Blog Lurking

Did you ever notice how few people comment on blogs? It is estimated that 90%+/- of users are considered "lurkers" and don't participate in the conversation and only a mere 1% are considered "active participants." Even some of the most well-read blogs receive a relatively small % of comments. I receive a ton of comments about my blog through emails, phone calls, and face-to-face communication, but very few people post a comment directly on the blog. I am the slightest bit disturbed to learn that many of my audience are considered "lurkers" by orgs like Nielsen, but that's a conversation for another post. Seriously...why do you suppose this is? Humans love to interact. Do you think the 1% of active users are the people that you can't get to shut up in the physical world? Or are they the somewhat reserved people who find the blogosphere a safe medium to express opinions? Is there a "blog hump" that we all need to get over? In other words, once you comment once and see you survived the experience, you are more likely to post again. Is it fear based? Since most posts are allowed to be anonymous, I am not sure this is the driving force. Is there such thing as "blog virginity" where users are saving their first time for a special, more meaningful interaction?

What do you think?