Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Interview with a lurker

In three and a half years of blogging, one of my consistent themes has been my fascination with blog lurking. Everyone does it, right? --use the world wide web to skulk around in someone's not-so-private private life. Lurkers are passive, but typically avid, readers. They don't comment or participate in viral dialogue, but they're there. Creeping along. Like creepers do. Poll results show that 20% of my readership don't even know me! But give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free... all are welcome here.

So, cutting to the chase. Last month, when I asked someone to dare me to hurry up and write more blogs, a self-proclaimed lurker tore herself from the previously known sounds of silence and stepped to the the plate. I was, of course intrigued and asked "Moe" to reach out to me with her story.

In her own words:
So I feel like emailing you is taking de-lurking to a whole new level, but I think you'll appreciate the ridiculous nature of my "finding" your blog and continuing to read it. I used to work at an appallingly slow place of business and found myself with more free time on my hands than I knew what to do with. One day while chatting with my friend Amy I asked her what some of her favorite time-killing websites were. Her friend Amber had recently shown your blog to her and so she sent me the link. How this Amber character came about your blog I do not know but it took very little time for me to get hooked and I have been a faithful follower since that time. That time being...approximately February-ish of 2007. Good heavens.
Are you there Amy and Amber? It's me, Nat Attack. Are you still lurking around? I don't know any Amy's or Amber's, and have no idea how you discovered this pet project of mine, but I'm sure your stories are likewise fascinating. Random mcRandom.

The world is a small place. Moe and I most definitely don't know each other, but know mutual people--as discovered in a previous and heretofore withdrawn friends' blogs listing. Moe is originally from Oregon and had my sister photograph her darling son (oh the power of the blog!). And would you believe it? Moe and Alaina live across the street from each other in PG, Utah. We've since exchanged a handful of emails, and Moe is one fun gal. Oh that internet, bringing not just dead and needing to be genealogized people together.

And without prompting, Moe shares her favorite NatA! moment:
Since I have been reading for so long, I thought you might like to know which of your many posts was my favorite. I had to go back to check the date and post title to be sure: Fight or Flight (July 10, 2007). The story in and of itself was hilarious enough but the accompanying drawings were AMAZING. Tears may have been shed.
So there you have it folks. An interview with a lurker. There are at least eight more of you out there. Let's create a community. A community of recovering lurkers. Won't it be so fun?

**UPDATE: Stories from strangers are rolling in (including Amy herself!). Lurkers! Be brave. Join your comrades and submit your story to the email address in the comments section of this post. And if you'd rather the story stay just between us two, that's fine also. This is literally becoming the six degrees of separation...

12 comments:

Shauna said...

you know im a lurker. no news here.

Whits said...

That story got me hooked to your blog as well! And I never looked back.

Charone Peterson said...

How nerd-tastic is it that a small thrill went through me when I saw that you had posted about this?

amy said...

as my name has been released into the wind, it is only fair that i
follow moe's lead and properly de-lurk. my name is amy and i'm a recovering blog-lurker.

NatAttack said...

Amy! Holy cow.... true story? Today is better than Christmas. Now it's YOUR turn for an interview. Hit me with your story the {dot} nat [dot] factor [at] gmail

!!!!!!!

NatAttack said...

Moe -- you started it. They'll be coming out of the woodwork now.

Liz said...

i lurk. you're funny. and i just moved from boston which is probably why i started reading in the first place. i'm sure we have other connections but i am friends with michele m. from my freshman year at the byu. there you have it.

lurking since...early 2008 maybe?

NatAttack said...

Hi Liz--welcome! You're the second of Michele's freshman roommates to have reached out today. Maybe Michele is the hub of all Mormon activity!

Mary said...

Dude. I covet your lurkers.

Alaina said...

Proud to be a part of the de-lurking and discovering what a small, small world this is. I love the www.

Breona said...

You are funny. But it is interesting to think about who really follows. This one girl on the soccer team I coach, just BARELY told me that she has been reading my blog for years and since then she constantly says things like, "remember when you did this....." or "how are curtis, julie..." just listing things about my life and family that she's never really MET. It's funny and creepy. I bet I could do the same to you. I've followed your blog FOREVER and what?...we met once. FUNNY> ok. BYE>

Team Russi said...

And another lurker emerges...
Hi, Natalie. I am happy to see your frequent blogs. I like your writing style. Good luck with the 2009 improvement challenge!

Definitely, maybe, probaby related posts:

If NatA! posted a photo with this blog, here it is!