Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Lurking/deception
An issue that often gets discussed in the context of online research is that of
“lurking.” As noted in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurker,
accessedon11April2007):
Thetermdatesbacktothemid-1980s,whenmostpeopledidnothaveaccessto
theinternet,butusedBBSchatroomsandmessageboardsinstead.
Because BBSs were often accessed by a single phone line (frequently in
someone'shome),therewasanexpectationthatallwhousedabulletinboard
would contribute to its content by uploading files and posting comments.
Lurkers were viewed negatively, and might be barred from access by the
sysop, if they did not contribute anything but kept the phone line tied up for
extendedperiods.
Many internet communities advise newbies to lurk for some time to get a
feelforthespecificcultureandetiquetteofthecommunity,lesttheymakeaninap-
propriate or redundant comment, ask a frequently asked question, or incite a
flamewar.
This statement from a Wikipedia entry highlights the broadness of this issue.
Manylurkertypesarenoted,andyetnoneofthemappliesdirectlytoaresearcher.
In the case of a researcher, the major issues are related to being “present” but
silent,andgatheringinformationforthepurposesofresearchandanalysiswith-
outtheknowledgeandconsentoftheparticipants.Lurking,inthissense,isatype
ofparticipantobservation.Assuch,discipline-specificresearchguidelinesshould
beasourceofadviceandrecommendationsrelativetostudydesign.
When thinking about the issue of lurking, it's useful to keep in mind that
therearecertainassumptionsbeingmadebythoseinanonlineenvironment.
Peopleoftenassumeakindoftrustrelativetotheirinvolvementinanonline
community.Partofthattrustisthattheyareallparticipatingforthesamerea-
son,beitself-help,toplaytogether,ortodiscussaparticulartopic.Sincethe
onlineenvironmentmakesitpossibletoenteraspaceanonymously,tobepre-
sentandusetheinteractionandwordsforpurposesotherthanwhatisstated
asnormativeforthecommunityisaviolationofgrouptrust.
AsBarbaraSharf(1999:246)notes,“anemailcommuniquéfromoneperson
toanotherisanalogoustoaletterorphonecall,ostensiblyprivate,butcapable
ofinterception.”Toillustrate,althoughitispossibletotakethemailoutofyour
boxandreadit,Idon't.Mostofusbelievethatourmailisprivate,whetheror
notitisagainstthelawtotakeit.Giventhisisthestandardperception,what
leadsustobelievethatitisokaytoreadandusesomeone'sonlinemailwith-
outtheirpermission?Thequestionisoneofsocialexpectation.Isn'titfairto
assumethesamelevelofsocialexpectationforonlinecommunication?
Oneofthepotentialproblemsresearchersfaceinusingdatatheyaccessed
withoutpermissionistheaccusationofexploitation(Sharf,1999:248).Some
people who may be in particularly vulnerable personal places, such as those
