Would Be Nice if There Was an Off Topic Forum Again

Online discussion site

An Internet forum powered by phpBB

FUDforum, another Cyberspace forum software package

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can concord conversations in the form of posted messages.^[i] They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than 1 line of text, and are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the admission level of a user or the forum gear up-upwardly, a posted bulletin might need to exist approved by a moderator before information technology becomes publicly visible.

Forums have a specific ready of jargon associated with them; example: a unmarried conversation is called a "thread", or topic.

A word forum is hierarchical or tree-like in structure: a forum can contain a number of subforums, each of which may have several topics. Inside a forum's topic, each new discussion started is chosen a thread and tin exist replied to by as many people as so wish.

Depending on the forum'south settings, users tin be anonymous or have to register with the forum and and so subsequently log in to post messages. On well-nigh forums, users do non have to log in to read existing messages.

History

The modernistic forum originated from bulletin boards, and so-chosen computer conferencing systems, and are a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin lath organisation.^{[2] [3]} From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content.^{[3] [4]}

Early Net forums could be described equally a web version of an electronic mailing list or newsgroup (such every bit be on Usenet); allowing people to post messages and comment on other messages. Later developments emulated the different newsgroups or private lists, providing more one forum, dedicated to a particular topic.^[two]

Internet forums are prevalent in several developed countries. Japan posts the most^{[ citation needed ]} with over ii million per day on their largest forum, 2channel. China also has many millions of posts on forums such as Tianya Club.

Some of the beginning forum systems were the Planet-Forum system, developed at the showtime of the 1970s, the EIES system, beginning operational in 1976, and the KOM system, first operational in 1977.

One of the beginning forum sites (which is still active today) is Delphi Forums, once called Delphi. The service, with iv million members, dates to 1983.

Forums perform a function similar to that of dial-up bulletin board systems and Usenet networks that were outset created starting in the belatedly 1970s.^[2] Early on web-based forums date dorsum as far as 1994, with the WIT^[5] project from W3 Consortium and starting from this time, many alternatives were created.^[6] A sense of virtual customs oftentimes develops effectually forums that have regular users. Technology, video games, sports, music, fashion, religion, and politics are pop areas for forum themes, merely there are forums for a huge number of topics. Internet slang and image macros popular across the Internet are abundant and widely used in Internet forums.

Forum software packages are widely available on the Internet and are written in a diverseness of programming languages, such as PHP, Perl, Java and ASP. The configuration and records of posts tin be stored in text files or in a database. Each package offers dissimilar features, from the most basic, providing text-merely postings, to more than advanced packages, offering multimedia back up and formatting code (usually known as BBCode). Many packages tin exist integrated hands into an existing website to permit visitors to mail service comments on articles.

Several other web applications, such as weblog software, also incorporate forum features. WordPress comments at the bottom of a blog mail service allow for a unmarried-threaded discussion of any given weblog post. Slashcode, on the other hand, is far more complicated, assuasive fully threaded discussions and incorporating a robust moderation and meta-moderation arrangement as well as many of the profile features available to forum users.

Some stand alone threads on forums have reached fame and notability such equally the "I am lonely will anyone speak to me" thread on MovieCodec.com's forums, which was described as the "web's peak hangout for lonely folk" by Wired magazine.^[7]

Structure

A forum consists of a tree-like directory construction. The top terminate is "Categories". A forum can exist divided into categories for the relevant discussions. Under the categories are sub-forums and these sub-forums can farther have more than sub-forums. The topics (normally called threads) come nether the lowest level of sub-forums and these are the places under which members tin start their discussions or posts. Logically forums are organized into a finite gear up of generic topics (usually with one main topic) driven and updated by a grouping known equally members, and governed past a group known as moderators.^[8] It tin can also have a graph structure.^[9] All message boards will apply one of three possible display formats. Each of the three basic bulletin lath brandish formats: Non-Threaded/Semi-Threaded/Fully Threaded, has its own advantages and disadvantages. If messages are not related to ane another at all, a Non-Threaded format is best. If a user has a message topic and multiple replies to that message topic, a semi-threaded format is best. If a user has a message topic and replies to that message topic and responds to replies, then a fully threaded format is best.^[10]

User groups

Internally, Western-style forums organize visitors and logged in members into user groups. Privileges and rights are given based on these groups. A user of the forum can automatically be promoted to a more than privileged user group based on criteria set by the administrator.^[11] A person viewing a airtight thread as a member will come across a box proverb he does not have the correct to submit messages there, but a moderator will likely come across the same box granting him access to more than than just posting messages.^[12]

An unregistered user of the site is commonly known as a guest or company. Guests are typically granted admission to all functions that practice not require database alterations or alienation privacy. A guest can commonly view the contents of the forum or apply such features as read mark, but occasionally an administrator will disallow visitors to read their forum as an incentive to become a registered member.^{[note 1]} A person who is a very frequent company of the forum, a section or even a thread is referred to as a lurker and the habit is referred to as lurking. Registered members ofttimes will refer to themselves as lurking in a particular location, which is to say they take no intention of participating in that section but enjoy reading the contributions to it.

Moderators

The moderators (brusk singular form: "modern") are users (or employees) of the forum who are granted admission to the posts and threads of all members for the purpose of moderating discussion (similar to arbitration) and also keeping the forum clean (neutralizing spam and spambots etc.).^[thirteen] Moderators besides reply users' concerns virtually the forum, general questions, as well as respond to specific complaints. Common privileges of moderators include: deleting, merging, moving, and splitting of posts and threads, locking, renaming, stickying of threads, banning, unbanning, suspending, unsuspending, warning the members, or adding, editing, and removing the polls of threads.^[14] "Inferior modding", "backseat modding", or "forum copping" can refer negatively to the behavior of ordinary users who take a moderator-similar tone in criticizing other members.

Essentially, information technology is the duty of the moderator to manage the day-to-mean solar day affairs of a forum or board as information technology applies to the stream of user contributions and interactions. The relative effectiveness of this user management directly impacts the quality of a forum in full general, its appeal, and its usefulness as a community of interrelated users.

Moderators act as unpaid volunteers on many websites, which has sparked controversies and community tensions. On Reddit, some moderators accept prominently expressed dissatisfaction with their unpaid labor existence underappreciated, while other site users have accused moderators of abusing special access privileges to act every bit a "cabal" of "fiddling tyrants".^[15] On 4chan, moderators are subject to notable levels of mockery and antipathy. In that location, they are often referred to equally janitors (or, more than pejoratively, "jannies") given their job of what is tantamount to cleaning up the imageboards' infamous shitposting.^[16]

Administrators

The administrators (short class: "admin") manage the technical details required for running the site. As such, they may promote (and bench) members to/from moderators, manage the rules, create sections and sub-sections, also as perform any database operations (database fill-in etc.). Administrators often also human action as moderators. Administrators may too make forum-wide announcements, or change the appearance (known as the skin) of a forum. At that place are also many forums where administrators share their noesis.^[xiv]

Mail service

A postal service is a user-submitted message enclosed into a cake containing the user's details and the date and fourth dimension information technology was submitted. Members are usually immune to edit or delete their own posts. Posts are independent in threads, where they announced as blocks i later another. The first post^[17] starts the thread; this may exist chosen the TS (thread starter) or OP (original mail). Posts that follow in the thread are meant to proceed discussion nearly that post, or respond to other replies; it is non uncommon for discussions to exist batty.

On Western forums, the classic manner to show a member'southward own details (such every bit proper noun and avatar) has been on the left side of the post, in a narrow column of stock-still width, with the mail controls located on the correct, at the bottom of the main body, in a higher place the signature cake. In more than recent forum software implementations, the Asian style of displaying the members' details above the mail has been copied.

Posts have an internal limit usually measured in characters. Often one is required to have a message with a minimum length of ten characters. There is always an upper limit but it is rarely reached – most boards have it at either 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, or 50,000 characters.

Most forums continue track of a user's postcount. The postcount is a measurement of how many posts a certain user has made.^[18] Users with higher postcounts are oft considered more reputable than users with lower postcounts, but not e'er. For instance, some forums accept disabled postcounts with the hopes that doing so will emphasize the quality of information over quantity.

Thread

A thread (sometimes called a topic) is a collection of posts, usually displayed from oldest to latest, although this is typically configurable: Options for newest to oldest and for a threaded view (a tree-like view applying logical reply structure before chronological society) tin can be bachelor. A thread is defined by a title, an boosted description that may summarize the intended discussion, and an opening or original post (common abbreviation OP, which can also be used to refer to the original poster), which opens whatsoever dialogue or makes any announcement the poster wished. A thread tin can contain whatever number of posts, including multiple posts from the same members, fifty-fifty if they are one afterwards the other.

Bumping

A thread is contained in a forum and may have an associated date that is taken as the appointment of the last post (options to order threads past other criteria are generally available). When a member posts in a thread information technology will jump to the acme since it is the latest updated thread. Similarly, other threads will bound in forepart of information technology when they receive posts. When a member posts in a thread for no reason but to take it go to the top, it is referred to every bit a crash-land or bumping. It has been suggested that "bump" is an acronym of "bring upward my post";^[19] however, this is almost certainly a backronym and the usage is entirely consistent with the verb "crash-land" which means "to knock to a new position".^[xx]

On some messageboards, users can choose to sage (correctly pronounced /sa-ɣe/ though ofttimes confused as IPA: [seɪdʒ]) a post if they wish to brand a mail, but not "bump" it. The word "sage" derives from the 2channel terminology 下げる sageru, meaning "to lower".

Stickying

Threads that are of import only rarely receive posts are gummyed (or, in some software, "pinned"). A sticky thread volition always appear in front of normal threads, oft in its own section. A "threaded discussion group" is but any group of individuals who use a forum for threaded, or asynchronous, word purposes. The group may or may not exist the only users of the forum.

A thread's popularity is measured on forums in reply (total posts minus one, the opening post, in nigh default forum settings) counts. Some forums as well rail folio views. Threads meeting a prepare number of posts or a set number of views may receive a designation such as "hot thread" and exist displayed with a different icon compared to other threads. This icon may stand out more to emphasize the thread. If the forum's users accept lost interest in a particular thread, it becomes a dead thread.

phpBB Thread (viewing as moderator)

phpBB Forum (viewing every bit moderator)

Forum (Fully Threaded display format)

Word

Forums prefer a premise of open up and complimentary discussion and ofttimes prefer de facto standards. Nearly common topics on forums include questions, comparisons, polls of opinion, also every bit debates. It is not uncommon for nonsense or unsocial behavior to sprout as people lose temper, especially if the topic is controversial. Poor understanding of differences in values of the participants is a mutual problem on forums. Because replies to a topic are oftentimes worded aimed at someone's signal of view, discussion will usually go slightly off into several directions equally people question each other's validity, sources and so on. Round discussion and ambiguity in replies tin can extend for several tens of posts of a thread somewhen ending when anybody gives upward or attention spans waver and a more interesting subject takes over. It is not uncommon for debate to end in advertisement hominem attacks.

Liabilities of owners and moderators

Several lawsuits have been brought against the forums and moderators claiming libel and damage. A contempo example is the scubaboard lawsuit where a business organization in the Maldives filed a accommodate confronting scubaboard for libel and defamation in January 2010.

For the well-nigh role, though, forum owners and moderators in the United States are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which states that "[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated equally the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."

In 2019, Facebook was faced with a class activeness lawsuit set forth by moderators diagnosed with mail-traumatic stress disorder. Information technology was settled for $52 meg the following yr.^[21]

Mutual features

By default to be an Internet forum, the spider web awarding needs an ability to submit threads and replies. Typically, threads are in newer to older view, and replies in older to newer view.

Tripcodes and capcodes

Nigh imageboards and 2channel-style discussion boards let (and encourage) anonymous posting and employ a system of tripcodes instead of registration. A tripcode is the hashed result of a countersign that allows one'south identity to be recognized without storing whatever data virtually users.

In a tripcode system, a surreptitious password is added to the user's name following a separator grapheme (often a number sign). This password, or tripcode, is hashed into a special cardinal, or trip, distinguishable from the proper noun by HTML styles. Tripcodes cannot be faked only on some types of forum software they are insecure and can exist guessed. On other types, they can be brute forced with software designed to search for tripcodes such as Tripcode Explorer.^[22]

Moderators and administrators will frequently assign themselves capcodes, or tripcodes where the guessable trip is replaced with a special discover (such every bit "# Ambassador"), or cap.

Private message

A private message, or PM for short, is a message sent in private from a member to one or more other members. The ability to send so-called bullheaded carbon copies is sometimes available. When sending a blind carbon copy (bcc), the users to whom the message is sent directly will not exist aware of the recipients of the blind carbon copy or fifty-fifty if one was sent in the first identify.^{[example 1]}

Individual letters are generally used for personal conversations. They can too be used with tripcodes—a message is addressed to a public trip and can be picked up by typing in the tripcode.

Zipper

An zipper can be near any file. When someone attaches a file to a person'south mail service they are uploading that particular file to the forum's server. Forums commonly have very strict limit on what can be attached and what cannot exist (among which the size of the files in question). Attachments tin be part of a thread, social group, etc.,

BBCode and HTML

HyperText Markup Linguistic communication (HTML) is sometimes allowed but ordinarily its utilise is discouraged or when immune, it is extensively filtered. Modern bulletin board systems oftentimes will take it disabled birthday^{[ citation needed ]} or let merely administrators use it, as assuasive it on any normal user level is considered a security run a risk due to a loftier rate of XSS vulnerabilities. When HTML is disabled Bulletin Board Code (BBCode) is the about common preferred alternative. BBCode unremarkably consists of a tag, similar to HTML only instead of < and > the tagname is enclosed inside square brackets (meaning: [ and ]). Commonly [i] is used for italic blazon, [b] is used for bold, [u] for underline, [color="value"] for color and [list] for lists, as well every bit [img] for images and [url] for links.

The following case BBCode: [b]This[/b] is [i]clever[/i] [b] [i]text[/i] [/b] when the post is viewed the code is rendered to HTML and will appear as: This is clever text .

Many forum packages offer a mode to create Custom BBCodes, or BBcodes that are non built into the package, where the administrator of the board can create complex BBCodes to allow the utilize of JavaScript or iframe functions in posts, for instance embedding a YouTube or Google Video complete with viewer directly into a post.

Emoticon

An emoticon or smiley is a symbol or combination of symbols used to convey emotional content in written or message form. Forums implement a system through which some of the text representations of an emoticons (eastward.g. xD, :p) are rendered every bit a minor image. Depending on what part of the globe the forum's topic originates (since almost forums are international) smilies can exist replaced by other forms of like graphics, an instance would be kaoani (e.thou. *(^O^)*, (^-^)b), or even text between special symbols (eastward.g. :blink:, :thought:).

Poll

Most forums implement an opinion poll system for threads. Nigh implementations permit for single-choice or multi-choice (sometimes limited to a certain number) when selecting options equally well as individual or public display of voters. Polls can exist set to expire afterward a sure date or in some cases later on a number of days from its creation. Members vote in a poll and a statistic is displayed graphically.

RSS and Atom

RSS and ATOM feeds allow a minimalistic means of subscribing to the forum. Common implementations allow RSS feeds to list only the last few threads updated for the forum alphabetize and the last posts in a thread.

Other features

An ignore listing allows members to hibernate posts of other members that they do not want to see or have a trouble with. In nigh implementations, they are referred to as foe listing or ignore listing. The posts are usually non hidden, simply minimized with merely a pocket-size bar indicating a mail service from the user on the ignore listing is there.^{[23] [24]} Almost all Internet forums include a member list, which allows display of all forum members, with an integrated search feature. Some forums will not list members with 0 posts, even if they have activated their accounts.

Many forums allow users to give themselves an avatar. An avatar is an image that appears beside all of a user's posts, in order to make the user more than recognizable. The user may upload the image to the forum database or may provide a link to an image on a separate website. Each forum has limits on the height, width, and data size of avatars that may be used; if the user tries to apply an avatar that is likewise large, it may exist scaled downward or rejected.

Similarly, most forums allow users to ascertain a signature (sometimes called a sig), which is a block of text, possibly with BBCode, which appears at the bottom of all of the user's posts. There is a character limit on signatures, though it may be then high that it is rarely hit. Often the forum'southward moderators impose manual rules on signatures to forbid them from being obnoxious (for example, being extremely long or having flashing images), and outcome warnings or bans to users who break these rules. Like avatars, signatures may improve the recognizability of a affiche. They may also allow the user to attach data to all of their posts, such equally proclaiming support for a cause, noting facts about themselves, or quoting humorous things that accept previously been said on the forum.

Common on forums, a subscription is a form of automatic notification integrated into the software of most forums. It usually notifies either by e-mail or on the site when the member returns. The option to subscribe is available for every thread while logged in. Subscriptions work with read marking, namely the property of unread, which is given to the content never served to the user by the software.

Contempo development in some popular implementations of forum software has brought social network features and functionality.^[25] Such features include personal galleries, pages as well as a social network similar chat systems. Most forum software is now fully customizable with "hacks" or "modifications" readily available to customize a person'south forum to theirs and their members' needs.

Oft forums apply "cookies", or information about the user's behavior on the site sent to a user'southward browser and used upon re-entry into the site. This is done to facilitate automatic login and to prove a user whether a thread or forum has received new posts since his or her last visit. These may be disabled or cleared at any time.^[26]

Rules and policies

Forums are governed by a set up of individuals, collectively referred to as staff, made up of administrators and moderators, which are responsible for the forums' conception, technical maintenance, and policies (cosmos and enforcing). Most forums have a list of rules detailing the wishes, aim, and guidelines of the forums' creators. There is usually also a FAQ section containing bones information for new members and people not notwithstanding familiar with the utilize and principles of a forum (generally tailored for specific forum software).

Rules on forums usually apply to the unabridged user torso and oftentimes accept preset exceptions, most commonly designating a department as an exception. For example, in an Information technology forum any discussion regarding anything but reckoner programming languages may be against the rules, with the exception of a general chat department.

Forum rules are maintained and enforced by the moderation squad, merely users are allowed to help out via what is known as a report arrangement. Near Western forum platforms automatically provide such a organisation.^{[23] [27]} It consists of a pocket-size function applicable to each post (including i'south ain). Using information technology volition notify all currently available moderators of its location, and subsequent action or judgment can be carried out immediately, which is specially desirable in large or very developed boards. Generally, moderators encourage members to likewise apply the private message system if they wish to report behavior. Moderators will generally pout upon attempts of moderation by non-moderators, especially when the would-be moderators practise not fifty-fifty issue a study. Messages from not-moderators interim as moderators generally declare a post equally against the rules or predict punishment. While not harmful, statements that attempt to enforce the rules are discouraged.^[28]

When rules are broken several steps are commonly taken. First, a warning is commonly given; this is commonly in the form of a private message just contempo development has made it possible for it to be integrated into the software. Subsequent to this, if the act is ignored and warnings do non work, the member is – usually – showtime exiled from the forum for a number of days. Denying someone access to the site is chosen a ban. Bans tin can mean the person can no longer log in or even view the site anymore. If the offender, after the warning sentence, repeats the offense, another ban is given, usually this time a longer ane. Continuous harassment of the site eventually leads to a permanent ban. In most cases, this ways just that the business relationship is locked. In extreme cases where the offender – later being permanently banned – creates some other account and continues to harass the site, administrators volition apply an IP address ban or block (this can as well exist applied at the server level): If the IP address is static, the car of the offender is prevented from accessing the site. In some extreme circumstances, IP accost range bans or country bans can be applied; this is ordinarily for political, licensing, or other reasons. Run across also: Block (Internet), IP address blocking, and Net censorship.

Offending content is usually deleted. Sometimes if the topic is considered the source of the trouble, information technology is locked; often a poster may request a topic expected to draw problems to be locked every bit well, although the moderators make up one's mind whether to grant it. In a locked thread, members cannot post anymore. In cases where the topic is considered a breach of rules it – with all of its posts – may exist deleted.

Troll

Forum trolls are users that repeatedly and deliberately breach the netiquette of an established online community, posting inflammatory, inapplicable, or off-topic messages to bait or excite users into responding or to exam the forum rules and policies, and with that the patience of the forum staff. Their provocative beliefs may potentially first flame wars (see below) or other disturbances. Responding to a troll'southward provocations is normally known as 'feeding the troll' and is generally discouraged, as information technology tin can encourage their disruptive behavior.

Sock puppet

The term sock puppet refers to multiple pseudonyms in utilise past the same person on a item message board or forum. The analogy of a sock puppet is of a puppeteer belongings up both easily and supplying dialogue to both puppets simultaneously. A typical use of a sockpuppet account is to agree with or debate another sockpuppet account belonging to the same person, for the purposes of reinforcing the puppeteer's position in an argument. Sock puppets are commonly found when an IP address bank check is washed on the accounts in forums.

Spamming

Forum spamming is a alienation of netiquette where users repeat the same word or phrase over and over, merely differs from multiple posting in that spamming is usually a willful human activity that sometimes has malicious intent. This is a common trolling technique. It can also be traditional spam, unpaid advertisements that are in alienation of the forum'south rules. Spammers apply a number of illicit techniques to postal service their spam, including the utilise of botnets.

Some forums consider curtailed, comment-oriented posts spam, for case Give thanks yous, Absurd or I love it.

Double posting

"Double post" redirects here. For the PC BIOS double cold boot behaviour, come across double POST.

One common faux pas on Internet forums is to postal service the same bulletin twice. Users sometimes post versions of a message that are only slightly unlike, especially in forums where they are not allowed to edit their earlier posts. Multiple posting instead of editing prior posts can artificially inflate a user'southward post count. Multiple posting tin can be unintentional; a user's browser might display an error message fifty-fifty though the mail service has been transmitted or a user of a slow forum might go impatient and repeatedly hit the submit button. An offline editor may post the same message twice. Multiple posting can also exist used every bit a method of trolling or spreading forum spam. A user may also transport the same mail service to several forums, which is termed crossposting. The term derives from Usenet, where crossposting was an accepted practice but causes issues in web forums, which lack the ability to link such posts then replies in one forum are not visible to people reading the post in other forums.

Necroposting

A necropost is a bulletin that revives (every bit in necromancy) an arbitrarily old thread, causing information technology to appear above newer and more active threads. This practice is generally seen as a alienation of netiquette on most forums. Because old threads are not normally locked from further posting, necroposting is common for newer users and in cases where the date of previous posts is not credible.^{[ commendation needed ]}

Give-and-take censor

A word censoring organization is usually included in the forum software package. The system will pick up words in the body of the mail or some other user-editable forum element (like user titles), and if they partially match a certain keyword (commonly no instance sensitivity) they volition be censored. The near mutual censoring is letter replacement with an asterisk grapheme. For instance, in the user title, it is deemed inappropriate for users to utilise words such as "admin", "moderator", "leader" so on. If the censoring system is implemented, a title such every bit "forum leader" may be filtered to "forum ******". Rude or vulgar words are common targets for the censoring organisation.^{[29] [30]} But such automobile-censors can make mistakes, for example censoring "wristwatch" to "wris****ch" and "Scunthorpe" to "S****horpe."

Flame wars

When a thread—or in some cases, an entire forum—becomes unstable, the event is usually uncontrolled spam in the form of ane-line complaints, prototype macros, or abuse of the report organization. When the discussion becomes heated and sides do cipher more than than complain and not have each other'south differences in point of view, the discussion degenerates into what is called a flame war. To flame someone means to go off-topic and attack the person rather than their opinion. Probable candidates for flame wars are usually religion and socio-political topics, or topics that talk over pre-existing rivalries outside the forum (e.thousand., rivalry between games, console systems, auto manufacturers, nationalities, etc.).

When a topic that has degenerated into a flame state of war is considered akin to that of the forum (exist it a department or the entire board), spam and flames have a take a chance of spreading exterior the topic and causing trouble, normally in the form of vandalism. Some forums (commonly game forums) accept suffered from forum-broad flame wars near immediately after their conception, because of a pre-existing flame war element in the online community. Many forums take created devoted areas strictly for discussion of potential flame war topics that are moderated similar normal.

Registration or anonymity

Many Internet forums crave registration to post. Registered users of the site are referred to every bit members and are allowed to submit or send electronic messages through the web awarding. The process of registration involves verification of one'due south historic period (typically age 13 and over is required so every bit to meet COPPA requirements of American forum software) followed by a declaration of the terms of service (other documents may also be nowadays) and a asking for agreement to said terms.^{[31] [32] [33]} Subsequently, if all goes well, the candidate is presented with a web class to fill requesting at the very least a username (an alias), password, e-mail and validation of a CAPTCHA lawmaking.

While simply completing the registration spider web form is in full general enough to generate an account,^{[note ii]} the status label Inactive is usually provided by default until the registered user confirms the email address given while registering indeed belongs to the user. Until that time, the registered user can log in to the new business relationship merely may not post, respond, or send private letters in the forum.

Internet forums are used often in conjunction with multiplayer online games.

Sometimes a referrer system is implemented. A referrer is someone who introduced or otherwise "helped someone" with the determination to join the site (likewise, how a HTTP referrer is the site who linked one to another site). Ordinarily, referrers are other forum members and members are usually rewarded for referrals. The referrer system is likewise sometimes implemented so that, if a visitor visits the forum through a link such equally referrerid=300, the user with the id number (in this example, 300) would receive referral credit if the visitor registers.^[34] The purpose is commonly just to give credit (sometimes rewards are implied) to those who help the community grow.

In areas such as Japan, registration is frequently optional and anonymity is sometimes even encouraged.^[35] On these forums, a tripcode system may exist used to let verification of an identity without the need for formal registration. People who regularly read the forum discussions just do not annals or do not post are often referred to as "lurkers".

Comparison with other web applications

Electronic mailing lists: The primary difference betwixt forums and electronic mailing lists is that mailing lists automatically deliver new messages to the subscriber, while forums crave the reader to visit the website and check for new posts. Because members may miss replies in threads they are interested in, many modernistic forums offer an "e-mail notification" feature, whereby members can choose to be notified of new posts in a thread, and web feeds that allow members to see a summary of the new posts using aggregator software. There are also software products that combine forum and mailing list features, i.e. posting and reading via email every bit well as the browser depending on the member's choice.^{[ examples needed ]}

Newsreader: The principal difference between newsgroups and forums is that additional software, a News client, is required to participate in newsgroups whereas using a forum requires no boosted software beyond the web browser.

Shoutboxes: Unlike Internet forums, most shoutboxes do not crave registration, only requiring an electronic mail accost from the user. Additionally, shoutboxes are not heavily moderated, dissimilar most message boards.

Wiki: Unlike conventional forums, the original wikis allowed all users to edit all content (including each other'south letters). This level of content manipulation is reserved for moderators or administrators on about forums. Wikis also allow the creation of other content outside the talk pages. On the other hand, weblogs and generic content direction systems tend to be locked down to the indicate where only a few select users can mail service blog entries, although many allow other users to comment upon them. The Wiki hosting site known as Wikia has 2 features in functioning, known as the Forum and Message Wall. The forum is used solely for discussion and works through editing, while the bulletin wall works through posted messages more similar to a traditional forum.

Chat rooms and instant messaging: Forums differ from chats and instant messaging in that forum participants do not accept to exist online simultaneously to receive or send messages. Messages posted to a forum are publicly bachelor for some fourth dimension even if the forum or thread is closed, which is uncommon in conversation rooms that maintain frequent activeness.

1 rarity among forums is the power to create a picture album. Forum participants may upload personal pictures onto the site and add descriptions to the pictures. Pictures may be in the aforementioned format as posting threads, and comprise the same options such as "Report Post" and "Reply to Post".

See also

• Comparing of Internet forum software
• Godwin's Law
• Internet social network
• List of Internet forums
• Warnock's dilemma

Notes

1. ^ read mark is the process through which a thread, post, or forum that has been viewed is distinguished from those that have not. The function is usually automatic with the addition of controls, similar Mark All etc.
2. ^ an business relationship is a space on the site identified past the called username through which a fellow member carries out activities and contributes.

Examples

1. ^ Presuming someone is sending a private bulletin and has the power to ship blind carbon copies: If someone fills the recipient field with "John" and "Tom", and the blind carbon re-create field with "Gordon". John will know Tom got the message. Tom knows John got the message. But, both Tom and John have no inkling that Gordon got the message as well.

References

1. ^ "vBulletin Customs Forum - FAQ: What is a message lath?". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-09-01 . A bulletin board is an online discussion site. It is sometimes as well chosen a 'board' or 'forum'. Information technology may contain several categories, consisting of sub-forums, threads and individual posts.
2. ^ ^{a b c} "What is an 'Internet forum'? (video entry past Ethan Feerst and Dylan Stewart group)". Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-11-04 .
3. ^ ^{a b} "Glossary Of Technical Terms". Dark-green Web Blueprint. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-04-28 .
4. ^ "Brevard User'due south Group - Technical Glossary". Brevard User'south Group. Archived from the original on 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2008-04-28 .
5. ^ "World-Wide Web Interactive Talk". w3.org.
6. ^ "Forum Software Timeline 1994 - 2010". Forum Software Reviews. Retrieved 2010-12-24 .
7. ^ wired.com
8. ^ "What is a Forum Moderator? (with pictures)". EasyTechJunkie . Retrieved 2022-01-25 .
9. ^ "Argue tools". LessWrong. Retrieved 2011-03-31 .
10. ^ "Non-Threaded vs Semi-Threaded vs Threaded Formats". BulletinBoards.com. Retrieved 2010-05-27 .
11. ^ "Message Board Features - Website Toolbox". Website Toolbox. Retrieved 2009-07-12 .
12. ^ "vBulletin Manual: User Groups and Permissions". vBulletin. Retrieved 2008-11-04 .
13. ^ "Administrator seeking moderators to control spam abuse". ddforums.com. Retrieved 2010-04-20 .
14. ^ ^{a b} "vBulletin FAQ: Moderators and Administrators". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14 .
15. ^ Chen, Adrian (2015-07-21). "When the Internet'southward 'Moderators' Are Annihilation Simply". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-19 .
16. ^ "The Man Who Helped Turn 4chan Into the Net'southward Racist Engine". world wide web.vice.com . Retrieved 2021-07-19 .
17. ^ Marone, Vittorio (2015). ""Keep in mind that I will be improving": The opening post as a request for absolution" (PDF). Online Periodical of Advice and Media Technologies. five (ane): 136–158. doi:10.29333/ojcmt/2499.
18. ^ "Postcount Information". TechnoFyed.com. Retrieved 2009-11-xi .
19. ^ "BUMP". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 2010-01-17 .
20. ^ "bump: definition". Answers.com.
21. ^ Newton, Casey (2020-05-12). "Facebook will pay $52 million in settlement with moderators who developed PTSD on the job". The Verge . Retrieved 2021-07-19 .
22. ^ "Tripcode Explorer - Hurr Network". Hurrchan/Courtney Wade. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2010-08-22 .
23. ^ ^{a b} "vBulletin FAQ: Dealing with Troublesome Users". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14 .
24. ^ "PhpBB FAQ: How tin can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes listing?". PhpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14 .
25. ^ "NodeBB". NodeBB.
26. ^ "FAQ: User Maintenance". Fan Forum. Retrieved 2012-10-31 .
27. ^ "phpBB FAQ: How can I written report posts to a moderator?". phpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-xiv .
28. ^ "Community Rules 1c". phpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14 . Members are asked to not act as 'dorsum seat moderators'. If members annotation an consequence that contravenes something in this policy document they are welcome to bring it to the attention of a member of the Moderator Team. Please utilize the 'mail report' feature to report posts. Do not respond to such topics yourself. Members who constantly 'human activity' as moderators may be warned.
29. ^ "Censorship Options". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-ten-30 .
30. ^ "iii.4.5. Word censoring". PhpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-ten-30 .
31. ^ "vBulletin Customs forum - FAQ: Registration". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14 .
32. ^ "phpBB FAQ: Why practise I need to register at all?". phpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-fourteen .
33. ^ "phpBB FAQ: What is COPPA?". phpBB.com. Retrieved 2008-09-fourteen .
34. ^ "vBulletin Options - User registration". vBulletin.com. Retrieved 2008-09-15 .
35. ^ "2-Channel Gives Japan's Famously Tranquility People a Mighty Vocalization". WIRED.

See also

• Thread
• Process scheduling

Resources

• phpBB (open-source code copyrighted platform)
• Open directory project (multi-platform ontology-based open-standard content directory
• Active Directory (Microsoft-proprietary single sign-on, access, remote and domain control service)

External links

• Xenforo Forums
• Delphi Forums
• Why people like to use Net forums

perezsenter.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum