I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with your
answer. It didn't take long.
All lists need lurkers. If everybody on Alt-photo sent one message a day
we'd have over 500 messages every day and the list would collapse under its
own weight.
Many lurkers are beginners -we were all there at one point- but contrary to
what Jim implies, not all lurkers are beginners. On several occasions I
looked at the membership lists of 3 of the lists I subscribe to, including
Alt-photo, and was surprised to see some very wellknown experts who never
said a word about anything! How generous of them...
They are not too busy when it comes to scoop up useful information, but
when someone needs some information that they could provide right off the
top of their head, they don't have the time to do it...
Don't shoot the messenger, but some people refer to such lurkers as
freeloaders, and parasites. The same terms are also used from time to time
with beginners and "pre-beginners" (e.g., those non-photographers married
to beginner photographers) when they have the nerve to step into a
situation where they could not even begin to understand the technical
issues but feel confident enough to lecture the whole list about moral
issues.
If your contribution to a mailing list can fit on a pinhead, don't worry
about showing your ignorance by asking a "stupid" question, BUT think twice
before **lecturing** the list about off-topic issues.
Do you know of many cases where an uninvented stranger was welcome to
settle a family dispute?
That's the point.
Luis Nadeau
NADEAUL@NBNET.NB.CA
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/nadeaul/