I put up a lurker thread last week, but another thread followed in close proximity, so I thought we would try again on a day that seems to be quieter.
You all may already know this, but when you post your first comment, it goes into moderation, and sometimes it takes a while for one of us to see it and free your comment so it shows up for everyone. Once it’s released from moderation, it goes into the comments with the time-stamp for when you first submitted it, so then most people probably never see it. So it’s not surprising that first comments often don’t get replied to.
So here’s a special open thread where we can keep a particular eye out for first comments that go into moderation. Plus we get to say hello and wave to some of you!
A few of you who poked your heads up on previous lurker threads have turned into commenters, but don’t let that scare the rest of you away!
In any case, it’s lurker appreciation day here on Balloon Juice! Welcome, all.
Open thread.
WaterGirl
Before anyone asks, it’s also commenter appreciation day, too. :-)
Come welcome the new peeps who show up.
WTFGhost
Hey, everyone, I appreciate that there are lurkers here. You know, like, “music appreciation,” I have learned that lurkers out there don’t actually get generated by a nym and e-mail (and optional website), but, when two people love each other very much… well, never mind, I bet most of you appreciate all of those facts, too.
So I’ve learned more about lurkers, and how they are created, and the care and feeding of them, which is awfully complicated at the first; I’m glad I haven’t been involved in lurker creation! So, lurker appreciation.
Like music appreciation? Sigh. Tough room.
WaterGirl
@WTFGhost: You goof!
Mr. Bemused Senior
This is very confusing. [ETA I am easily confused.]
Baud
@WaterGirl:
Finally.
I would like to appreciate myself for all of my hard work.
WaterGirl
@Mr. Bemused Senior: What is confusing?
WaterGirl
@Baud:
Repeat after me: I am good enough, I am smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me. (some of us, anyway!)
WaterGirl
My first zucchini of the new variety this year. Mexicana. Most excellent.
Time Travelin'
Can’t comment, too busy lurking.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@WaterGirl:
Just in response to @WTFGhost
WaterGirl
@Time Travelin’: Well, I would welcome you if you were here! :-)
WaterGirl
@Mr. Bemused Senior: Just a bit of silliness from WTFGhost.
WTFGhost
@Baud: Well… in math, we can sometimes say that something is vacuously true, if it’s not really meaningful for the empty set. So, it’s vacuously true that you could appreciate yourself for all your hard work, even if… okay, I’m doing math jokes now. I need more THC.
Baud
@WaterGirl:
I like the implied threat that the knife conveys.
Baud
@WTFGhost:
Yeah, your math jokes aren’t even original. Completely derivative.
Josie
@WaterGirl: Where did you buy the seeds for this?
ETA: And did you grow it in a container?
mcl
De-Lurking to express appreciation for all the fine folks who make Balloon Juice a safe haven for me to visit in these trying times.
lefthanded compliment
Lurkers seem to be thin on the ground (as Rumpole would say), so just dropping by to say how much I appreciate this place, especially as I find it harder to track all the terrible things happening in our country. Many thanks for providing an island of sanity.
Ron from MN
Lurking from the Twin Cities! Have a great day!!
WaterGirl
@Baud: Ha! As I posted the pic, I did have the thought that I had better not let the other baby zucchinis see that, they might decide not to grow enough to be harvested!
ILurkinPeace
Lurker since close to 9 years. From India. Just saying hi before I go back to lurking. You all are too jackal-y for my comfort (but also very nice so I enjoy reading the posts and the comments) but too scared to interact with you on a regular basis.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
I comment so seldomly that I’m basically a lurker. Lol. I read this blog everyday though.
FelonyGovt
I guess I qualify as a lurker because I haven’t commented in forever, although I do read here every day. I’ve been through 2 surgeries within 2 weeks of each other and a miserable recovery, but I think I’m finally coming out the other side.
And I’m as outraged and disgusted by everything happening as all of you!
WaterGirl
@Josie: Yes, in a container. A 5-gallon cloth pot.
Meicana at Johnny’s seeds.
These may be the best zucchini I have ever had. Really nice flavor, and a nice consistency. That’s the shape it is and you harvest when they are about that size or smaller.
I grilled it with just pepper and my homemake garlic salt. Which is just sea salt and Penzey’s Roasted Garlic.
Little tiny pieces of dried roasted garlic that I combine with salt and let hang out together in the jar. I will never buy garlic salt again.
WaterGirl
@mcl: @lefthanded compliment: @Ron from MN:
3 of you in a row, my day is made. :-)
Welcome!
WaterGirl
@ILurkinPeace: Some of us are scary, but not all of us!
(I hope.)
WaterGirl
@FelonyGovt: I am so happy to see you here today.
Sounds like a rough several months. I knew about your surgeries and then it fell out of my head. (bad friend!)
More like got pushed out of my head by the overwhelming awfulness around us.
Happy to hear that maybe you are turning a corner.
WaterGirl
@Josie: Forgot to include the picture in my reply.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS):
Part of the reason is that I’m on Atlantic time, which is an hour before blog time and threads are moribund or dead by the time I get here.
also I feel like I escaped from a Red State and can’t provide recent perspectives. Tho… can cheerlead the Cause!! (Not the Lost Cause).
WaterGirl
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS): What is NS?
FelonyGovt
Nova Scotia I think.
Josie
@WaterGirl: Thanks. I have to grow everything in pots now. I love my one story town home, but I sure miss my big yard and garden. I have found a baby eggplant for pots and a couple of tomatoes and peppers, but I hadn’t found a squash plant that works in a container.
wonkie
@ILurkinPeace: I kind of share your POV.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@WaterGirl: Nova Scotia…Right at Maine and the a bit north.
beautiful place. I’m lucky to have landed here
ETA… I suck at directions… east of Maine
Capri
I’m another person in the grey zone between infrequent commenter and lurker. My specialty is posting to hours or days old posts so nobody reads what I say.
WTFGhost
@FelonyGovt: Good to meet you, and YIKES on the surgeries and recoveries. Good luck – remember, healing actually takes up a lot of energy, so, be gentle with yourself, if that’s still happening. (Trust me, I know my low energy levels!)
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS): Reading but not commenting is precisely lurkering. Good to see you!
Arg, I can’t stop from saying it: every time I see “poodle,” I remember the time I saw a *real*, you know, bred to hunt, poodle, not one bred for size. But I hate thinking that, because then, if you’re a little poodle lover, I’m turning away, slightly disappointed.
Then again, the same thing happened first time I saw a “Poodle Skirt.” Y’all women have all kinds of weird names for things and it gets confusing. For example, despite the name, the slip I ruined wasn’t at all good at reducing friction! (That first one, was while I was a child, I should note.)
@WaterGirl: I have *heard* that you can harvest tiny baby tender zucchini, and I won’t make *any* jokes about “killing them before they can grow” because I’m nice that way. Still, as a story to scare the baby zucchini into allowing natural growth to occur, it might work.
@Ron from MN: Ooooh! My favorite state I’ve only rarely been in. (Now, Ron is going to tell me, “What, you think I meant “Minnesota?” just to riff off the penultimate reply to this) Welcome!
@lefthanded compliment: I once realized that BJ would provide me with a high level overview, without necessarily (in the posts, at least) throwing all the little horrors your way. If it was really effing big, it was here. If it wasn’t here, it might be big, but… that way lies doomscrolling. Anyway: Welcome!
@Time Travelin’: !retal uoy ees, emit evah uoy nehW
I hope that got there.
Josie
@ILurkinPeace:
Aww. Some of us are very peaceful. Just pick out a few to comment with and avoid the jackaly ones. Works for me.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@FelonyGovt: you’re correct!
WaterGirl
@Josie: My 8-ball squash is also doing well in the 5-gallon cloth pot.
8-ball squash are round, named for the 8-ball on a pool table. About that size, maybe a little bigger. Nice and firm and not many seeds, perfect for slicing and grilling to put on a sandwich.
FelonyGovt
@WTFGhost: Thanks so much. Yes, recovery takes so much energy, both physical and mental. I’m usually a “go go go” type of person so it’s been strange and a little hard to slow down.
Josie
@WaterGirl: Oh boy. I’m going seed shopping this afternoon.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@WTFGhost: our poodles were bred for spoiling. Lol. They’re lapdogs. Although, our Mini could probably bring down a bear… at least she thinks so. Little Napoleon.
our Standard is the biggest softie ever. She’s the real lapdog.
WTFGhost
@Capri: I’d say “welcome” except, I think I remember you enough to say “good to see you again!”
You know, once I realized that I do a lot of writing therapy, that took a lot of the sting out of writing something that got my thoughts lined up, and my blood boiling, or simmering, or, ice cold, and made me feel like I had spoken to the world what needed to be spoken.
If I still blogged, I’d probably then copy and paste the comment to my blog, too :-).
But you’re right, there’s always a sting when no one reads/responds, here, or blogwhere.
Scout211
@ILurkinPeace: Welcome! Yes, it took me months and months of lurking before I felt comfortable enough to post a comment.
You could try first posting a comment in one of the non-political threads like a respite thread, garden thread, OTR or the medium cool thread. Those threads are much less scary to join in.
Miki
@Ron from MN: Waving at you from the East Side of St. Paul!
RevRick
Lurkers of the world unite!
As a former lurker I understand why you lurk. Balloon Juice very much resembles a church. All churches claim to be friendly, but what they really mean is they are friendly with each other. This means that when you first comment, it’s likely to be ignored. That discourages further comments. You need to be someone obnoxious like me, elbowing your way in.
Here are some tips to get recognized:
1) Pick on Baud;
2). Find a comment you agree with and profusely praise the commenter;
3). Repeatedly make off the wall statements *
* this has never actually been field tested.
TerryC
I got the opposite here. Lots of cardiac ablation during a 4-hour surgery Thursday and I feel like a new man today. I can’t get myself slowed down. They got rid of a lot of bad shit! Could unmeasured arrythmias have been depressing me? Now I wonder and hope. Yep, I am tired from the surgery but I feel 200% better than two days ago.
I hope you feel better soon.
lowtechcyclist
@WTFGhost:
Or maybe just some fresh fruit. Here, try some of these Abelian grapes.
NotMax
Howdy lurkers! Don’t be a stranger. This here place follows Tom Bodett;s dictum.
;)
Scout211
Wow! That’s great to hear.
WaterGirl
@Josie: They only take about 10-14 days to go from seed to plantable in the pot. So order today and get started! :-)
Miki
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS): Love your nym!
I’ve been poodle-momming since 1997 – I started with the big guys and am on my second miniature poodle now.
Edited to fix link.
HinTN
Now, @WaterGirl: you know very well that @Baud: is both pantsless and prolix. As long as there are no pix, the first is fine. The second, well new commentors should know that they can contribute, no matter how astute or inane (such as I) they may be.
WaterGirl
@Scout211: It’s definitely a strategy!
We get a lot of first time commenters in the morning On the Road threads and Medium Cool.
WTFGhost
I was *told* that was why I would be getting my Soros check, but now I think there’s deceit afoot.
WaterGirl
@TerryC: Wow, that is awesome!
WTFGhost
@lowtechcyclist: They’ll be perfect, once I finally figure out if I trust that Zorn’s Lemon.
WaterGirl
@Capri: I think a lot of people leave BJ tabs open and catch stray late comments. But then they don’t reply because they figure no one will see it. :-)
I think there is also a lot of nodding in agreement without people actually writing a response.
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@Miki: the Standards are so sweet. But, they love their hoomans. Don’t get between them and their person!
mayim
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS):
Hi, neighbor!
I’m in Maine and wish we were on Atlantic time, especially in December.
@WaterGirl:
That zucchini does look yummy!
Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS)
@mayim: hey there! Is it wicked hot in ME! It’s warmer than usual here
zhena gogolia
@ILurkinPeace: Oh, don’t be scared!
zhena gogolia
@mcl: Welcome!
comrade scotts agenda of rage
One of the best things about the January Denver meetup was the fact most people were lurkers.
Or very occasional commenters.
It’s good to know you’re out there.
mayim
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS):
Very definitely too hot here! Augusta hit 100 a few days ago.
I keep checking the job listings at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Shetland Archives to see if they need a librarian/genealogist. Weather much more to my liking in those places.
Making lots of use of what my mother called ‘Yankee air conditioning’ a.k.a. go jump in the lake. It helps a little.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@mayim:
Nice to see you back at Ye Olde Kiddie Poole at Teh Orange.
I thought at one point there was one other person here who was a regular there but I might simply be remembering you.
They Call Me Noni
@WaterGirl: I bought flower seeds from that site last year. They really have a good selection.
WaterGirl
@They Call Me Noni: I like Johnny’s Seeds. They are my first stop, and if they don’t have what I want, i go elsewhere.
WaterGirl
@RevRick: Pretty good advice!
Sometimes people think they always have to write something clever. Nope!
Everyone likes to know that someone else read what they wrote and agreed with it.
There was some study done (learned about it years ago) where they determined that the WORST reaction is NO RESPONSE AT ALL.
People would rather have someone disagree with them than get no response at all.
It makes sense, we all want to be seen.
So I would add agreement as an option if someone wants to start commenting but it feels kind of vulnerable.
“I hadn’t thought at about that before (or in that way), that makes sense.”
WaterGirl
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS): I would never know that you suck at directions, because I suck at that more than anyone I know.
Welcome to my club.
Josie
@WaterGirl:
I ordered the two zucchini seeds and a yellow squash. I’m excited to try them. Johnny’s has a good selection.
WaterGirl
@Josie: I LOVE zucchini but am not a fan of yellow squash.
seems odd, but true.
You’ll have to let me know how it goes and what you think of the Mexican and 8-ball
edit: I had also ordered “Magda” zucchini, but that plant hasn’t yet given me a zucchini to harvest. Same shape as Mexicana, but more pale, kind of yellowish. If I ever get one, I’ll let you know if it’s good! :-)
lowtechcyclist
@WTFGhost:
I was warned long ago to stay away from Zorn’s used car lot.
Philbert
I m a rare post but frequent lurker. Many thanks for this island of sanity, or respite from same.
zhena gogolia
@Philbert: Welcome!
RevRick
@WTFGhost: Give me your bank account information and I’ll definitely make sure you get direct deposit. I have connections in high places.
WaterGirl
@Philbert: I think I remember your nym.
Welcome!
Duane
If I comment twice in one day do I lose my lurker status? Probably need to email Cole to be sure.
stinger
@TerryC: Sounds like very good news! I sure hope it keeps up for you!
stinger
@WaterGirl:
Yes! Also, thanks for reposting this to try and catch a few more lurkers!
Welcome to the new nyms and hi to the occasional commenters! I often recognize nyms even when the commenter says they seldom comment. Trying to comment more often myself.
WaterGirl
@Duane: ALL CAPS!
Tasha
Lurk lurk lurk just popping my head up to say I read this site every day
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: once you pick one, the others grow bigger. They seem to let the first two in line ge5 all the growing. Your fat Zuke is perfect for cutting 1/4” slabs to coat w olive oil and cook on the grill. Best way I’ve had, for zucchini.
the best z I ever grew was tromboncino, hangs on a vine, long neck, very pretty, and tasty. Making a trellis is just another task, though. .
rikyrah
Hey Lurkers👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾
WaterGirl
@Tasha: Hi Tasha, welcome!
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: the early prolific yellow squash is much like a zucchini, only smoother. I5 doesn’t have the tough outer skin and knobbiest that some yellow crooknecks get.
but, have you tried the baseball sized zucchini called rond de nice? Little spherical things. cute. Look and taste like zucchini, might be a slightly smaller bush.
You can speak French to them
Gloria DryGarden
@ILurkinPeace: just validating, there are a mix here,
of kind folks, interesting/ interested responders, and jackal-y judgey opinionated people who access a varied continuum of kindness.
It took me awhile to know who to joke with, who might engage in fun conversation, and who I preferred to avoid. Indeed there are jackals in the thicket. And delights, and surprising kindness. I’ve only been here for 13 months.
ILurkinPeace
Thank you for the warm welcome and kind comments!
WaterGirl
@Gloria DryGarden: Yes, I have grown 8-ball (round) and Ronde de Nice (round, but much lighter color).
I love Ronde de Nice, but the last 2 years what was sold as that was NOT that. So I went with the Magda and Mexicana along with the 8-ball this year.
WaterGirl
I will check back in the morning in case any more lurkers show up this evening or overnight.
Bursit Hollow at Lowe's Branch Road
OOH, i have been waiting for one of these threads. Please unlurk me!
WTFGhost
@WaterGirl: I’m not much into zucchini, but I agree that the 8-ball are much better than the mini-baseball bats.
(HEY! I can shop a farmer’s market just like anyone, and, better than some. For example, if you can find meadow foam honey, buy it. (Meadowfoam makes a really nice honey – like a cross between maple and vanilla.))
@ILurkinPeace: I bid you welcome and wish you peace, friend.
@Tasha: Welcome, Tahsa.
@Duane: Only if your name begins with a D and ends with the most common letter in the Engl… what? No, I’m not making this up, just to match the specific circumstances. Because, you know, that would be lame. Really lame. Who would do something like that? And why are you being so accusatory ANYWAY, huh?
Um. Never mind. I’m falling behind in my THC, and, welcome.
@RevRick: (thinks to self. HEY! I’m high! I can see those ‘connections’ in ‘high’ places! How could this go wrong?)
(Not really, but that *does* fairly caricature a truly frightening number of support calls I handled)
@Philbert: Welcome! I am sorry, or, perhaps glad, that I’m out of wisecracks and silliness for now. Good to see you around.
RoseWeiss
@Poodle Mom (fka KM in NS):
I’m similar to you. I rarely comment but I read every post daily. Reading this site is one of the first things I do every morning while I sip my tea. I’ve been here mostly lurking since John’s conversion from the other side.
WaterGirl
@Bursit Hollow at Lowe’s Branch Road: oh, yay! Welcome!