An online forum is a way to hold an ongoing seminar by complicated users over time. The term has also been used when referring to the software application that creates the forum. Other names for an online forum are message boards, seminar groups, forums, and electronic bulletin boards.
The predecessors to online forums were the internet newsgroups and dial-up bulletin board systems, which were accessed by dialing a definite number. Online forums have a unique sense of community that is very distinct from that of a blog or website, and have quarterly devoted members. Today's online seminar groups are focused on a variety of areas from politics and technology to dog training. Many established online forums are unquestionably a group of smaller forums that are grouped around a central theme. For example, a dog training forum could have smaller forums outside large dogs, small dogs, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds etc.
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Online Forum Software features
A seminar that is held in a forum is called a thread. Some online forum threads can be a one or two comments long to complicated pages of comments and replies going back some months or even years. The threads will remain on a forum indefinitely or until a moderator removes them. Many of the more favorite threads become what is known as a "sticky" or a permanent forum entry. Sticky's are normally the consequent of a large estimate of forum members asking the same ask over time. By posting a sticky, this eliminates the need for the same ask being asked repeatedly. One of the most tasteless stickys' found are normally the forums posting rules.
Today's forum software will allow more than one forum to be created which act as a seminar room focused on a definite area of a larger topic. These individual rooms contain the threads started by the assorted group members. You can assess the buildings of a forum to a school. Each room covers a distinct topic, i.e. Math, English etc. And the school buildings holds each of these classes in one building. Online seminar 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 annotation to a forum thread.
The type that requires a visitor to register normally only requires a valid email address in order to join the online discussions going on within the forum. Some added features of this type of forum software may allow for personalization of the forum skin, signatures and/or the users' avatar or image linked with their username. The forum software that allows anonymous posts normally does not allow any type of customization to the user interface.
Forum software applications are ready in a wide range of programming languages like Php, Java and Perl. There are distinct features ready and depend on the type of programming language used and either the posts are stored as text files or database entries. The features ready 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 automatic scripts that will remove any undesirable words such as cursing, or strip any hyperlinks located within a forum thread. This helps to prevent abuse of the seminar 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 seminar groups or sub forums within the main forum as well as remove, add to or ban members from the forum.
Moderators are normally given privileges by the administrators and are normally delegated the responsibility to oversee or "moderate" definite forum areas or topics. The moderators of a seminar group help the forum administrator by editing, deleting, and exciting threads as needed. They also act as hall monitors warning members for any offenses to the forum posting guidelines. The proximity of responsible moderators can heighten the ability of an online forum.
Online Forum Users
The members of any online seminar group normally have the same basic abilities. They can make comments or posts into existing seminar 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 originate their individual forum signature where they can add a link back to their personal website if they wish. This institution also leads to abuse by members production complicated posts just to increase the estimate of links to their website.
Forums normally want a member to check in to view new seminar 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 tip off them when a reply or post is made to a particular thread.
What is an Online conference Forum?
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