The name is derived from the term lurker, which creator J. Michael Straczynski adopted to refer to the underclass residents on the Babylon 5 station.
The Guide was created by Steven Grimm around early 1993, long before the pilot aired[citation needed], as a FAQ posted on Usenet.
Although the site is not updated as frequently since the series' end, it still serves as a record and reference of the fan experience surrounding Babylon 5.
In an early piece on the World Wide Web, The Washington Post noted The Lurker's Guide as a "Star Trek" (sic) resource accessible through www.infi.net/cool.html.
In 1998 The Booklist wrote that The Lurker's Guide "deserves special attention as an example of an outstanding site devoted to an extraordinary show.