What an amazing point of view, thank you. It made waking up in the middle the night worth while. :)
There had been times that I have posted articles that well are not generally acceptable on Free Republic but the reason I posted them was to generate discussion and the hope if just one person does a search and pulls up the thread that they might learn something and help them to make informed decisions. If this were to happen at least once it is so worth all the threads I have posted.
I have no doubt the lurker's number's are high. I also have a feeling that some are shy and worried about discourse that might end up ruffle feather's and just do not want to go there.
I bet the number of hits to FR far exceeds the actual membership.
So, in closing, it is always a good idea that in posting that you consider who the reader's might be and the impact just one thread can make to folks all over the world.
Again, thanks for your delightful comment!
You are very welcome...The reason I posted this, about the lurkers, is because of an experience I had on FR several months ago, perhaps even a year ago...
The subject of the thread was about potty training the kiddies...now, to me anyway, with such a subject, one would have thought it would have just people giving their experiences, their thoughts, whatever on the subject...hardly seemed a subject where one could get bashed or flamed...boy, was I mistaken on that score...
When I posted my thoughts, and my experiences on this matter, boy did I get flamed...I was called names, and my fitness as a mom was even questioned...after I tried to explain myself, as best as I could, I still saw that I was getting nowhere...after being called a really, really nasty name, I just stated, that, being a lady, I was not going to get into this mudfest any longer, and left the thread...enough was really enough for me...
I was really quite disturbed, to find folks so very vicious on this particular subject...I figured it was just best to leave and forget it...but I received a ton of private Freepmail, from 'lurkers'...these lurkers obviously were signed up to FR(hence they were able to send me private Freepmail), but rarely, if ever posted...
The lurkers private FReepmail to me was encouraging...they said, that what I had stated, was also the way in which they had potty trained their own children, and found it to be the best way, and they were also rather shocked at how badly I was treated on that thread, and at the names I was called...I wished that they had been more supportive of me on the thread itself, but, perhaps, they just did not want to get into the fray...but in private Freepmail, they felt more confident, and it was encouraging to me, to realize, that what I had said, struck a chord with so many...
When I went back to see if any of these who had sent me private Freepmails, had ever posted on a thread on FR, I was amazed to find out that they had not posted...they were lurkers, here on FR to read and to learn..
So, I have always tried to remember that when I post anything...the lurkers are indeed out there...
And your articles on military matters, have been informative, and very helpful, and interesting...so even if a particular thread you might begin, dealing with military matters, does not draw a lot of posts, just remember there are those out there who are lurking, who are reading, who are learning, and who are grateful for your informative articles...they may not say a word to you, either on the thread, or in a private Freepmail, but they are there...