I think the biggest challenge for lurkers and occasional posters here is the sheer volume of posts that come from a certain small percentage of posters. Over time the names have changed, but there seems to have always been a smallish group that dominates through volume. If you can't post regularly (during the US workday), the discussion moves along and leaves you behind. I also find that if you disagree with those who can post regularly, it often isn't worth the argument because you lose based on sheer post volume (making it seem like more are against you than is really the case).
Now, some of those who post regularly do so very thoughtfully. This is not a criticism of those with high post counts. I don't see much positive or negative correlation between quantity and quality of posts. I do think it is difficult to post thoughtfully, however, unless one has the time to follow-up on a regular basis.
This is up there in the most truthful posts I have read.
A huge +1
Completely agree. Fear is beast and it is indeed sad to think about how many people fail to speak up because they don't want to be criticized. It's crazy to think the said fear can exist on discussion forums like this. You would think because he area hiding behind are computers, we should be able to speak our mind without fear.
Then you get the other side of it and all these idiots on Twitter. Some of the stuff that gets tweeted out all because people are hiding behind a computer. The scary thing is that these people keep this stuff locked in. Then they have to release it out into the Twitterverse.
A discussion is a give and take proposition where ideas are shared, dissected and both learn something from each other. Not everyone comes here for a discussion.
Very well said Ian. Although arguments and discussions are different, Dale Carnegie said it best “You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it.”