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exploring their sexuality or participating in self-help groups, might feel
violatedandquiteangrythattheyarebeingtakenadvantageofwhileinastate
ofdistresswhen/ifitbecomesknownthattheirinteractionsarebeingstudied
withouttheirknowledgeorpermission(ibid.:250).
Onewaythataresearchermightaddressconcernsregardinglurking,or,as
stated previously, exploitation, would be to seek permission after the fact.
Whilethisenablesyoutoanalyze,write,publishandpresentwitharelatively
cleanconscience,it'sentirelypossiblethatparticipantswillbelessthanexcited
with your request for approval. It's likely that some will be hostile, and may
refusetheirpermission.Thissituationcouldleaveyouinabindasyoutryto
meetdeadlines,completeyourstudyandsubmititforpublication.
Thereisanaddeddilemmatotheconcernaboutreadingsomeone'sonline
exchangeswithouttheirpermissionthatcompoundstheethicalchallenge.The
environmentlendsitselftoahigherlevelofself-disclosureduetothesenseof
anonymity online (Sharf, 1999: 246). Arguably, lurking with this knowledge
couldbeconstruedastakingadvantageofindividualswhoarevulnerable.
Tobeclear,thepointhereisnottosuggestthatitisneveracceptabletolurk,but
ratherforyou,theresearcher,tobeintentionalandthoughtfulaboutwhen,where
andhowyouchoosetodoso.Therearetimeswhenitmightbeappropriatetolurk
beforeinteractingwithparticipants.AsLoriKendall(1999)indicates,ifyoudis-
close too soon that you are lurking you may bias responses or constrain group
interaction.However,asstatedpreviously,theintentinlurkingshouldnotbeto
deceiveorviolatetrust,butrathertouseitstrategicallytogatherdatathatyoucan
thenuseappropriatelytocommunicatewithparticipantsastoyourintentionsand
interests. For example, by being a lurker you might learn something interesting
abouthowpeopleclusterandformingroupstoplayanonlinegame.Whenyou
askforconsent,youcouldsharewiththeparticipantswhatyou'velearned,indicat-
ingwhyitwasvaluableforyoutolurk,andwhyyouarehopingtheywillgivetheir
consentsothatyoucansharewhatyoulearnedwithothers.
Privacy
Thedistinctionbetween'privacy'and'lurking'isabitarbitrary.Inmanyways
theyarerelativeissues.Theprivacydebateisrelatedtoindividualswantingthe
rightto“surf”theinternetwithoutsomeonetrackingthedetailsofwherethey
go, what they do, who they associate with, and so forth. In recent public
debates,governmentshaveclaimedtherighttoreviewsearchenginerecords
forpurposesofpublicsafety.Whileitisdifficulttoarguetherightofaterror-
ist to use the internet to learn how to build a bomb, or the right of a sexual
predatortosearchforandexchangechildpornography,itisequallydifficultto
consider that political activity or an adult's consensual engagement in what
somemightconsidersexuallydeviantbehaviorcouldalsobemonitored.Itis
possiblethatthelineinthisdebatewillcontinuetoshiftforyearstocome.
