Lurking

[lurk] /lɜrk/

verb (used without object)
1.
to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively.
2.
to go furtively; slink; steal.
3.
to exist unperceived or unsuspected.
4.
Chiefly Computers. to read or observe an ongoing discussion without participating in it, as on a message board.
noun, Australian Informal.
5.
an underhand scheme; dodge.
6.
an easy, somewhat lazy or unethical way of earning a living, performing a task, etc.
7.
a hideout.
/ˈlɜːkɪŋ/
adjective
1.
lingering and persistent, though unsuspected or unacknowledged: a lurking suspicion
2.
dimly perceived: a lurking shape half concealed in the shadows
/lɜːk/
verb (intransitive)
1.
to move stealthily or be concealed, esp for evil purposes
2.
to be present in an unobtrusive way; go unnoticed
3.
to read messages posted on an electronic network without contributing messages oneself
noun
4.
(Austral & NZ, slang) a scheme or stratagem for success
v.

c.1300, lurken “to hide, lie hidden,” probably from Scandinavian (cf. dialectal Norwegian lurka “to sneak away,” dialectal Swedish lurka “to be slow in one’s work”), perhaps ultimately related to Middle English luren “to frown, lurk” (see lower (v.2)). Related: Lurked; lurking.

verb

messaging, jargon
The activity of one of the “silent majority” in a electronic forum such as Usenet; posting occasionally or not at all but reading the group’s postings regularly. This term is not pejorative and indeed is casually used reflexively: “Oh, I’m just lurking”. Often used in “the lurkers”, the hypothetical audience for the group’s flamage-emitting regulars.
Lurking and reading the FAQ are recommended netiquette for beginners who need to learn the history and practises of the group before posting.
(1997-06-14)