Forums
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Contents |
Forums
What’s a forum?
According to Wikipedia an Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. (see Wikipedia link below).
Basically that means it's a place online, a website, usually built around a certain topic, but potentially containing various topics, where people can have discussions by posting content and then replying to and being replied to by others. This builds a tightly knit community as well as a detailed discussion of whatever topic the forum is dedicated to. A forum gives users the opportunity to talk with people all over the world about whatever it is that most interests them. It can be a social experience and/or an experience in seeking and sharing information.
Rules
Since forums are accessible by anybody out in the wide world of the web, they often have rules to protect their users. Forum administrators can be very serious about people getting along in their online community. To that end, most rules are about being respectful to others, not posting obscenities, and not "flaming" or posting an offensive attack on another person. Other rules are usually to keep the discussion organized and to keep posts in their propper places in continuity.
Here is an example of one forum's rules: rules
They are all about being friendly and considerate.
A Forum by Any Other Name...
forums are also called:
- web forums
- message boards
- discussion boards
- (electronic) discussion groups
- discussion forums
- bulletin boards
- fora (the Latin plural)
- or simply, forums
An insider’s take
My brother uses a lot of forums. We talked about it for my podcast.
Have a listen here
How are Libraries using forums?
My Own Café is the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System's online forum for teens. We looked at this one in lis483. It offered discussions on a number of topics: music, books, anime & manga, poetry, news & politics, school, college advice, sports, technology & gaming, movies, and miscellaneous. IN addition to the forums site also offers links to library resources, the catalog, finding articles and homework help, as well as a section on music that features local bands and has some mp3's to download. The whole site has a purple background with yellow letters, that is oddly soothing. The content and the look make for what could be a cool virtual place for teens to hang out.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library IT Help Desk A private forum for library news. One would have to have a login to see exactly what they are up to, but it looks like they upgraded to a Forum for discussions from a mailing list.
What could a school library do with forums?
Start a forum.
One main site could be home to discussion threads for different subjects and classes, student clubs or organizations, and various library related topics, as well as social topics. In order to further involve the students, have them talk about the rules for the forum and moderate different discussions. This is one way a library, either in a High School or a public library, could get students and teens involved in library policy. These teens could be selected from or become a library's teen advisory board.
A librarian could also vet some forums for appropriateness and link to them. These could be related to academics and give students and teachers a larger group of people to discuss curriculum, subject matters, homework, standardized tests, college prep. Or they could be related to student clubs, related to library topics like books or movies, or simply interests expressed by certain students. Adding forums to a regularly updated links page or library blog could get the word out to the patrons. Also putting a slip of paper in a book with the URL of a forum might help students connect to more people interested in the same things as they are.
Pros and Cons of using a Forum as the Library's Online Discussion Space
Pros
- easy to tell when a forum has been updated
- potential for a more interesting visual design
- a visual design/interface that Internet users may already be comfortable with
Cons and Questions
- How does one set up a forum?
- Would the site have to be hosted on the school's server?
- Is a forum easier to use than a wiki?
Might a wiki be a better plan?
Are wikis taking the place of forums?
References and Links
Wikipedia Entry on Internet Forum
My brother Mike’s frequent forums
Pieces A forum about the Japanese Rock Band L'Arc~En~Ciel
SugizoLove A fan forum about Japanese Rockstar Sugizo
Skin A forum about new Japanese Rock SuperGroup Skin
