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Delurking

One way or another, your ready to make your first post to the newsgroup. Up to now you have been reading posts, or lurking unseen by the other group users. So, your first post will be a delurk.

What to post?

Your first post can be just something simple, little more than a brief introduction. You might want to just join into an existing thread, though you should probably avoid anything too controversial if no one has heard from you before. Or you could begin by posting a Furvey.

The Furvey

The furvey is a furry survey, a questionaire that covers many areas of furryness. Its quite long and detailed, and has several uses. The original purpose was to collect information about furrys, to try and identify common themes. It can also be used as a tool for personal discovery; thinking about the questions it asks, and writing long responses may tell you alot about yourself. Finally, a completed Furvey makes a great way to introduce yourself to the group. It tells us alot about you in one go.

It does take a long time to complete a Furvey, perhaps a couple of weeks of work in spare moments. You may therefore want to join in the discussion before you finish a Furvey. Indeed, you may choose never to fill one out. Its not compulsory!

What to expect

No matter how you choose to delurk, you are going to find furs interested. One of the traditions on alt.lifestyle.furry has become the practice of offering food to new arrivals. This arose in part from the problems of hugging newly arrived furs. Not everyone was happy about being greeted that way. Some felt that their personal space was being invaded. If you are a tactile fur, and would like to receive hugs from others, you may want to make this clear in your post.