How do I stop lurking on Facebook?

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Funny I should read a Wikipedia article on "lurking" and I see something that directly relates to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurker#Potential_costs

How do I actually participate as a member on Facebook when I don't have any real-life friends at the moment, except for occasional real-life get-togethers and more recent friends? I post comments. Nobody responds. I don't post pictures often. I have no camera on me. So how can I be a more social Facebook member?

Please don't say I should forget about it, either.

Lurking is more a term used to describe a behavior on internet forums; not so much facebook. A lurker is someone who reads but doesn't post, who gains information from the community but doesn't give any info back. For example, a person who follows a forum about trainspotting and always catches information about train movements, but doesn't share the time he saw a train moving.

I guess you could apply the term to Facebook, but Facebook is also meant to be a profile of you so I would think there is a bit more accepted "Lurking" than on a forum.

There are a lot of open communities and groups on Facebook for people to discuss various topics. Maybe you could join some of those and discuss things you like.

I want to know how to stop being a lurker in either case. You see, even if I have a topic I'm interested in, I have some form of mutism (if that's what it is) where I can't think of what I need to write. When I do lurk, that period usually lasts for a few minutes. This isn't bad etiquette, is it?

what works for me is that I gather an opinion on what somebody else posted, then I write out that opinion straightaway, then I refine that expression in a second or third draft, then hit post. the beauty of the forums is that it is not lightning fast like a chatroom, you do have some time to compose your thoughts before writing and posting.

hei Gin
I'm just guessing here but maybe you worry too much about etiquette and that's what keeping you from becoming more envolved in the facebook community .
What about doing something where you could tag your friends?
Do you have any skills you could display on fb? be sure they are good though not to attract negative attention over you.
I personally am not a very involved member there but I do try to check upon friends each time I go there.
like saying hi and asking what's up with the message option ^.^
Groups are good places to start making friends too like Rabbit said .
Good luck

I don't see anything wrong with lurking. I lurk myself because I have nothing to contribute to and post. I may lurk in threads and I also lurk on a childfree forum just to see what is posted there and what they are ranting about. I see no issue with this.

You can join aspie groups on facebook and post there if you have anything to say. You can also like statuses. Or you can join any groups that are your interest.

I don't think you are lurking but maybe trying to be friendly but I do not know either. I know plenty of people who post online with fb and get ignored by people who claim that they are friends.

The other people are not interested and that is why you are being ignored.

I deleted my last FaceBook account over 3 years ago and I barely used the account and I have no need for Facebook in my life. It is pathetic that on FaceBook that people unfriend you for simply having a different opinion to them. On Facebook and social media sites people usually only want to have Yes people who agree with everything they say.