Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences | 2021 Are Online Parasites Really Different from Lurkers? Shaoyang Bu Liguo Lou Joon Koh Chonnam National University Ningbo University of Technology Chonnam National University [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract Korhonen et al. found that when purchasing a product, With the development of digital technology, the the quality of product choice decreases as the quantity internet environment has dramatically changed the of information provided increases, making it difficult way people share information, which has been to objectively judge [4]. Considering the contact with changed by different types of sources, making it mass information, it can cause internet cognitive convenient to obtain information. The lurking fatigue associated with motivations/impacts, behaviors, phenomenon in the network is becoming increasingly and empirical outcomes resulting from continuous common, and previous studies have been conducted on mental work [5]. Especially on social media, instant lurkers on the internet with shifting focus from active messages often reflect grammatical and spelling errors, users to passive users. Under these circumstances, this internet slang, and abbreviations since they are poorly tries to conceptualize a new type of passive users, titled structured and limited to one or two words, all of as “online parasites” who focus on obtaining which require more cognitive processing [6]. Due to information by utilizing the internet or their host to the many influences, such as cognitive fatigue, only a achieve their other purposes. The aim is to deeply small number of internet users actively utilize the understand these users and clearly distinguish them internet as an effective means. from other types of users such as lurkers. Regarding online user participation, Nielsen describes low levels of involvement and information 1. Introduction sharing as characteristics of the online environment and defines by the 90-9-1 rule [7]. That is, 90% of users read or observe (no contribution), 9% sometimes Recently, the network environment has changed contribute, and remaining 1% actively participate and dramatically owing to various technological make up most of the donations. It is already common developments. Media outlets, represented by ordinary for most users to obtain information or consume media mobile phones, newspapers, magazines, radio, and content through the internet. Users who produce little television just over a decade ago, are rapidly losing or no content and perform other activities (e.g., their former monopoly status as new media such as reading) quietly are called "lurkers" and their behavior smart phones and tablet PCs rapidly proliferate [1]. is called "lurking" [8, 9]. As the phenomenon of users The use of the internet becomes essential to lurking on the internet has become universal, research participation in the global economy, constantly has been conducted regarding personal characteristics bringing convenience to our lives. As of 2018, there [10], information privacy [9], role perspective [11], were more than 312 million internet users in the United transactional distance, and interaction types [12]. A States, and only 10% of American adults said they study on social media established that the lurking would not use the internet in 2019 [2]. In addition, the degree of lurkers in the network is different [8]. combination of the deployment of smart platforms and Although the study did not grade the levels of lurking, the high-speed internet provides a diverse and optimal the author advocated its usefulness. Moreover, a survey environment for users [3]. It changes the way we of online review sites found that a group of passive conduct information production and communication. users showed a high degree of participation [13]. That As a result, internet users can quickly obtain is, not all passive users conduct inactive behaviors on information such as images and videos. the internet with a negative attitude. Some passive As the information society progressed rapidly, users even behave in the online community but do not people emphasized the efficiency of searching for contribute to the community. They also actively obtain information, and efficiency became a more meaningful information from the network but do not provide. Thus, measure. However, the more information we in this study, we define the specific users who actively encounter, the more stress we may get. For example, URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10125/70661 978-0-9981331-4-0 Page 421 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) obtain the desired information from the internet but do classified users as content contributors and content not particularly contribute as “online parasites.” consumers [18]. Users are free to choose to write blog Considering the idea that passive users are the posts, comment on content, modify Wiki articles, potential audience and customers, turning them into upload their photos, or take passive actions to show active participants has been regarded as an essential inaction. Moreover, the punishment of non- goal of the online community [14]. It becomes contributors is unlikely to be a viable option, especially particularly important to analyze passive users and in the case of voluntary participation; such behavior understand them more deeply, but not many theories may cause the punished participants to withdraw, have been established by systematically approaching thereby destroying the system [10]. inactive users [15]. Furthermore, collaboration via Regarding the concept of passive users, Wang et al. cross-border systems such as virtual communities is interpreted active users as producers who produce affected by participant commitment and trust, and content such as updates and comments on other especially quality in collaboration by cross-system people's posts, and passive SNS users are described as integration is critical for the community survival and directed or random consumers of social content [19]. development. Information sharing and community They just follow several profiles they like and never activities across cultural/national borders lead to generate any content that could be gathered or synergy triggering productivity. There are two analyzed [20]. The definition of a user in terms of objectives of this research. The first goal is to use the active and passive appears to be no longer limited to interview method with cross-cultural environmental the direct control of technology [21], but focuses on interviewees and analyze its materials to identify and the user's participation method and degree. define a new type of network users called “online While passive users usually show lower levels of parasites.” The second is to distinguish between online user participation, lurkers are related to non- parasites and other types of users such as lurkers at the participation and non-posting behaviors. Liu et al. level of user interaction and contribution. Since it has a mentioned some conceptual overlap between lurking higher level of information retention and activity than and passive use of SNS, that is, the non-publishing ordinary passive users, companies that operate online behavior on SNS, which leads to lurker related communities considers the needs and meaning of research mainly focused on motivation [11]. “Lurker” “online parasites” when activating inactive users. This is often used to describe someone who observes what draft is also expected to deeply understand online user is going on and remains silent but does not participate behaviors regarding further collaboration across and is thus associated with observation, silence, national borders. inactivity/passivity, invisibility, or bystander behavior [22]. Research explains lurker as someone who only 2. Conceptual background browses content without disclosing personal information [23], does not send messages [24], and stops contributing [25]. Such users can also be called 2.1. Passive users vs. lurkers Legitimate Peripheral Participants ([12], [26]). Although researchers often develop their new While researching and classifying internet users, definition, it can be noticed that when defining lurker, the “active-passive” dichotomy appears to be the most no-creating content and browsing behavior were commonly used method, and most research has mentioned at the same time (Table 1). In addition, focused on active, visible users. The active-passive these definitions in the research do not consider the quantitative measurement division generally includes interaction between users and communities, users and the duration of membership, the time spent on the content (for example, click the “Like,” “Favorite” internet, the number of visits, the number of buttons). How do users perceive this interaction clicks/views of the content, the number of between users and content? Do they consider it as a contributions, and the density of social interaction with contribution to the community? This is the focus of this others [14]. Just like YouTube users are mostly research. passive, only a part of them actively participates, and Finding suitable methods to study passive users their participation in active interaction with others is poses a significant challenge because they usually even lower. Interactive participants pursuing social remain in hiding and leave fewer traces, making it relationships are more likely to view YouTube as an difficult to track their behavior [27]. The age of big online community,