/locker/pstamatiou/index.html It’s going to be where my assignments for the class are stored.
I don’t know how I found your site, but I like it! I think I found it searching for some sort of Apple content. Who knows.
Hi Paul,
I appreciate your work on your site. As a blogger myself, I learned a long time ago not to live or die by the number of comments I get (not many). I think I got here due to some Firefox or Thunderbird issues you posted. I used a Mac way back when in college when it was just that black and white one-piece box with a display slightly larger than today’s Nano. When I got my “real” job after college it was life with Intel from there on out. But I still enjoy seeing the beauty of OS X and we all have iPods in our house.
I got your feed in Sage and it’s one of the first I check when new posts are ready!
Anyway, good luck with your studies and keep up you work! We may be Windows, but you still seem to pass good tips on for us “dark-side” folks!
–Claus
I lurk via bloglines, but I still post a comment once in a while.
I think I came across your site via k2/flickr.
I don’t use a mac so most of what you write doesn’t really apply to me :)
I’m based in Johannesburg, South Africa and got here via TomorrowConnecting and it’s great to find another Mac fan(atic). I read most of your stuff via your feed.
You can count me in that group. :)
I admit it, I’m a lurker.
I’m a student here in Santa Barbara, California, and I’m a Mac fan. Previously, I’ve worked at two different Apple Specialists, providing my skills, tips and tricks to the average user.
I’m also a TiVo, Star Wars, and Star Trek fan (yup, I’m THAT geeky, yet I still have a girlfriend).
I believe I found your blog via digg.
I love how your blog is designed; it urges me to make my own….
I’ve been reading your site after finding it when you first got the digg effect. I only have it on my faves in flock, keep forgetting to add it in Firefox. I want to start up a blog as a stupid Blogger type impressed my friends and it was just for me to gain experience in basic web design as a 15 year old. I’ll be reblogging soon and your site will definatly be on the linked list. You do have some great tutorials on here also. I even gave you a mention in my report for my web design class, which, thanks to your tutorial on making a blog header, I got the highest grade available for it.
I’m glad I could help out Tommy! Congrats on the grade.
Paul I think that you have a great blog and wonderful insight about this ever evolving industry. I am a partner in Elemental Interactive (www.elementalinteractive.com) and ListenShare (www.listenshare.com) a new corporate podcsting agency - we call it businesscasting.
I also think that it is wonderful that you are do a great job of representing Atlanta and Ga Tech. Keep up the good work and if you are ever looking for a freelance job drop me an email.
All the best at the top 100,
James Harris
Hey that’s a very nice idea, helps me know the other members of this community at PaulStamatiou.com and now something about me :
I’m a teen and have actually just tipped my hands in the blogosphere and making a site things during the December holidays of 2005 and keeping up things that I like to discuss on my blog at BlogoSquare (I know the design is too raw but actually school is taking up most of my time, I think I’ll will give it a new nice look for the Holiday during April). I published there both in English and French.
Know telling you that I’m a Mauritian living in Mauritius : the most paradisiacal island you could ever find in the Indian Ocean with the greatest sea, sun and sand. In Mauritius actually we speak many languages up to 5 for some people as for me I know only 3 : English, French and Creole (the local language –sort of French stuff in this). Truly I would recommend any one to visit Mauritius if he wants out the most fantastic holiday he will ever have : he will just loves it.
I’m actually at college and studying my last year for secondary school. I love play badminton, swim, playing out Half-Life 2 and Burnout 3 on the xbox, watching mangas like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, drink lots of fruit juice, publish something on my blog, watching out the 24 Hour Chrono serial and surf out the net. That’s a bit something about me ;-)
I came across this blog via Lifehacker when they ran a post on setting up Aureus. I’ve been subscribed to your feed ever since. I probably have about 10 articles you’ve written flagged in NetNewsWire so I can make sure to have easy access to your How-to aricles. Keep up the good work. Maybe I’ll be a more vocal part of your reader base from here on out.
Bo Link
Graphic Designer
Nashville, TN
Hey Paul, great site. I’ve been coming here for a few months now, and I think I got here via digg or a google search for some mac content or tutorials. Funny how much of a small world it is, my sister Tia, and your sister Toula are friends. I recognized your last name when I found your site, and I asked my sister if Toula had a brother. Anyway keep up the good work man, you’re doing more than I ever will stuck in my gov’t job!
Hey Thanasi, very small world. Glad to see you’re a regular visitor. Keep in touch.
Hi Paul,
I found you through k2. Keep up the good work.
Found you through your interview on devdawn …I love the preview that updates as I type - that’s killer! ABCGi
ahah except the preview didn’t quite match the result!
Great site with a lot of posts considered by me to be reference quality gems. Keep up the good work.
Hello! I’m lurker from germany. Therefore not many of you will watch my blog. Currently I face the problem finding a good name for my blog. It’s not soo special. But I have some things in mind. For I want to become a translator after my final secondary-school examinations, I want to adopt some news, not exactly defined now, from english sites. At the moment I help to translate Lazarus, a fan remake of Ultima V.
Thank you for you “HOW TO: Boost Your Blog Traffic”. Very helpful. Now I can image maintaining a blog which is indivual. That it is possible!
Brilliant site, I haven’t been lurking, just found your site today. I’m gonna spend a bit of time reading through it. What I’ve read so far makes me want to read more.
I’m just learning about blogging although I have been for 2 1/2 years now. Been too busy writing to find out how it all works. Thanks for what you have put together here. I’m learning so much. I like your writing style - it’s easy to get.
Blessings
Joanne
Hi,
Really nice blog…I read it the first time today and taken a note of it…re-checked my subscription to Technorati, Feedburner etc. & tried utilizing the same to gain some new customers…thanx again
Regards
Vishwalok
http://management-gurus.blogspot.com/
Agapite Paylo, se sygxairo gia tin prospatheia sou kai ta oraia sou arthra. Pollous Xairetismous apo Ellada.
In english: Dear Paul, I congratulate you for your diligence and for your nice articles. Many greetings from Greece.
Now to our subject. Lurkers are there and will exist forever. I was a Lurker too. For many years (about 5) I didn’t do anything, I mean I had a website (in greek) but I didn’t post regularely and didn’t promote it.
Know I ‘ll try my luck in english by opening a new blog.
Thanks again and I hope that other Lurkers see this post and turn into active bloggers or webmasters.
I am definitely not a lurker
Hello my name is Leon Freyermuth. I have been reading your blog for a short while now so as to garner tips and info for my own blog which I started just 2 days ago! I am also probably the youngest blogger here as I am only 12 years old.
I currently live in Berlin, Germany and have German/American citizenship. I hope to study in the US after leaving High School and live there afterwards.
At list you have readers :P We don’t even have them.
If I make my blog so popular as yours then I will consider solving this problem :D
Greetings from Greece ;)
Another lurker making herself known.. ;)
I love this idea, might even borrow it one day.
what is lurkers, i dont understand yet.. anybody want to explain ?? huh
This, post keep those comments flowing! well, you see me now commenting right?
i came from digg-apple>openswitch-imac replaced 3 times>yourblog
I stumbled with some nice posts for optimizing my blog, for better loading etc.
I am Jorge Diaz, and read your article HOW TO: Boost your Blog Traffic, nice post. I would need to apply some recommendations , like not being annonymous and get a picture of myself there on http://www.thedailymac.com
I also downloaded wp-cache plugin so i dont get up the GPU count (yes i am on (mt) ).
See you later Paul.
Hello Paul,
This is the second time in one day that I’m in front of your blog. 1st Time searching about Amazon S3, and 2nd time serching about “Luckers” Definition.
Great work!
I first heard of you when I joined Twitter about six months ago, I enjoy reading your insights on new technology. I also subscribe to your newsletter via email as well as google reader, so I won’t miss anything. Happy New Year.
Lurker— Vashti from Connecticut. Paul read your posting with great interest. Learned a great deal, and as new blogger will clearly make changes to my blog. Some I need to do asap.
Love politics and media. That was my major in college trying to use the presidential elections to focus on aspects of the campaign I find interesting. Of course, traffic is my problem. Again thank you for sharing so much.
vee
http://www.vernasmith.blogspot.com
http://manchestersquare.blogspot.com (contributor)