Lurking
- “what is lurking online”
- “is lurking bad”
- “lurker meaning”
- “how many people lurk”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Lurking | Shadowban |
|---|---|---|
| Chosen | Yes | No |
| You know | Yes | No |
| Reversible by you | Instantly | Not at all |
| Harmful | No | Debated |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Lurking rather than Shadowban are usually searching for phrases like “what is lurking online”, “is lurking bad”, “lurker meaning”.
Shadowban
- “what is a shadowban”
- “am i shadowbanned”
- “shadowban vs ban”
- “do platforms shadowban”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortLurking. mid-1980s — The term enters bulletin-board culture. Because a lurker occupied a phone line without contributing, system operators often banned them outright.
- mid-1980s
Lurking. The term enters bulletin-board culture. Because a lurker occupied a phone line without contributing, system operators often banned them outright.
- mid-1980s
Shadowban. Citadel bulletin-board software implements a 'twit bit' — a flag letting a user keep reading and posting while their messages stay invisible to everyone else.
04 · Read either one