Lurkers can also negatively influence other community members. If community members can see that someone is lurking rather than participating, they may feel that they are being spied upon.[20] Lurkers might also take pieces of content featured in communities without seeking consent, violating the rules of the community.[21] As a result, while individuals in online communities may feel that they are experiencing private interactions, a lurker may see it as a public space for observation due to their reduced feelings of belonging.[22] This can become quite extreme in more intimate communities such as chat rooms where lurkers are more obvious.
