Post by Admin Archon on Apr 28, 2011 17:23:35 GMT -8
Lately, there has been a spate of people coming into a chat and doing... absolutely nothing. This is irritating to a lot of people for many reasons.
First of all, a lurker can make someone feel like the person is sitting and watching them play, while secretly ridiculing them. It is extremely uncomfortable to feel this way and has a negative impact on play.
Lurkers are a disappointment. One looks over at the names on the list and hopes for play, and then feels like they are not 'good enough' to inspire the lurker to play—also not a comfortable feeling.
If you have PMed at least the gamemaster and asked them if you can lurk, or if you at least greet the room and say 'I just want to watch, not feeling able to participate tonight', that helps. But please, keep even that to a minimum. It's just not a comfortable feeling for many of us, including me, to be 'watched'.
Canon-sitting is where a player has a canon character and does not play or develop the character. Canon characters are, obviously, very important to the storylines in which they are meant to be played. We all don't feel the mood from time to time and that is fine. But if multiple sessions go by without input from the canon(s) you play, do realize that it is the GM's right to take that canon from you and give it to someone that wants to play it. You can't just sit on it, and you can't just keep the character strictly in private play without ever bringing it into chat or onto the boards. That is not fair to other people in the game.
First of all, a lurker can make someone feel like the person is sitting and watching them play, while secretly ridiculing them. It is extremely uncomfortable to feel this way and has a negative impact on play.
Lurkers are a disappointment. One looks over at the names on the list and hopes for play, and then feels like they are not 'good enough' to inspire the lurker to play—also not a comfortable feeling.
If you have PMed at least the gamemaster and asked them if you can lurk, or if you at least greet the room and say 'I just want to watch, not feeling able to participate tonight', that helps. But please, keep even that to a minimum. It's just not a comfortable feeling for many of us, including me, to be 'watched'.
Canon-sitting is where a player has a canon character and does not play or develop the character. Canon characters are, obviously, very important to the storylines in which they are meant to be played. We all don't feel the mood from time to time and that is fine. But if multiple sessions go by without input from the canon(s) you play, do realize that it is the GM's right to take that canon from you and give it to someone that wants to play it. You can't just sit on it, and you can't just keep the character strictly in private play without ever bringing it into chat or onto the boards. That is not fair to other people in the game.