Lurking as a form of online participation

Lurking

Within the literature associated with the foundational introduction of internet chat rooms and list serves is at least a limited representation of work associated with the concept of lurking. Lurking is a phenomena associated with live internet chat behavior. The lurker signs in to a chat room and watches and assimilates all the information exchanged but does not interact with the other chatters. He or she does not interject but simply reads it the information. There are several reasons why an individual may lurk. The intent may be malicious, in the sense that the person is looking for personal information tot somehow use against the participants of the chat room, or they may simply be harmlessly eavesdropping, cyber people watching if you will. The three most commonly addressed circumstances in the literature, having to do with lurking are, social psychological in a research sense, journalistic integrity and of course law enforcement/security.

Sociologists and psychologist have found a previously untapped resource within the use of internet chat and discussion boards, as people are often more candid in an anonymous or quasi-anonymous setting than they would be otherwise. "Discussion groups allow one..."lurk"...Lurking is the equivalent of observation and may be an excellent source of learning for group work students."

(Giffords, 1998) This previously unavailable media has led to much discussion about the ethical implications of information gleaned from these sources, many situations have occurred and will continue to occur where those invested in the social society that is the discussion board or chat room feel violated by the idea or the reality of having been observed and/or recorded for another's gain. Issues such as informed consent have become widely discussed by human subjects committees all over the country, as learning institutions come to terms with the ethical use and possible abuse of this new media. (Kiesler, 1996, p. 163) The situation requires additional concern and definition of rights and responsibilities of both individuals and study groups.

Journalistic ethics are also a challenge within the new age of electronic information. As many journalists and institutions struggle to maintain integrity and legally and ethically sight sources of information, in an environment that is so much more anonymous than anything ever before. The idea that has come to the forefront of the journalistic environment is that an old standard of ethics still applies and must be adhered to religiously, so as there will not be an inadvertent demise in the integrity of journalism. (Lasica, 1997, p. 52) The potential for information is seemingly endless but the source citation may be difficult or questionable based upon the questionable intentions of the posters and/or lurkers.