Online forums (also known as online discussion sites, message boards, newsgroups and internet forums) are powerful tools for sharing information˳ Their use has become omnipresent and wide reaching˳ Many people use discussion sites on a daily basis, whether it’s to gain knowledge, share ideas or simply to feel as part of a community˳
Why use Online Forums?
* communicate with other like-minded people who have the same or similar interests
* exchange intellectual ideas and thoughts
* offer your opinion or advice
* submit materials for others to consider and provide feedback on such as your website, business ideas or questions
* find out new opinions and ideas
* be up to date with latest news and trends
* meet new friends and leads
Participating in forums is another way to stay in contact with persons belonging to the same community and to keep abreast of recent events˳ It’s a place to voice your opinions, be heard and discover other’s thoughts˳
This social media outlet can become addictive˳ For some, Online Forums provide a haven; a place to escape the daily grind and indulge in the community aura˳ Forum usage is certainly a concern for employers, due to reduced productivity and procrastination on behalf of the users involved˳ However, most of us are thankful for their existence˳
How to Use Online Forums:
The appearance of an online forum may seem daunting at first˳ There’s information, posts and threads flowing all over the home page in what appears to be an ad hoc manner˳ Occasionally, the initial reaction of first time users is to put discussion sites in the too hard basket˳ Here’s an easy step by step guide to using Online Discussions:
* Registration˳ Most discussion boards require you to become a member by registering or signing up in order to post˳ Invariably, you will need to provide a Username (your alias), password and an email address˳ The forum will also require your agreement to its terms and conditions˳
* Validation˳ After registering to an internet forum, you will need to validate your email by following the validation link emailed to you by the site˳
* Rules˳ Familiarize yourself with the rules and netiquette required by the forum˳ Generally, spamming, double posting and registering multiple user accounts is prohibited˳ Try to adhere in order to avoid being called a troll for unintentionally breaking the rules˳
* Posting˳ A forum has predefined topics (called threads)˳ Members may submit messages or comments (called posts) within these topics˳ The message will be enclosed in a box with the username, time and date notified either on the left hand side or appearing at the top of the post˳ Usually members are allowed to edit or delete their own posts˳ Many online forums limit posts to a certain number of characters˳
* Threads˳ A thread (topic) is started by a post˳ Other members may then follow in the conversation started by the original post (sometimes called the thread starter)˳ At times the responses and comments can become derailed˳ The tread generally displays posts in opposite chronological order (from first to current)˳ The abbreviation OP often refers to the original poster˳ Some message boards enable you to customize the view to commence with the starting post˳ They may also have a thread view which shows the branching of replies in priority to chronological order˳
* Moderating˳ Moderators monitor and enforce the message board rules˳ They may have access to all posts and threads or just those within their area of responsibility˳ Mods have the power to delete a post and to ban and suspend members who violate the discussion site’s policy˳ The moderator is usually the site owner’s friend˳ Among other responsibilities, they also help members in need and respond to complaints˳
If you’re a first timer to online forums, try some smaller message boards to start with˳ Smaller sites still have that community feel and are more than happy to accommodate beginners˳ Once you become accustomed to the way discussion websites work, you can then join some larger expert message boards if you wish˳ Above all, don’t be shy to voice your opinion; that’s what forums are for˳
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