Today's
online discussion groups are focused on
a variety of areas from politics and technology
to dog training. Many established online
forums are actually a group of smaller
forums that are grouped around a central
theme. For example, a dog training forum
could have smaller forums covering large
dogs, small dogs, Labrador retrievers,
German shepherds etc.
Online Forum Software features
A discussion that is held in a forum is
called a thread. Some online forum threads
can be a one or two comments long to multiple
pages of comments and replies going back
several months or even years. The threads
will remain on a forum indefinitely or
until a moderator removes them. Many of
the more popular threads become what is
known as a "sticky" or a permanent forum
entry. Sticky's are usually the result
of a large number of forum members asking
the same question over time. By posting
a sticky, this eliminates the need for
the same question being asked repeatedly.
One of the most common stickys' found
are usually the forums posting rules.
Today's forum software will allow more
than one forum to be created which act
as a discussion room focused on a specific
area of a larger topic. These individual
rooms contain the threads started by the
various group members. You can compare
the structure of a forum to a school.
Each room covers a different topic, i.e.
math, English etc. and the school structure
holds each of these classes in one building.
Online discussion forums are structured
in much the same way.
Forum software can be grouped into two
general categories. The type that allows
visitors to make anonymous posts and the
type that requires visitors to be registered
in order to view or make a comment to
a forum thread.
The type that requires a visitor to register
usually only requires a valid email address
in order to join the online discussions
going on within the forum. Some additional
features of this type of forum software
may allow for personalization of the forum
skin, signatures and/or the users' avatar
or image associated with their username.
The forum software that allows anonymous
posts usually does not allow any type
of customization to the user interface.
Forum software applications are available
in a wide range of programming languages
like PHP, JAVA and Perl. There are different
features available and depend on the type
of programming language used and whether
the posts are stored as text files or
database entries. The features available
range from the basic text-only to the
use of things such as emoticons, which
are little smiley face type, images that
can be inserted to a post.
Some online forum software packages allow
administrator to setup filters and automated
scripts that will remove any undesirable
words such as cursing, or strip any hyperlinks
placed within a forum thread. This helps
to prevent abuse of the discussion group.
Discussion Group Administrators and Moderators
The administrator of an online forum has
privileges that no other member should
have. Some of those privileges allow administrators
to edit, delete, move or modify any thread
on the forum. Forum administrators also
have the ability to close the board, make
major changes to the forum such as changing
the forum theme, add or delete discussion
groups or sub forums within the main forum
as well as remove, add to or ban members
from the forum.
Moderators are usually given privileges
by the administrators and are usually
delegated the responsibility to oversee
or "moderate" specific forum areas or
topics. The moderators of a discussion
group help the forum administrator by
editing, deleting, and moving threads
as needed. They also act as hall monitors
warning members for any offenses to the
forum posting guidelines. The presence
of responsible moderators can enhance
the quality of an online forum.
Online Forum Users
The members of any online discussion group
usually have the same basic abilities.
They can make comments or posts into existing
discussion threads, start new threads,
and assign an image or avatar to be posted
with their name. Depending upon the forum
software, users may also be able to send
and receive emails or personal/instant
messages from other forum members. Members
can also create their individual forum
signature where they can add a link back
to their personal website if they wish.
This practice also leads to abuse by members
making multiple posts just to increase
the number of links to their website.
Forums usually require a member to check
in to view new discussion threads or see
any posts to threads they are following.
However, many modern forum software solutions
allow an e-mail notification sent to users
to notify them when a reply or post is
made to a particular thread.
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