How lurkers influence the online world

Lurking, or reading the comments in an online group without writing a comment, is a common practice. But what does it mean to be a lurker?
In this podcast host Jess Miles speaks with Gina Sipley, Associate Professor of English at SUNY Nassau Community College and author of Just Here for the Comments. Gina challenges our assumptions about lurking, revealing it to be a complex and valuable form of online engagement.
They talk about the psychology of online behaviour, how lurking can be a form of resistance and social activism and the surprising value lurking brings to the world.
Gina Sipley is Associate Professor of English at SUNY Nassau Community College. Sipley is a first-generation college graduate. Follow her on Twitter: @GSipley.
Find out more about the book: bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/...
The full transcript of the podcast is available here: www.transformingsociety.co.uk...
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:09 - Where did the title, 'Just Here for the Comments', come from?
2:19 - Who did you study, and on what platforms?
8:30 - Why does lurking have such a bad rep?
11:35 - What grassroot actions are lurkers taking, and how does it challenge traditional ideas of online participation and activism?
17:56 - Lurking as a privileged act
20:11 - What value does lurking bring?
23:36 - Who would you like to read the book, and what impact do you hope it will have?
Intro music:
Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Follow the Transforming Society blog to be told when new articles and podcasts publish: www.transformingsociety.co.uk...
---
Bristol University Press, and its imprint Policy Press, are UK-based academic publishers committed to publishing the highest-quality international scholarship in the social sciences and aligned disciplines, with a focus on global social challenges.
Find out more: bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/
Sign up to our newsletter for 25% off all books: bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/...