Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic when and why did you de-lurk?

well, this one won't make a good poll, with set answers, but i wanted to ask...

since we all love it when someone de-lurks, i thought i'd see if i could get a few more of those de-lurking stories out of people...

so, when and why did you de-lurk?

Paul

Well, I delurked a few centuries ago, it feels like But I'm not sure "delurked" is the right word, 'cause I don't think I lurked much at all. At the time I got hooked on L&C, I was already very active in a discussion group for Babylon 5. And the same place had another section for L&C. So when I had a desperate need to know more about L&C... I jumped right in with both feet

I know that's gonna come as a shock

PJ
p.s. great topic, Paul! Can't wait to see everyone's stories...

Hm, tough question. I think I stumbled upon the archive some four years ago. After a year of reading (which went very slow) I found zoom's mb's. Forgot about them again. Got back half a year later. I think we're in the summer of 2001 by now. Yeah, must be, or else I can't count.

I started reading there frantically. It was a lot of fun. But I never found the courage to post, with me being very shy. And it didn't help that English isn't my first language and I thought I really sucked at it.

So we come in 2002. There was this thing about 'hugging' Clark. I thought it was funny and thought 'ah well, why not. It can't hurt.' I got a blast out of it and started posting more. And then one day I even found the courage to post feedback. That should have been from around May last year.

And now look where I am! I'm still shy, but I love playing on these boards! I figure it won't hurt to post (what's the worst you can do to me anyway? except shears) and my English ain't that bad.

So here I am! And I love to read some other stories as well.

Saskia

Why did I delurk? Well, I guess I've got a big mouth. Usually have something to say, but not the guts to say it. I often start replying to a thread, only to close the window halfway through because it sounds stupid. so if this post shows up, I didn't think it was stupid.

Yeah, that's a good answer Karen. If you can get me talking, I won't shut up. But I usually don't have the guts to open my mouth. I didn't de-lurk until the Archive Boards opened, and I guess I de-lurked mostly because I was starting to get to know a few people (i.e. giving feedback, story recs, etc.) so I feel okay opening my mouth without wondering exactly what's going to come out (just beware when it's after 3am ).

to quote the great monosyllabic orator of our times (keanu reeves)... whoa.

i remember that thread. i started that thread. it was a silly fun gag i did. i created a topic called "clark's warm embrace," and told people to reply with the message "i need a hug." while the boards were creating the post, there was a momentary message on the screen that said "sit tight, <username>. we are taking you back to clark's warm embrace."

like i said, it was just a silly gag, but it took off nicely for a few days or so. never thought much of it since.

and now, here you are... a section editor, one of our top posters, and one of the people in charge of bringing back the alt-kerths. you're saying that that silly gag is what got you posting, sas? coolness!

Paul

I read the message boards for about 6 months or so, reading comments etc.

What caused me to de-lurk was the friendliness of everyone, especially the authors. I think it was Wendy who had written it was alright to just post " me to" just to let the author know that someone was reading it.

So relieved of the burden of being brilliant, or even clever...I became more comfortable posting comments and am just now getting into starting topics.

I just recently "de-lurked" (about 10 days ago) although I didn't realize I WAS "lurking". I started reading message boards about 9 months ago and thought everybody posted TO be read, and didn't consider myself "lurking". Who knew??

Anyway, I've been reading off the archives for over 2 years now (and like I mentioned in another thread, after 400 stories I've downloaded and read it got so bad that I finially started to catagorize them, and that was MONTHS ago!!). I guess I knew I could post, but it seemed rather intimidating (boy was I wrong - coz everybody has been so freindly and welcoming!!!) and since I don't write (my 4 different bone-head enlish teachers in college would back me up on that one) I didn't think there was much I could contribute. When I saw the new boards on the archive, I decided that many of the authors might like to know that somebody IS out there enjoying their talents (and passion).

Now, I just have to get brave enough to do that on a one to one basis sometime. Coz so far, I've just posted in the general section, polls and off-topic -- I'm working myself up to saying something meaningful to many of the great authors I have enjoyed reading.

Well, I've told my story to anyone who will listen, but I love telling it, so I'll go through it again for anyone who has missed it. Prepare yourself, I'm sure this will be a novel.

In the Spring of 2001 I moved from DC to Raleigh, NC. I was planning to attend UNC in the fall, and in the meantime, I was working as a live-in nanny. I was dying of boredom because the kids' mom (single parent) was gone for weeks on end, leaving me with a five year old and twin two year olds for company. LnC was on at just the time I got back from dropping them off at school,and I quickly became addicted again. I even began writing my first fanfic, though I had no idea what that was at the time. Eventually I discovered Annesplace, the archives and then Zoomsboards. I read the boards voraciously, but couldn't bring myself to post. I was too scared people would either think I was dumb or just plain ignore me. It wasn't too hard to lurk because there was never really anything I felt I HAD to say because someone else would always say something similar.

Then Pam began posting Hearts Divided, and I just *had* to tell her about this quote from the book Dune. She was really nice and encouraging, so I posted some more feedback. Eventually I was posting occassional feedback, but I never thought I'd do any more than that. I certainly was not going to post my own stories or chat on IRC. <G>

I had IRC installed on my computer from when my sister had set it up, but I'd never used it and didn't really have any intention of doing so.

Then came Sept. 11. I was a scared, lonely student who had only been at my new school for three weeks, had no friends or family in the area and was coming from Washington DC where a plane had just crashed into the building where many of my friends and many or my friends' parents work. I was terrified and just really needed to be with people. I live off campus and couldn't tear myself away from my tv long enough to walk there.

Then I saw a post on the mbs saying the password had been removed temporarily and that anyone who wanted to come chat was welcome. I didn't know where else to go, so I decided to try it. There were dozens and dozens of people there supporting each other, updating each other and worrying about each other. I remember NYC folcs signing on and everyone cheering. It was so sad, but it was also really encouraging. It was exactly what I needed.

I stayed mostly quiet, talking to a few people I recognized. But after that I felt really close to people and I started coming on IRC more often. The more I chatted, the more I felt comfortable posting. And the more I posted, the more people got to know me.

Eventually I let it slip that I was a writer, and people began demanding stories. Since I secretly wanted to write stories, they didn't have to do much begging. A few months later, I began posting Anybody's Baby, and the rest is history.

Shutting up now,
Annie

/me tries to recall if she ever lurked...and fails to remember.

If I did it was a short one. <G>

Although online fandom was new to me when I discovered FoLCdom, I'd been a part of offline fandom for what seemed like eternity. I'd never met with anything but fellowship and instant friendship from the offline fans I'd encountered through the years, so it never occurred to me to be wary of online fans or consider that perhaps they would be unwelcoming.

And they weren't, so that was okay.

Some years further on I think I was probably fortunate to strike FoLCdom first. <g> Some of my experiences since in other fandoms have been less welcoming. I lasted three seconds on another mbs a couple of years back for committing the heinous sin of posting in the wrong folder, which I instantly got flamed for. And I remember my shock when I first encountered newsgroups.

LabRat

Yes Paul, it was that threat that I made my first post on. I can't believe what happened since then, how fast etc. It's only just a year ago! Time goes too fast.

So I guess I owe you a huge thank you!!! I love where I am these days.

Saskia

I've only recently de-lurked properly. In the past I posted occasionally on the fic list, but that was only ever feedback. I had been once or twice to Zooms boards, but had never posted until I posted feedback for F&AE:II, but that was it really. Then one day not long after the Kerths, I went to have a look the the IRC transcript for this year's Kerth Awards. As I was reading it, I saw that everyone there was having soo much fun! They seemed to know each other and all the little bits of news (like everyone was waiting for Erin to go into labour!) and having a great time.

It was only then (yeah, I know, I'm a slow learner! ) that I realised the enjoyment from Folcdom was not only all the fic, but getting to know everyone. I didn't do anything about it then, wasn't really sure how to go about de-lurking, but then I was saved! The new boards were set up and I came straight over to register! I then started my own thread (I was feeling very brave - I have never been a member of a message board before, or at least a particpating member, plus I was nervous about de-lurking) and introduced myself. It was fantastic, everyone came in and said hello and made me feel so welcome, I got talking to LabRat when we both realised we hailed from 'Sunny' Scotland and I even managed to reach a decent post count (only 20 - but that was good for me!), replying to everyone! Then the board crashed and my thread got killed, but I came on back, and I don't think I've stopped since!

Loriel (who realises that was probably more than you ever wanted to know, but, you did ask! )

Cool, Loriel

Yeah, I love fic and everything, but if it weren't for all my FOLC friends I might have wandered off to something else by now Mind you, it seems like a lot of the *names* of the friends seems to shift, as people leave and new people arrive... but hey, that's fun! I always assume I'll like a new FOLC. I'm only rarely wrong

PJ
who is always pleased to hear that someone enjoyed the transcript so, thanks!

Yeah, the enjoyment definately comes from logging on and seeing people you recognise posting and then wandering over to say hi. Or even being able to help someone with a problem.

And there is also the fic enjoyment!

Loriel (who never realsied that being on-line could be so much fun!)

Well, I can't remember why, or when, I de-lurked. It happened in stages, I remember. At first I only posted when it was directly related to fanfic. Either a story or a comment. Now I have joined the ranks of the blabbers who like to hear their own voi--er, see their words on the screen. :p

And, as Pam said, the friendships are wonderful. I'm so glad I de-lurked. When you're a lurker and reading fanfic, it's great -- you get fanfic! But when you get off the bleachers and start participating... It's just fun.

I do know that I participated with the boards and the ficlist way before I jumped in IRC. And now it's hard to remember what life was like pre-IRC. Lonely, I suspect.

Bethy

I have a confession to make...

<clears throat>

"My name is Helga and I was a serial lurker..."

I was a bad, naughty, naughty lurker. I was lurking since 1996/7 for about 5 years and I never posted feedback.

This is wrong.

There are lots of reasons why it is wrong, particularly because the authors in this fandom write amazingly good stories and the only thing they get in return are the readers commments... it's not too much to give.

But the reason why I de-lurked was more complicated than guilt about feedback...

About 2 years ago, as well as lurking here, I lurked on another email list as well, connected to an organisation I volunteer for. Lurking was more acceptable there because the list was mostly for passing information on to people who needed it. However, there was a core group of people who posted regularly, and would frequently post off topic, which was also acceptable there. One of these members was pregnant and the baby was overdue, and whilst she was waiting to go into labour she sent a lot of emails to the group, several a day. She was getting more and more impatient, and everyone else sent her loads of messages of support and suggestions that might encourage the baby to show it's face anytime soon. There were a lot of old wife's tales being thrown around, and it was all lots of fun.

Then her emails stopped and she wasn't heard from for a while. I guess everyone assumed that she'd had the baby and was too busy enjoying being a mum to send an email. A few weeks later she finally did post, the baby had died a few hours after being born.

Then I suddenly realised why lurking was wrong. Through their emails I had got to know the people on the group well, but they had no idea who I was. And now I wanted to tell this person how sorry I was to hear about her baby, but I was a complete stranger to her. Would I make it worse for her if I did send a message? I was a stranger intruding on a very personal, private moment. I didn't send an email in the end, I didn't want to take the chance that I could make it worse. As if it could be any worse. I still don't know if I did the right thing.

Well, I decided to stop lurking then.

Especially here... Lois and Clark was the first thing I looked up on the internet. I had been lurking online in the fandom for years. Since Zoom's boards were created I had got to know a lot of the people in the fandom, from their posts their discussions and the fics they wrote. But none of you knew me from Adam. And well, that's just plain creepy.

So I posted. And actually, it's not that hard when you start

And then one day I was bored so I downloaded IRC, and now I wonder why I never did it before.

Besides which, it was about time you all got treated to the wonderfulness that is Helga! You had been missing out for so long!

Helga

i've been reading fanfiction since 1999, but for some reason I never found Zoomway's boards. So I was always a little confused when I read fanfic writers' acknowledgements of FoLC ideas in the MBs.

Once I found the MBs late last year, there was no contest between choosing to continue lurking or to delurk. I never announced myself the way so many FoLCs did when they delurk. I think it's my personality. I'm a little wshy when it comes to this sort of thing. So I just quietly commented in fanfics until FoLCs noticed me. Which you all did, before very long.

--meclone2--

ROFL -- you're so kind, Helga <g> We appreciate your generosity in sharing your wonderfulness

I'm sorry to hear about that other lady and her baby; that's a terrible thing to go through for everyone around. It's hard enough to figure out what to say when it's a friend.

But I'm glad you've (finally!) introduced yourself

PJ

It's about two and half years since I de-lurked. For a few months before, I had been reading stories on the archive and Zoom's boards. One day a message appeared on the archive about giving feedback to authors. All of a sudden I felt quite guilty.
I didn't know anyone at all but at the time had been devouring Wendy's stories on the archive and also "Faux Pas' which she was posting on Zoom's boards. So I sent her a thank you email. To my complete shock I received a reply from Wendy suggesting that I post comments to the boards. So I registered for Zoom's boards and made my first comment on "Faux Pas'.
It didn't take me long to realize that I enjoyed making comments nearly as much as reading. I only wish that I had the time to make more detailed comments. One thing I have come to recognize is that most authors like any sort of constructive feedback &#8211; short or complex.

So it's all Wendy's fault! I would never have de-lurked without her encouragement.
Thank you!

Tricia

Wow! I'd forgotten about that, Tricia! And it sounds awfully forward of me, now, to have suggested that you post comments on the boards! But I'm so glad that I did.

These stories are all so interesting. It's amazing to see how different people are. Some jump in with both feet, not waiting for anything, while others lurk for ages.

Helga, your story was so touching. Thanks for sharing it with us. Though I've never been in as a serious a predicament as that, I do know what you mean about wanting to post to share in someone's joy or sorrow, but feeling uncomfortable because to them you are a stranger.

I don't know about creepy, but it does seem a bit weird at times. I know I was a little scared to start posting and chatting at first because I felt like I already knew a lot about so many people from watching them. Also I really admired a lot of people and was terrified that they would think I was a pest. Sarah and I used to semi-lurk on IRC and get really excited when our "heroes" would talk to us. (She's probably going to kill me for exposing our dorkiness <G>)

Annie

rofl, Annie... oh, I know exactly how you feel! I was just the same way back when I first got onto IRC <g> (way back in the age of dinosaurs) It's kind of a shame that I've gotten over it, really...

PJ

LabRat (who misses Menolly and her stories...)

You sound a lot braver than me, Annie. I've been on IRC a few times in my existence (I probably still have my IRC program lurking around my comp somewhere), but I went into an L&C related channel only twice, and all of my "heroes" (and my own dorkiness comes out) were there. I stuttered out a couple of hellos and logged my butt off as fast as humanly possible.

I lurked for a month or two on Zoom's boards, along time ago, I think last year. I lurked because, from school to homework, to friends to the movies, and real life, just didn't have time to post. Also, now I have a job. You guys won't be seeing me for awhile. LMAO at Helga.

Ja-10

Jen, come back! You don't have to say much, just hide in the corner next to the ficus tree and watch while we destroy any hero-like image you may have of us!

PJ

Yes, Jen, come back! And anyone else who's scared, take my word for it, your heros aren't as intimidating as you think they are. They're just normal people - wait, what am saying? Normal is not exactly the right word here.... <EG>

In any case, I promise people will welcome you with open arms. I survived the first couple of awkward times, and you can too. You can't possibly be as pathetic as I was in the beginning.

You should have seen the first email I sent to Kathy, when I was first coming out of lurkerdom. "I know you don't know me, and, well, I totally understand if you are too busy to reply. I really don't mean to bother you. I'm sure you have lots of other things to do. And people probably email you all the time to ask for advice. And, well, I just thought maybe, if it wasn't too much trouble, you might find a little time to look at this. But if you can't, don't worry, that's ok.)

Annie (who seriously hopes Kathy doesn't have a copy of that actual email somewhere.)

as to heroes, i guess i'm kind of lucky in that department... i met people before i realized they should be heroes. wendy was my first GE, and, at the time, i didn't know her from eve (seemed odd to say "adam"). (actually, i hadn't even realized it was wendy. one day we were chatting, and i started remembering how i'd sent this email to one of my GEs trying to explain the difference between "d'oh" and "duh," remembering only that the GE in question had been a woman from the UK. then wendy piped up and explained that that had been her... )

when i got sucked into IRC, i just sort of hung out with people, and put together who they were after i'd gotten to know them. so, the awe kind of got stuck in the back of my mind before it managed to bloom. <G>

otoh, you should have seen me tripping over myself when irene logged on this one time... i rarely see her, but i'm a huge fan of her stories.

so, jen, take heart... you get used to people.

and irene, take this as a call to log in a little more often.

Paul

LOL! Nope, I don't, but I do remember it ... though interestingly enough, a little differently. <g>

Annie was posting "Anybody's Baby" to the boards, and I thought it was a neat premise with a ton of potential. So I posted some feedback, maybe made some suggestions for something I would have expected to happen that didn't, that sort of thing, when suddenly I got an email saying how much she liked my ideas and would I be willing to explain my suggestions more in depth. Talk about being delighted! <g>

See, normally when I post suggestions to a new author, I always worry I'm going to upset them. After all, you never know when you are going to run into someone who *says* they want constructive feedback when all they really want to hear is, "this is great! Don't change a thing!", and you get burned. So I try to be pretty careful about what I say if I don't know someone. So to actually have a author come back and tell me that they were fascinated by what I said and would I be willing to expand on them? Now how could I *not* love that?? LOL.

But to keep this on topic, I'll give my own delurking story.

In the summer of 1995 (before the 3rd season started), I was home on maternity leave, but my office was trying to entice me to come back early. My husband had been wanting to buy a new computer for some time, but I had been balking. After all, ours worked fine for the stuff we did, so why spend the money? "Ah!" he said, "But we could get on the internet!" Big deal, I scoffed ... what could I *possibly* do on the internet? (Yes, I'll wait while you all stop laughing -- the irony is quite striking, isn't it? )

Eventually, we did get that new computer; my office offered to let me pilot a work from home program for them if I would come back early, and my extra earnings would pay for the computer I'd need to do that work. My husband installed all the software and was trying to explain to me about using Netscape to visit websites. "But I don't know any websites," I protested. He pulled up Yahoo.com ... "type in 'Lois and Clark'," he suggested, trying to get me comfortable with his new toy. "I bet you can find information out about it." Talk about wishing he could go back and relive a day ...

The first thing I found was a big fan site about the show, and was astounded and delighted beyond belief. (I can't remember who ran it, but it was the main one at the time.) There were links to a lot of things, but one of them was fanfic. Fanfic? What the heck? The link took me to a page with a few stories (Zoomway's Counter Clark-Wise was there) and eventually led me to Rhen's mailing list and the majordomo list (this was pre-Archive). I was hooked immediately.

Another link was to info about IRC ... that sounded interesting, but you had to download this program ... that sounded really intimidating. I finally got the courage up to ask my husband about it and he poked around online until he found a program to use, and I finally summounded my courage and signed on. I think my first visit was on a Monday, and there weren't too many people there -- a dozen or so. (LOL, which of course totally cracks me up now; shows you how busy IRC was back then when 10-12 people was a slow night.) I was nervous, but people were really friendly and when I left, people actually invited me to come back! (I remember Dan Shawler saying I was "a nice, well-behaved newbie" and everyone laughing when I mistakingly assumed Zoomway was a guy. )

I did come back a couple more times that week, and was told that Sunday nights were when it got *really* busy; after the eps aired in the US, tons of peopled logged on. I was so curious, I just had to come ... "Contact" had just aired that night ... and, after I got over the shock of seeing 50, 60, 70 people in a chat room , the rest is history.

Kathy

Hm...

Can't exactly remember when I delurked at first. My first intro to FoLCs was online - I joined the fanfic list in 1998, when it was still on indiana.edu. I expect I sat around for a week or so to get a feel for the list, as that's what I'd been told to do when I went to Yahoo's chatrooms - sit around and lurk for a while to get a feel for what kind of room it is. But then someone posted something that I felt I could contribute to, and so I posted, and they replied, and next thing I know, I'm writing to all these great people and getting to know them, and reading their fic... Well, I don't stay shy long, as any FoLC'll tell you, so when I got on IRC, I didn't lurk at ALL, nor when I got on Zoom's boards. And hey, the mods here have tried to shut me up a few times, but I still post

Melisma (under her Rock, really needing to do some work, since classes start tomorrow, but hey, this is way more fun! Let's just say she understands what the students on the list are talking about, not just as a former student herself but from the other side of the desk...)

Kathy, I loved your de-lurking story -- how funny!! )

You didn't wait long enough for me.

Great de-lurking story.

Kathy, you had me in stitches!

As for everyone else, you're not supposed to make irc sound intimidating! I'm sure it says that in the irc manual somewhere -

"The only problem a newbie to irc should have is finding time to download it and figure out how everything works. S/he should not be reminded that s/he will meet his/her heros, nor should s/he be introduced to the idea that s/he may feel nervous about said meeting of heros."

Believe or not I hadn't even thought about it til everyone brought it up!

Loriel (who will find time to download it and will not be intimidated... if at all possible!)

These de-lurking stories are so great! I enjoyed reading every one of them.


So I guess I should share my own .

When I got the internet back in 96 or 97, the first thing I searched online was "Lois and Clark" and boy was I surprised with all of the information I found. I went to the AOL message boards - and was so amazed that so many people were talking about Lois and Clark. Since I didn't like to be spoiled about episodes, and didn't really care about learning about the actors (I am weird like that - I don't like to see the actors as real people rather than their characters), I immediately went to the final part of the board - and I found people writing stories about Lois and Clark. Initially, I was SHOCKED that people would do something like that. But I realized that I loved it - and I would keep comming back to the AOL boards to see if someone had posted a new section. My mom and sister both knew what I was doing, and I had said, in amazement, "Mom, look, people are wrtiting stories about Lois and Clark". My sister had not been so impressed and she said, "(insert real name), you have no life." So she deemed whenever I would be online - going to visit my no life club.

After a long time lurking there, I decided to try to write a story myself - and the rest is history. Then I found the archive before it was the archive (when it was the ftp site) and the rest was history .

But I guess I was still sort of a lurker - because I was scared of chatting on IRC. I was also scared of trying to talk to all of the amazing writers whose stories I had read and loved (which is why I am still bad at sending feedback!). That is my biggest problem - I am so shy to say anything initially in any situation with people I really don't know. But whenever I get going it is pretty much impossible to shut me up!

Then I found zmbs - whenever they began - and Plan9Lives was just about the only person writing there. And I was hooked - and finally started posting. However, I still was too afraid to go on IRC. I downloaded the program, but had only gone on once - must have been a really bad time because there was noone I recognized even on at the time.

But then I had some major personal problems that overwhelmed me starting in late 2000/early 2001 that sort of cut back on my time extensively. Sick parents, harder school work, trying to get 2 degrees at once... so something had to give. And it was my own writing and active participation on the boards . So I relagated myself to lurking again. As much as I tried to tell myself that I couldn't and that I didn't have time, I still made my monthly trip to the boards to see what was going on and my monthly trip to the archive - even if I didn't really have time to read the new stories. But I did compile a list of the stories on the archive that I want to read, but haven't yet.

So why did I delurk again? I am not entirely sure, actually, but maybe it was because after last semester (my first as a true graduate student with a degree and everything ) which had been the semester from hell - one class took up 70 hours a week with the stupid homework assignments it had - and most of the time we struggled to get them done not even to get them right. I finally felt like I had time to breathe - and enjoy my favorite lesiure activity again. It felt like a vacation this semester when one class had only abougt 6 hours of homework a week, the other class had 20 hours of homework every two weeks, and TAing and research only took up the rest of what a normal 40 hr a week job would. So I felt like I finally had free time again - and what better place to waste my free time?

And I think another thing that sort of catalysed my return to L&C was that in my applied neural control class last semester, we had to write a paper whose goal was to be geared towards the average reader that had an interest in science about Christopher Reeve and his late recovery from spinal cord injury. And, even though I am not a big fan of the Superman movies - somehow I really loved researching and writing this paper. In fact, I was one of the only people in the class that had followed the assignment - I wrote a story about "Superman or Superneuroscientists? You be the judge." And I had so much fun writing it! Well, I got the highest grade in the class - not hard to do when people like my friend, who had grown up in ethiopia and hadn't ever heard of Superman before, wrote a paper about someone named Christopher Reed. But one day when I was writing that paper, I had this really insane dream about L&C being professors that developed something that saved Christopher Reeve... and the beginnings of my latest story was born.

And then once I became active again, I decided that I was going to try ot stay on the perhiphery. Well, that was when I got an email from Wendy telling me that people shared spoilers for story parts on IRC. Even though I had class at the time she told me that the IRC spoilers took place, I decided to download the IRC program anyway. And now that school is over, I finally have time to chat! And last Saturday was the first time I had really gone on IRC. And I completely understand the feeling of all of your idols being there and being intimidated! I'm still intimadated, but I just hide it very well .

So that was my long, long story . I hope I didn't bore anyone to death.

- Alicia

It's been really interesting reading all of these delurking stories. It took me quite a while to delurk, and then I did it in stages. Although I found elements of the online fandom in the summer of 1995, I didn't participate in any group activities at that stage: I joined the old LOISCLA list, but saw far too many spoilers for Season 3 eps which I hadn't seen yet, so quit again in the same afternoon. However, I did find fanfic, and began devouring avidly!

And then at some point, a year or two later, I rejoined LOISCLA and then the fic list, jumping into some very enjoyable discussions there - I remember one about when Lois fell in love with Clark, as opposed to Superman, in which Kathy and Zoomway were disagreeing animatedly with each other. Fanfic writing came a little later, in early 1998, I think, when it occurred to me that I'd always loved writing and that I should give it a try. This, of course, was in pre-MB days, and so my stories went straight to the Archive. I couldn't believe it, the morning after the first one went up, when my work inbox had about half a dozen feedback emails!

IRC came later still, and that was because, much to my shock and disbelief, I had been nominated for Kerths.

I will be fully honest. I still lurk. I am not ashamed either. I am a very inward and quiet person. I always have this fear that I sound stupid so I just stay out, (I know that sounds silly).

That is my story.

Thank you.

Anni, it doesn't sound silly at all. But if you let yourself delurk one of these days, you'll find a very friendly crowd and I hope you will feel welcome and at home. Fear to sound stupid is natural, but I think we all experience it now and again.

Don't be afraid to post feedback to stories you enjoy: authors thrive on feedback - and 'loved it, post more!' messages are extremely welcome, too; they represent a huge encouragement to your favourite writers. And never be afraid to ask questions about how things work around here: there are no stupid questions. All in all, don't be afraid to post! We're a truly friendly bunch. Not completely sane, all right, , but we're basically nice.

Kaethel (wondering if you're Anni from #loisclark or another Anni)

I guess that while I'm here I might just as well tell my own delurk story. [g] Keeping it in a separate post since it's irrelevant with the previous one.

When I first got hooked onto the internet, back in late June 1998, I immediately discovered fanfic and started to devour every story I could get my hands on. I quickly became accustomed to a few authors' style and got my favourites, for whom I would drop everything and rush to the archive. And since I'd always enjoyed writing, I decided to try my hand at it around the same time as well, with no intent whatsoever to share it with anyone, let alone post it somewhere on the net where people could read it! No way!

My first brush with delurking was when I sent a feedback email to Debby Stark about her Dawning series. I was so sure she would never reply to me, that no-one would ever want to reply to someone they didn't know at all and who just happened to email them out of the blue about a story they had written (oh the misconceptions!)! But a few days later, much to my surprise, I got a very friendly reply from her where she replied to my comments in details and explained her plot and characterisation choices to me. I was thrilled! But being shy as I am (no, don't laugh, I am truly shy ), I didn't dare reply.

I kept reading fanfic and writing in my own little private corner. Or, I should say, dabbling. I was only just practicing my written English, which, as my teacher that year had told me, wasn't my forte. :p Fanfic reading came to the rescue on that front, and I felt a little more confident after ingesting (no, not literally [g]) thousands of pages. Still, being ESL is what held me back from getting out of lurkdom. Well, that, and the lack of available flat rate offer in my country.

However, when the 1999 Kerth ceremony came, I couldn't resist. After all, I'd sent votes in, and so I wanted to see if the stories I supported would win. I downloaded irc, logged on, and gasped when I saw the huge number of people talking and laughing and cheering at the winners. I remember I was first totally puzzled to see so many of my favourite authors there! Part of me hadn't realised that all those famous names truly existed beyond the electrons on my monitor, until I saw them talk. And I also remember that one of my first comment was to ask them how come they all knew each other. It was amazing. They got into the channel one after another, and under weird nicks, and people immediately greeted them by their real name. I remember (weird things the memory holds back sometimes) that one of them was laughing about sending hubby and kids to McDonald's to get the house for herself during the ceremony.

Everyone was very friendly, and I had a wonderful time. Since they had told me they gathered on #loiscla (old, old channel that isn't used any more AFAIK), I thought I would try this irc thing again soon. That's the worst thing that happened to my phone bill... but one of the best things that happened to me.

A few days later, though, my jaw literally hit the floor when I got an email from one of my favourite authors thanking me for my support (I had told her I'd loved her story on the Kerthchat channel). We started a correspondence from then on, because I happened to tentatively mention that I was trying my hand at writing, and she offered to BR for me. She was my first BR, and even though she's left the fandom and we've lost touch, I'm really grateful for the encouragement and help she provided back then.

Then things went quickly: I joined the ficlist a few weeks after irc, and started to post there, if not regularly, then at least more than I'd ever thought I would. As for the boards, I lurked on the old zoomway.com MBs for a few months before I registered to post my first fanfic (blaming El for twisting my arm to do so, btw [bg]).

And ditto what others mentioned, re.seeing your fanfic-heroes on irc! It's extremely intimidating at first, but quickly you realise they're completely normal people. Their writing leaves you in awe, but their friendliness and generosity are even more amazing.

Kaethel (who's been very lucky to develop a few close friendships on irc that will probably last a lifetime )

Yeah. I'm the AnniWrite.

<--- Me, I just ate ice cream.

Anni

Best thing I've ever done.

Now, how about posting:

• Near Wild Heaven II
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away
• A Hundred Tears Away

Darn, the list thingy got stuck somehow...

Elena

I never really lurked... I did only know of the season five, TUFS and six at first, then I stumbled from there to the archive... then I discovered IRC.. where one of the first ppl I met was Irene... she and I used to talk fairly often back then and she told me of the msg boards and I jumped right in. Never a question of my lurking on IRC, I would not talk if I had nothing to say, at first.. or at least if I had nothing to say that was relevent..but now you are hard put to shut me up there

This seems like a propitious topic to post my first message to.

This is far from the first on-line community I've joined. I always intend to lurk for a while, but being an opinionated sort of person, as soon as I join up I always seem to find something I just have to put my 2p in on. The only way to stop me at that stage is to ignore completely anything I say - it's happened to me elsewhere, but people here always seem eager to welcome newcomers.

If I remember rightly, I only joined Zoom's MBs when I'd written about half of All Stirred Up, and was ready to start posting. I think. I already had my utterly wonderful BRs by then , so I must have joined the fic list earlier to request help with my writing. And before I started writing, I'd been reading stories on the archive for a couple of months.

IRC only came later, when Yvonne graciously invited me along to a fanfic spoiler session, and I had to hurry to download, install and understand mIRC in time. It took no time at all till I was thoroughly hooked and spending a lot of free time on #lanekent, and subsequently #loisclark. My husband sympathises deeply with Kathy's, though he was never foo... erm, rash enough to push me into it.

Mere