Pattern: Space For Lurking

Summary	Lurking is a valid activity when engaging with new social platforms/services, especially when deciding what is a legitimate projection/use of identity. Providing the space and time for acclimatisation to the social rules is an important design consideration.
Status	seed	Confidence	2
details...		Group	Digital Identities

Problem

There is always a first time when participants enter a new online space to engage in an activity that is fundamentally social in nature - this may be for example to take part in a learning and teaching activity. But these social spaces are not neutral and have conventions for interaction and social codes that are are intertwined and it can be daunting to even experienced users  when deciding what is a legitimate projection/use of identity particularly when the same type of platform can support different social codes (e.g. some blogs are factual and some are fictional) and some platforms eg Second Life have layered social codes that may include sub-cultural codes layered on SL social codes that take time to decipher.

Context

This pattern is encountered in any virtual/online space where social activity takes place. This may be:

(i) engaging participants, either experts or novices, in the use of a new platform or (ii) engaging novice participants in existing online spaces. Users of this pattern should also bear in mind the differences between lurking to observe conventions e.g. in communication protocols and lurking to understand the tone, rhythm and style of communication exchanges. In rich graphical virtual spaces e.g. Second Life this may include observation of visual codes e.g. gestures and dress code.

Solution

Design social spaces to accomodate lurking. Lurking is a valid and important activity when engaging with new social platforms/services, especially when deciding what is a legitimate projection/use of identity. It allows new users to assess the social codes in place before diving in. Spaces where lurking can take place (individuals can see the flow of the culture in a platform but do not have to interact) are essential for social media platforms to allow new members to get a sense of the social norms/codes. This provides parameters for the style in which they project their identity or which facets of their identity they choose to share.

This is also important for elearning facilitators as they come to understand how they could use (appropriate?) a social platform for teaching and learning.

For this to fully work the amount of lurking may need to be significant and coupled with opportunities to engage in testing out behaviour and getting accurate feedback on performance (Wenger – social learning). Similarly, opportunities to articulate and examine the norms of interaction will facilitate new users in becoming sensitive to the new social codes and adapting to them. This situation is analogous to helping International Students to adapt to new (hidden) educational practices (Caroll)

Related Patterns

list other patterns related to this one, under categories such as component, assisting, conflicting, uses this, etc.

This patterns has resonance with Alexander's pattern 125 STAIR SEATS:

Conflict

Wherever there is action in a place, the spots which are the most inviting, are those high enough to give people a vantage point, and low enough to put them in action.

Resolution

In any public place where people loiter, add a few steps at the edge where stairs come down or where there is a change of level. Make these raised areas immediately accessible from below, so that people may congregate and sit to watch the goings-on.

Notes, Links and References

Liabilities, potential risks, extensions, expected side-effects

======= Rationale ========
Identification of different types of lurker. Each lurking space demands a different type of social contract or social script. If you want the space to lurk then others then there has to be some way to tag the lurker so that others know what the social script is or the social codes. For example many role play sims in SL do explicitly offer a tag/label to designate why lurking. Or work i areas such as training spaces e.g. using OpenSim before going into SL. Lurking as a legitimate position - tracked and can therefore help to add to statistics. Browsers/lurkers/silent members.
======= END Rationale ========

NOTE: there is also the importance of movement from lurking to participation. One of the issues with discussion fora is that lurkers can remain as lurkers and never be drawn out into participation. There may be a useful pattern that need to be developed on successful participation.======= Wants ========
Needs one or two directly relevant case-stories to help identify successful practices/solutions======= END Wants ========

Licensing

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.