Message to the lurkers... *****


 
Don Cash

Don Cash

TVWBB Gold Member
I've been emailing back and forth with a self proclaimed "lurker" regarding some questions about one of my recent cooks. He has indicated that there is a minor level of intimidation in pulling the trigger on posting here...even though he admits "that all of [us] guys would welcome a newcomer with open arms and tremendous support." I understand that totally and have encouraged him to just 'get off the pot and post".

There is already a forum section to introduce yourself but I think this is a different situation so I told him I'd bring it up here. He said the following in our email exchange.
if you (and maybe others like Lampe, Wolgast, Correll, Kruger, Bryan S., etc.) would just include in a post, not too often but just once in a while, something like, "Hey, we know there are a lot of you lurkers out there who could add something to these discussions so please feel free to do so - we all learn from everyone's comments so the more the merrier. Don't be bashful". If you posted something like that, I think it would encourage some who are sitting on the fence to jump in. Just a thought...
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I think it's a great idea. I've been here for a few years now and still learn something just about every day...from cooks of all levels of grilling ability. I think that the more the merrier and hate to think that some are intimidated to post here. This is such a special place, virtually devoid of ego and judgment and the more opinions (no matter how experienced or novice) the better. I would hope that more "lurkers" would post.

Lurkers, let yourself be known here. We...er, I don't want to speak for others so...I would love to hear from you.
 
agreed. not sure about the need to insert a note but yea, we need to make sure lurkers are invited to participate. i've been here awhile and still feel intimidated by some who cook up a storm. but then i get over it and jump in again. one reminder is that there are no stupid questions !!
 
I lurked for 2 years before joining. It's a lot more fun now
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I also lurked for two years before joining. This is the first website that I have joined, so maybe that played into my apprehension. Folks who blog and such may just jump in, I don't, except here. <span class="ev_code_BLUE">Come on in people, the water is fine!</span> And another thing, don't be intimidated by our titles by our names. They come from the number of posts we make, not the quality of our cooks. I am a hack an openly admit it! I am a pro only in bs-ing.
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There are a bunch of quality cooks here, and the info we can gleen from them is awesome, but there are a lot of regular old backyard burners here too. We all have a great time doing what we love and sharing it with each other. I was lurking here when Lampe and Wolgast started, and they inspired me to come out of the shadows. Now look at them! They could be Mayor here!
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We always need new blood here. Ladies, that means you too!
 
One thing I found when I first began posting was that the old timers would answer my timid question gently and nicely. They seemed to make a point of noticing my very low posting number - not by mentioning it, but by being helpful and supportive.

I've been on sites where it's scary, and i still find BBQ Brethren too fast paced for me. But I have posted there and have gotten very nice responses.

Remember, there's nothing to fear but your coals burning out.
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holey balls man, i never knew the term "lurker" until i came involved in web site forums...
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really.
heck yeah join in! Why on earth wait outside in the fricken cold when everything inside these doors are warm (sometimes HOT) an' cookin' cool?!!
Bring It!
I need to add more "wrinkles"
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I lurked for a few months, but began getting so, so much more when I started posting and asking my questions. What's great about this site is the attitude - or lack thereof. There is no question that is "stupid" or has been asked too many times. And people really do seem to be here just to have fun, share and learn. And let's face it, even Lampe had to have a "first post" at some point.
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So, welcome! Jump in with both feet. We're anxious to help with what little we know and see your cooks (we love pictures, in case you didn't know).
 
Y'all c'mon over and join the fun! Grab a beverage of choice and ask away!
Just remember. Nothing is too basic. We started out not knowing much at one time.
 
Heck yeah. We all started at the beginning (by definition), so jump on in. The best way to start is to read everything Chris has to offer here -- recipes, techniques, minion method, etc. There's a wealth of info here and plenty of kind, experienced folks to answer any questions. Welcome to all future members!
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I've only been here for 2 months, started posting the day I signed up. Heck I was posting before I got my grill. But if you don't post you can't get youe specific questions answered. I was about to sell my WSM a few days ago because I was having issues getting the heat up high enough to cook. Come to find out, thanks to K Kruger and many others that helped, that it was my own fault for foiling my grates. I've belonged to MANY MANY forums in the past, still do to a few and this place here has ZERO attitude compared. No smart remarks or comments. And a wealth of knowledge just there for the asking. And the recipes, my god.........
Go ahead stop lurking and join in. Kinda fun posting pics of your cooks too.
 
I think the intimidation factor is all Jim's fault with all those friggen awesome photo posts he puts up.
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That said I didn't lurk long and have probably asked some of the dumbest questions on here.
This board is not about being a great cook, even though we have our share of those. It is about doing something we love and learning and helping out other cooks along the way.
It is for people who enjoy getting in the yard and firing up the Q and having a good time with friends and hopefully not destroying a $30.00 chunk of meat.

Oh and one other thing. Just because you don't have a WSM doesn't mean you wont be welcomed here.
 
All i can say is that if you like TVWBB as a "Lurker" you gonna love being a part of it.

I cant say im sitting on all the right answers and im miles away experience wise then most,heck i was in diapers when most of the ppl here knew how to grill a perfect Steak.

But i love to share my mistakes with others,and with failure comes knowledge.

The kick i get from helping out or lern something new is priceless.

Register today and be a proud member tomorrow!
 
I've always tried to create a friendly, non-intimidating environment here on the discussion forum so that people of all levels will feel comfortable participating. I would encourage newbies and lurkers to jump right in.

Having said that, it's a well known fact that 90+% of people who visit discussion forums are lurkers...only about 10% actively participate through posting. So it's very normal to have a lot of people who just like to watch.
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Regards,
Chris
 
Yes, all you lurkers, com'on in. The cookin's fine!

I certainly know I felt intimidated when I first started following TVWBB (less than a year ago). It wasn't so much the people or what they said as it was the sheer volume of information. So MANY, MANY posts every day! How to participate and ever hope to keep up?

Then I discovered "FIND - New since your last visit" and off I ran.

Now, I know a lot (and I'm really shy about saying so
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) and I ALWAYS have an opinion, but I have also always known I don't know it all. But I've discovered that TVWBB does know it all! And even more! But that much you can figure out by lurking. What you can't figure out unless you participate it what YOU don't know that TVWBB does know. That's the magic of asking questions.

And ya know what? Even if you foolishly say something that it turns out you actually DIDN'T know -- you'll likely get a kindly correction or some really special advice that will send you on your way KNOWING A LOT MORE! (Ask me how I know
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.)

I'm especially proud to see Brian B's post above -- proud that I am a part of TVWBB, that is. His was a tough situation that he didn't know was so tough and that none of us could have really guessed at -- then he spoke up and WOW -- it became obvious. Had he been a lurker, that situation would likely have had a sad ending. And now Brian knows a lot more (and so do I).

Rich
 
If you're lurking and a bit gun-shy:

To begin with - TVWBB is one of the most friendly and courteous forums that I know of.

On top of that, I think that nearly everybody here knows that on "New WSM Owners" or the "Introduce Yourself" forums - new people get even more (if that's possible) careful treatment.

I do not recall ANYONE ever getting "flamed" here, PERIOD! (Even when, like me, they sometimes ask the same old question for the 150th time, or go off half-cocked....)

It's ALWAYS great to have new blood here. Hey, we ALL had to start somewhere.....
 
I used to be a lurkee. Now I just ask stupid questions. No need to be bashful here. All are welcome as far as I'm concerned.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">it's a well known fact that 90+% of people who visit discussion forums are lurkers...only about 10% actively participate through posting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thats an interesting statistic that Chris notes here !.
I too lurked for about two years before I joined and started posting. I never felt intimadated to post, but (wrongly so) I did feel that I was not quite worthy to post, as I did not own a WSM yet, and frankly, I did not feel at that time that I had anything interesting or constructive to add, and I was perfectly happy just "lurking" and sucking up as much BBQ knowledge as possibly I could.
My Pappa always told me "You will learn a lot more by keeping your mouth shut, and your eyes and ears open"!
The day finally came that I ordered my WSM, so I then felt worthy!, No one on that posts here ever did anything to make me feel that way, some people like me just have little to say, and in my case, I am also a natural born introvert. There are a lot of us out there. To this day I rarely post unless I think I have something constructive or add or significant enough to talk about. Thats just me though
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Lampe, Wolgast, Correll, Kruger, Bryan S., etc </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Congrats to you all who made the cut. I really didn't realize that 90% of the audience didn't post. Me, I just love to see my name in print.
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Ya'll come on in, it's warm inside and the vittals is good.

Mark
 
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