----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig McCown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 5:00 PM Subject: Re: Lurkers
> I suppose that I would also be considered a lurker. I just subscribed in > the last four or five weeks. Now, every day I look forward to the few > minutes I can take to escape from the competitive business world to be able > to read about flyfishing. What a refreshing break, if only for a matter of > moments, to be able to read about another fisherman's continued success on > the Yakima, to add several wonderful books to my list, or to smile when > someone provides a report on fishing right near a spot I particularly enjoy. > I have not had the time to fish since I subscribed. I have not had the time > to read since I subscribed. When I get a better feel for the protocal, plus > have something to contribute, I will be on the board regularly. I just need > a little more time. Please don't purge me from the list. As a matter of fact, I just re-read the rule book on subscribing. Article I notes that new members should take the time to introduce themselves, so here goes: I live in Lake Stevens, 48 years old, grew up in Garfield near Pullman and still love Eastern Washington. Love wading small streams like the Tucannon or Naches, but also enjoy either floating or wading the Yakima. Yearly, in early June I float from Warm Springs to Maupin on the Deschutes on my 10' pontoon boat, camping for 2-3 nights along the way, cooking large salmon flies for dinner. My company does much business in the Yakima to Tri-Cities region, so many of my fishing opportunities are 2-3 hour stops on the Yakima on my way home, but for those few hours, I am in heaven. Craig McCown > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kent Lufkin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 3:51 PM > Subject: Lurkers > > > > I just found that the WAFF list now boasts over 250 email > > subscribers. I also learned that only about 50 subscribers post to > > the list on a regular basis. That means that roughly 80% of WAFF > > subscribers are so-called 'lurkers' - people who receive the list's > > email posts but who do not respond with posts of their own. > > > > In fairness, I'm sure many lurkers are novice fishers, fishers who > > don't feel that they have anything worth contributing, or are > > otherwise just plain shy. A number of lurkers are probably > > now-and-then fishers or are just too darned busy to post even an > > occasional email. > > > > However, I also know for a fact that a number of lurkers are fly shop > > employees or owners. They subscribe to the list, gathering valuable > > fishing information which they then feed to their customers as a > > 'value-added' perk. > > > > For whatever reason though, lurkers take but don't give anything back > > in return. > > > > > > I personally enjoy reading the posts to the list - even the > > off-subject ones, the newbie questions that we've all heard before > > (and asked ourselves once upon a time), the subjects I'm not > > interested in, and even the occasional spats between subscribers. I > > read 'em all, delete most, and respond to a few. > > > > Bottom line is that I've learned quite a bit more about flyfishing > > than I would have without subscribing to the list. > > > > But I'm beginning to wonder about all the wonderful information and > > advice we've been posting. It bothers me to think we've been > > innocently sharing it with others who contribute nothing back to the > > group in return. Not to mention the trove of past posts available in > > the searchable archives. > > > > > > Thanks to technology and the subscribers who've generously shared > > their skills, we now have the capability of 'unsubscribing' lurkers > > from the list. > > > > We can also password-protect the archives on our web site, making > > them available only to active subscribers. > > > > The questions though, is should we? > > > > > > The list is only as good as the information that subscribers post to > > it. If lurkers don't contribute to the group, their absence won't be > > felt. > > > > On the other hand, restricting the list smacks to me as just another > > form of elitism, the same kind of smug, 'I'm-better-than-you-are' > > attitude that others think characterize we flyfishers in general. > > > > What do you think? > > > > > > Kent Lufkin > > >
