Although I participate actively in social media, I also do a lot of passive lurking (eavesdropping) on blogs and websites of experts in topics that interest me, but about which I know little or nothing.

I'd characterize it as "lurking to learn," and I learn a lot. I'd recommend it as a terrific way to begin immersing yourself in a subject you want to learn about.

I suggest lurking to learn also adds value to the bloggers/site owners, since folks like me often link to or recommend posts, articles, links, or graphics we encounter during our lurking adventures.