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Stalking - a word with a more positive meaning online?

Opposite Day

too old for name changes
    • 974
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    16
    Years
    Unless you've managed to live under a rock, doing nothing but lurk in invisible mode, you've probably experienced someone paying attention to what you do, even if it is only for a split second (and if this have yet to happen to you + you're still active on pc, chances are that you're paying attention to someone else :p ).

    While this is not a bad thing, by any means at all, it kind of makes me wonder when people half-jokingly accuse each other for stalking, when they are sort of taking a polite interest in each other. I mean, it is not as if "great offense" is the main reaction to being called that, well at least online.

    So, that makes me wonder - do you think that we are sort of re-defining the meaning of anything synonoumous with the verb "to stalk" and/or any related forms of it? Do you feel offended if someone you know call you a stalker? Are limits for what used to be private information as easily being broken online as it would be otherwise? Discuss! I really want to know what the general PC'er thinks about this.
     
    I have been called a stalker before but it's always been in a joking manner. I dunno, we may someday find another definition of stalker in the dictionary for it, but it doesn't really have enough use yet and it being said jokingly doesn't help it's chances of a separate definition.

    Honestly, I don't see how someone could not say it joking in that context. That information is freely available. Although it's sometimes used in forum rules and stuff to mean what is more commonly referred to as 'harassment'.
     
    There is this certain person that calls me a stalker, but I don't even know how I stalk them or why I would stalk this certain person. But I don't mind being called one; it's the internet, I dunno them so it shouldn't really hurt me.

    I lurk around a lot, but I don't stalk people. The only reason I'm on invisible mode is because I don't want certain people looking or reading stuff I'm doing on PC, and then they VM and ask 'why I'm reading this' or 'looking at this profile'. I just want to, 'kay?
     
    I Stalk people ewe

    nah but seriously, I totally "stalk" (as in the internet slang) people I like, And i'd kinda lol if someone "stalked" me.
    I wouldn't mind being called a "stalker" and I don't think others really should either :< ,
    of coarse ~actual stalking~ is just plain creepy B| and is totally bad

    yeah the internet totally gives new meaning to it,

    to a lot of words, especially words that might be offensive it seems xD
     
    stalking <3 my love

    Usually, people don't see me stalk others even when I'm not on invisible mode. One person caught me stalking someone. I don't mind if someone stalked me and my conversations or being called a stalker.
     
    tbh idk, I consider it stalking to like hover over people's actions on who's online to see what threads they're viewing, but I don't consider it real stalking, like actually googling all their infractions and stuff like that--actually, I mean information, but hey I look at infractions too. :x I dunno, I guess I like to find out as much as I can without leaving the forum in which case I would consider it stalking sorta, lol.

    IRL though yeah totally different because it's not like we have all our information hovering over our heads for people to take, like on that advertisement which I can't remember the name of. So in a sense IRL stalking would be like idk it seems creepier. But idk online technically it could be classified under another word but I don't really know what, idk, gleaning information or something lol. But yeah I see stalking as a good thing :3 But ya I don't feel offended or anything that I do stalk, tbh it's why I have who's online always open, since really if you wanna know more about someone or when they'll be on...just pay attention to their actions lol.
     
    Stalker.. mmhmm. Online that has a much loser term, and almost applies to just about anyone who's interested enough in another person to pay attention to what they do.

    Therefore, finding someone interesting, and taking special notice in them = stalking.
    - "Hey man, I read all your posts earlier. Good stuff!"

    IRL, following or spying on someone, usually with a negative or harmful intent = stalking.
    - "I-I dunno where those pictures all came from, I swear! D:"

    Online version, ftw. (b ' ' )b
     
    If someone were to call me a "stalker" i personally do not take it to the heart anymore because I feel that everyone stalks nowadays. it doesn't matter if its online or in real life, but the real life one is really creepy while stalking online is a little bit creepy (which sometimes I do). The only time I stalk someone in real life is if I'm trying to creep them out such as friends (not for Romantic reasons, but just to be silly) and my boyfriend.


    :t354:TG


    :t354:TG
     
    There is a big difference to me between nicely viewing my profile and finding me on facebook and googling where I live without telling me first or even adding me as a friend first. I've had that happen before :/

    So no, I don't think of viewing profiles or posts as stalking but merely being curious. but if you start digging for more information behind my back and without my consent, then it takes on a different meaning.
     
    I've stalked people a little bit... I don't think anyone stalks me though. Afaik anyway.

    I think the word stalker for anything that occurs on PC is going a bit overboard, but w/e floats your boat. lol
     
    I have a bit less tolerance for the word than the average person as I've never quite gotten over a time in high school when some malicious people spread a rumor around the school that I was stalking a girl in an attempt to ruin my reputation. It cost me friendships and the trust of a couple of teachers, so even when I am caught viewing peoples' profiles online and whatnot I'd prefer the word not come up. That's just me, though, and I readily admit that the term is innocuous online and really just refers to a type of behavior all forumers engage in. Forum profiles wouldn't display information like current activity if there was no expectation of it ever being seen by others. "Stalking" doesn't accurately describe the activity, but it's close enough that it's entered the online lexicon.
     
    Stalking... I am a stalker. I stalk many people. I have no need to name names THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE MUAHAHA.

    But yeah stalking online is generally more friendly than it's real life meaning. And I'm not particularly bothered when people call me it online because generally I have been "stalking" them.
     
    In rl, no, I'm the farthest thing from it.

    Online, I tend to view other peoples convos, mainly my friends, but that's only because I love them :)
     
    I used to get really excited when I found someone was stalking me on a forum or a site like that. Never as far as finding that they've stalked my entire life, and know everything down to the precise location of my house. Maybe as far as finding my now disabled Facebook page, which isn't really all that hard if you know anything about me. But now I'm rather indifferent. I'm trying to privatize my online and offline lives enough so that new people who meet me online won't be able to find out who I am so easily. Currently, I don't have much anonymity. And that's something about my online life that I'd like to get back.

    I used to stalk a lot of people online, but have since stopped for the most part. I do find myself remembering someone I knew online and trying to find them a few years later, but I think that's different from stalking.
     
    If someone stalks you, it is kind of compliment. Online, it just isn't anywhere NEAR as creepy. For one, they cant actually follow you home. For two, they wont find out super personal details about you. They cant watch you get naked, eat your breakfast/whatever. It's a compliment in person too, just about a thousand times more creepy.
     
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