A discussion with newgreen made me wonder whether the Hubski “lurk” list could provide a partial view into the Hubski zeitgeist. Here are my conclusions based on the top-ten postings listed on "lurk," September 25, 2012:

The postings suggest a hopeful, fun-loving, community, not dark, but not naively optimistic either.

• We value language, not just as a tool to communicate, but as a source of joy. Gaming is also a source of joy, as is beer.

• We value the community of social networks, but also wonder about their adverse effects. We want more ways of expressing our emotions and becoming known and understood by others.

• We care very much about the environment, and hope that technology can solve the problems that technology created. We also hope technology can help us understand better what we are and make us more perfect. If someone feels they need to use technology to launch Thomas the Tank Engine into space, we enjoy that too.

• We want our politicians and their aides to be effective and responsible (but we giggle a little at their battles with the press and the pressure).

Conclusions are based on these posts:

1. Ask Hubski, what is your favourite word

2. Tesla launches supercharger stations for rapid charging on long-distance trips

3. Heroic: First Successful Play test (a.k.a. I swear I’m developing as fast as I can!)

4. Decentralizing social networks

5. Ah, more smart diplomacy from Hilary and Barack

6. Scientists see upside and downside of sequencing their own genes

7. How I make beer

8. Outside of Powell’s books

9. Mind-reading tail lets you wag when you’re happy, just like a dog

10. Toy train in space