Internet forum

[RedWine]

An Internet forum is a facility on the World Wide Web for holding discussions, or the web application software used to provide the facility. Web-based forums, which date from around 1995, perform a similar function as the dial-up bulletin boards and Internet newsgroups that were numerous in the 1980s and 1990s. A sense of virtual community often develops around forums that have regular users. Technology, computer games, and politics are popular areas for forum themes, but there are forums for a huge number of different topics.

Internet forums are also commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion boards, discussion forums, discussion groups, bulletin boards (but see also dial-up bulletin boards) fora (proper latin plural) or simply forums.

History
Early Internet forums could be described as web versions of newsgroups or electronic mailing lists; allowing people to post messages and comment on other messages. Later developments emulated the different newsgroups or individual lists, providing more than one forum, dedicated to a particular topic. At first, Internet forums had the same structure as a guestbook or mailing list, but the Ultimate Bulletin Board software, created in 1996, invented a table-based layout that evolved into the designs used in modern software such as vBulletin and phpBB. In Japan, 2channel's style had a similar effect on the layouts of other Japanese boards.

As of late, forum software developers have actively encouraged the creation of open source plugins which can be integrated with the software as a means of expansion. Generally, these plugins provide more interaction for users and may add special features to the forum software.

[RedWine]

Internet forums are prevalent in several developed countries. In terms of countable posts, Japan is far in the lead with over two million posts per day on their largest forum, 2channel. The United States does not have any one large forum, but instead several hundred thousand smaller forums, the largest of which are GameFAQs, Gaia Online, and IGN. Other countries such as China, the Netherlands, and France are also home to hundreds of independent forums. Some countries such as Finland and Sweden do not have many prevalent forums despite having open and easily available Internet access. As of yet no study has been done on the prevalence of forums in countries around the world.

Small forums are often based around a single subject. Usually there is an "off-topic" forum where users can post any items they find interesting (in Japanese, neta) or play "forum games". Larger Internet forums are in general more subject to public conflicts between users, catchphrases, and private jokes. Depending on the level of moderation there may also be conflicts between users and administrators.

Like other forms of online communication, Internet forums are home to many heated exchanges and rivalries. Often, administrators ask users to conform to netiquette; if they leave a forum unmoderated it may degenerate and become useless for discussion.

[RedWine]

The barebones definition of a forum is the ability for people to start threads and reply to other people's threads. (Someone posts a message which is visible to everyone, you read it and then have the option to post a reply which will also be visible to everyone, thus a discussion can build up without all users having to be online at the same time.) However, most forum software provides considerably more than this.

Most forum software allows more than one forum to be created. These forums are containers for threads started by the community. Depending on the permissions of community members as defined by the board's administrator, they can post replies to existing threads and start new threads as they wish.

Forum software can be broadly divided between those which allow visitors to post anonymously, and those which attribute posts to a registered username.

For username-based software, visitors register using a username and a password, and possibly an e-mail address for validation purposes. In these types of forums, the members are often able to customise both how their posts display to others (for example avatars, user profiles and signatures) and how the board appears to them (such as different themes). Username-based software may provide for anonymity by allowing visitors to post without registration.

Anonymous forums may offer full anonymity or pseudonymity, but no registration. In order to provide the same set of features as registration-based forums, anonymous forums especially in Asia use a system of tripcodes, derived by encrypting a plaintext password put in the name field. Although blog comment pages are not Internet forums, they often use the anonymous system for the sake of simplicity.

A forum administrator typically has the ability to edit, delete, move or otherwise modify any thread on the forum. These moderator privileges are often able to be delegated to other forum members. The reasons for having these abilities are often to allow peace to be maintained and the rules to be enforced. The ways in which the moderation system works depends on the board software—for example, they can be directly appointed by the board administrator or chosen by an automated process combined with meta-moderation (moderation of the moderators). Many other systems exist and the board administrator is free to choose rules for their own forums.

Threads in a forum are either flat (posts are listed in chronological order) or threaded (each post is made in reply to a parent post). Sometimes, community members have a choice on how to display threads.

Forum software packages are widely available on the Internet, and are written in a variety of programming languages, such as PHP, Perl, Java and ASP. The configuration and records of posts can be stored in text files or in a database. Each package offers a different variety of features, from the most basic providing text-only postings to more advanced packages offering multimedia support and formatting code (usually known as BBCode). Many packages can be integrated easily into an existing website to allow visitors to post comments on articles.

[RedWine]

One significant difference between forums and electronic mailing lists is that mailing lists automatically deliver new messages to the subscriber, while forums require the member to visit the website, and check for new posts. Due to the possibility of members missing replies to threads they are interested in, many modern forums offer an "e-mail notification" feature, where an e-mail is automatically sent to all users who have chosen to be notified of new replies, informing them that a new post has been made.

The main difference between newsgroups and forums is that additional software is usually required to participate in newsgroups, a newsreader. Visiting and participating in forums normally requires no additional software beyond the web browser.

Forums, unlike wikis, do not allow people to edit other's messages. Some users, however, may be given this ability in order to moderate content (for example, if spam is posted to the forum).

Unlike blogs, forums typically allow anyone to start a new discussion (known as a thread), or reply to an existing thread. The range of topics discussed on forums is typically wider—as a website running forum software may have more than one forum, each dedicated to a different topic. While many blogs allow visitors to post comments in reply, the number of people who can create entries is normally very limited, and the range of viewpoints and beliefs on a blog are also limited.

Forums differ from chat rooms and instant messaging because they usually deal with one topic and personal exchanges are typically discouraged. Participants in Internet forums should realize that what they have to say will be public knowledge for years to come. For example, Google's Groups (formerly DejaNews) is an archive of Usenet articles dating back to 1981. Forum archives are sometimes the best way to find an answer to very obscure questions, such as how to fix a particular computer problem.

Western-style forum software places a heavy amount of emphasis on identity, with user registration, custom titles and avatars being standard features. This makes the tone of discussion very different from the more anonymous 2channel style boards; the burdens of status and persona encourage, alternately, highly formal discourse and close personal relationships. The behavior of moderators shapes overall tendencies towards one direction or the other.

[RedWine]

eGovernment, or electronic government, is the use of information and communications technology in the internal processes of government and the delivery of government products and services to citizens and industry. Many of the technologies and implementation issues involved are the same or similar to those in private and voluntary sector e-business, while others are specialised or unique to the demands of government.

Alternatives for eGovernment include e-government, egovernment, Egovernment, E-government, E-Government, e-Gov, egov, EGOV, E-GOV and EGovernment, digital government, and online government. Also 'transformational government'

Technologies
While eGovernment is often thought of as "online government" or "Internet based government"—many non-Internet based "electronic government" issues exist under the eGovernment heading. Similarly, not all Internet-related eGovernment is about government websites.

[RedWine]

Activity Any kind of task which the learner is required to undertake, either on or off-line

Aims The summary of the intended Learning Outcomes for a module.


Assessment Either in-module or at the termination of any module.

Case Study A Case Study (sometimes showcase) is an illustrated example from the world of work which is used to work though particular principles and assist the learner in understanding and achieving specific learning outcomes. See showcase.

Chat An area where electronic exchange is encouraged between tutors and learners and among learners. See eGroup.
Content Content is the specific learning material, produced by a content provider and comprising all activities which the learner must cover in any module.
Content Provider An individual or agency which offers content into the Net_Quality learning space. The content and format must meet the nquk module production guidelines and will be validated by nquk prior to release into the Net_Quality learning space.
Courseware Courseware is a term used to describe specific software used to mediate or support a course or module.

Credit Credit rating is the process of allocating a 'worth' to a module. Credits indicate the 'size' or learner time budget for a module and the 'value' of the module. It is proposed that the 'value' for a single module is 1 Credit for 1 Module (10 hours of learner time).

Discussion Group see Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum This is any area used within either modules or generally within the Net_Quality space to facilitate collaborative working among Trainers and Learners - see eGroup

Duration
eGroup This is a publicly available service which is being used by nquk as an electronic forum set up to facilitate the exchange of views and of information among nquk learners. The eGroup will also be the main means of interacting with the module tutor. At the moment e.g. the UK Partners are using Yahoo Groups as a public domain eGroup service.

[RedWine]

Example This term has been used in a confusing way with showcase and case study. Suggest that it is only used literally - here is an example.....


Evaluation Again this term is confused with monitoring and other terms - we need clarification of whether we are talking about the assessment of a module? An approach? Of the learner?
Exercises Is this assessment? Perhaps the easiest definition is to regard this as LEARNER ACTIVITY
Forum This is the collaborative workspace used by those involved in developing and testing Net_Quality modules and support materials
Instructor Suggest that we use Trainer as the collective term for Tutors i.e. Module Tutors and Subject Tutors


Learner Activity Any activity where the learner is required to interact with the material - sometimes this will be a non-assessed exercise and sometimes it will be an assessment.

Learner's Handbook This document is available in both print and on-line form for all learners in the Net_Quality space and describes the approach, the tools and the terms used in Net_Quality.

Learning Links This area of nquk.com is a general resource area designed to provide the learner with access to learning support provided by a variety of agencies. These will primarily be in the form of web sites or email addresses, but where appropriate other contact information may be provided.
Learning Outcomes The specific capabilities the learner should achieve at the end of the module
Links Cross-referenced material - usually hyperlinks to support material. For example some links may be to web sites which demonstrate particular aspects of the module aims or may be links to other module material.

[RedWine]

Material Used interchangeably with Content
Module The Module is the basic learning building block in Net_Quality and will conform to the general approach and philosophy adopted throughout Net_Quality. Modules address specific topics and introduce the learner to specific problem solving approaches and collaborative learning with other engaged in the same module. The basic time budget is 10 hours of learner effort per module. Some modules are 'double' modules - in other words their are designed around 20 hours of learner effort. There will in due course be a link between credits, volume of learner effort and modules e.g. a 10hr module = 10 credits, 30hr = 30 credits and so on.
Module Tutor The module tutor is the person with overall responsibility for the learning experience on any module and the primary contact for the learner. A number of tutors may be involved with a module depending on the range of specialisms involved.
Objective These are derived from the learning outcomes and are expressed in terms of behaviour (what the learner will do) and level of performance (to what standard or level)

Phase As part of the general reference guidelines for module production - module production guidelines, each module must be broken into five separate phases each dealing with a different aspect of the problem area, In some partner areas, these may be referred to as sections.


Pre-course Questionnaire An assessment at the start of any module designed to assess your readiness to undertake the learning outcomes of the module and their appropriateness for you.
Pre-requisite Something required before you may commence work on a module - usually either a hardware specification or satisfactory completion of a prior module.
Problem This is a learner activity where the learner is required to solve a problem - it may be either an assessed or a non-assessed exercise.
Progress Checking Progress checking is an indication for the learner of their progress on a module and will be derived from assessment of some form.

[RedWine]

Project Work The Partners use this in a variety of ways ranging from individual working to working in groups. It is also applicable to collaborative working.
Resources Material/Content and Links provided for the Learner




Section The term Section has been used interchangeably with Phase in some modules: See Phase

Showcase See case study.

SME Small to Medium-sized Enterprise
SMHE Small to Medium-sized Hospitality Enterprise
SMTE Small to Medium-sized Tourism Enterprise

Step Used in some documentation as module or unit or phase. The uniform terminology is to use phase for individual steps within a module.

Sub Phase Self-explanatory - it is a component of a phase.
Subject Tutor The individual tutor or tutors specific expertise within any module. Your tutor is the person who facilitates your learning time in Net_Quality and may be someone you actually meet during a workshop or group exercise at one of the learning centres or may only contact on-line, depending on the type of module you are taking at the time.


Tests An assessment. We need to agree a form of words - suggest diagnostic (how are you doing?), summative (how have you done)

Topic Basically the title of the module deriving from the application area
Trainer Any type of Tutor
Training Provider The agencies responsible for fulfilling the Net_Quality delivery - providing
Training Provider Notes Support materials available to Training Providers to guide their approach to participating in Net_Quality

Tutor The Tutor is in effect the module manager and
Tutor Notes Support materials available to tutors to assist in managing a module - there will be a set of Tutor Notes for each module.
Unit Used interchangeably with module and course
Validation The process through which material offered into the Net_Quality learning space by a Training Provider is quality assured for conformance with style and presentation guidelines and also assessed and accorded a level and credit rating.

[RedWine]

Accessibility A type of technology that allows people with disabilities ranging from visual problems to cognitive impairments to use the Internet. Adobe Acrobat Reader® Free software (see Sect. 2 Essential Software) that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files on all major computer platforms, as well as fill in and submit Adobe PDF forms online. For online classes, you will use Adobe Acrobat Reader to download different types of text available on reserves or over the web. An expanded version of Acrobat Reader for Windows offers additional features, including support for the visually impaired, the ability to search collections of Adobe PDF files, and the ability to display Adobe Photoshop® Album Slideshows and eCard. AIM (or AOL Instant Message) A program designed by America Online (AOL) that is used to chat back and forth to users who have an AIM account.

Application A program or group of programs designed for end users .Software can be divided into two general classes: systems software and applications software . Systems software consists of low-level programs that interact with the computer at a very basic level. This includes operating systems, compilers , and utilities for managing computer resources . In contrast, applications software (also called end-user programs ) includes database programs, word processors , and spreadsheets . Figuratively speaking, applications software sits on top of systems software because it is unable to run without the operating system and system utilities. Applet An applet is a small Java program that is embedded into an HTML page. The applet is not allowed access to certain resources on the computer such as files and drives and the applet is prohibited from communicating across networks.

Attachment A file attached to an e-mail message. Many e-mail systems only support sending text files as e-mail. If the attachment is a binary file or formatted text file (such as an MS-Word document), it must be encoded before it is sent and decoded once it is received. There are a number of encoding schemes, the two most prevalent being Unicode and MIME.

Bandwidth Defined as the amount of information that can move through a connection in a given amount of time. It is usually measured in bits per second. Blackboard Used for course management and login / authentication for all UNCG / DCL courses. Bookmark (Favorite) A link that is stored in a browser for quick access at a later time. Bps Is an acronym for bauds per second. Bps is a common speed rating given to dial up modems. More technically, it is the amount of bits it can send and recieve per second. Broadband Internet Connection (i.e. Fast Access, Road Runner, DSL, T1 or T3 line, Internet access via cable modem) fast access ISP computer accounts; recommended for UNCG / DCL online courses. With such a service, pages load faster, videos download faster, and the Internet experience is greatly improved. Browser Short for web browser, a software application used to locate and display web pages. The two most popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer . Both of these are graphical browsers, which means that they can display graphics as well as text . In addition, most modern browsers can present multimedia information, including sound and video , though they require plug-ins for some formats.

[RedWine]

Application Binary Interface (ABI)
A protocol which defines the binary calling conventions and data structure interfaces of a service, allowing one or more compiled applications or libraries to interact.
Application Programming Interface (API)
A set of routines and data structures for building software applications that can function within a specified environment. These applications can then reference these routines in order to access the supporting system services.
availability
A term used to indicate the probability of a system or capability of a system to remain operable and service requests. Availability takes into account the operating time of the system or system capability and the time required for repairs or maintenance. It is typically expressed in terms the percentage of time the system remains in service (99.999% or 99.9999%, implying a downtime of 5 minutes or 30 seconds per year).
carrier grade
A term that implies a system that is designed to have increased availability and timeliness to meet the requirements of a modern communications network element.
Carrier Grade Linux Working Group (CGL-WG)
A working body comprised of openly enrolled open source software developers and equipment suppliers, and is chartered to gather requirements, establish roadmaps, publish specifications, define architectures, and sponsor the open source projects needed to achieve a true, carrier-grade Linux.
CGL Proof of Concept subgroup (PoC-sg)
A technical working subgroup of the CGL-WG chartered with of the proof of concept implementations of Carrier Grade Linux enhancements as defined the CGL-WG architecture and requirements specifications.
CGL Requirements subgroup (Reqs-sg)
A working subgroup of the Carrier Grade Linux Working Group chartered with defining a set of technical requirements that lead to enhancements in the Linux OS that are useful for carrier-grade implementations and applications.
CGL Technical Board
The technical decisions making body of the Carrier Grade Working Group.
cluster
A cluster is a group of separate computers that are connected together and are used as a single computing entity to provide a service or run an application for the purposes of scalability, load balancing, and distribution of tasks.
compliance
Whether a software or hardware component fulfills the requirements of a given standard.
control plane
Part of PSTN network traffic used to setup, maintain and terminate connections.
event
An occurrence or happening, usually significant to the performance of a function, operation, or task.
exception list
The differences between a standard and an implementation.
event log
A permanent repository of system data that holds recorded notifications of system events that occur over time as system is active and servicing requests.
failover
An operational mode where the function of a system component is assumed by a standby component when the primary system component becomes unavailable because of failure or scheduled down time.
gateway
A network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocol technologies and performs the required protocol translations, such as translating from a PSTN time division multiplexed (TDM) network to an IP-based packet switched network.
hardened driver
Device driver enhanced to support continuous system operation in the event of a hardware malfunction. Hardened drivers must also be capable of detecting and reporting their failures so that the applications utilizing their services will remain available.
hard real-time
A hard real-time computer system is one where the system components can guarantee a specific response time.
heartbeat
A mechanism by which one component determines whether another component is functioning.
hardware platform
The underlying hardware, firmware, and minimum required set of devices (and their interfaces) to support a Carrier Grade Linux operating system.
Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a set of protocols developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force IETF) to support secure exchange of packets at the IPv6 layer.
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6), also been called ''IPng'' (IP Next Generation), is the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP). IPv6 is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that as designed as an evolutionary set of improvements to the current IP Version 4.
kernel mode
The privileged mode of the operating system where the kernel runs. This mode gives the kernel complete access to the computer.
Linux kernel
The essential part of Linux, responsible for resource allocation, low-level hardware interfaces, security, simple communications, and basic file system management.
Linux OS
The Linux kernel and associated packages that provide a complete set of software to allow functional use of a computer system.
Linux Standard Base (LSB)
The Linux Standard Base (LSB), working under the Free Standards Group (FSG), develops and promotes a set of standards with the goal to increase compatibility among Linux distributions and to enable software applications to run on any LSB-compliant Linux system.
live software upgrade
An upgrade of a software package that is performed while the system is active and serving requests.

[RedWine]

Absolute URL

Is the full Internet address of a page or other World Wide Web resource. The absolute URL includes a protocol, such as "http," network location, and optional path and file name. See URL

Analogue

Is one of the two types of signals that phones receive and understand. The other is a digital signal.

Active Server Page (ASP)

Is a document that contains embedded server-side scripting. ASP-compatible web servers can execute these scripts . For the end user, an ASP page is a standard HTML document that can be viewed on any platform using any web browser. A user can easily detect if a site utilizes ASP by detecting a .asp extension in the URL rather than the typical .html.

Attachment

Is a file (text, image or other document) that can be sent “attached” to an email and viewed by the recipient by clicking on an attachment icon. Also see file

Authentication

In a multiuser or “network” environment, the process by which
the system validates a user's logon information. A user's name
and password are compared against an authorized list. If the system detects a match, access is granted to the extent specified
in the permission list for that user.

Bandwidth

Is the amount of data received over a given time frame through
the Internet connection. The greater the amount of bandwidth, the faster the data can be delivered to the computer.

Browser

Is a software program designed to allow users to visit web sites, download images, and surf the net. Also referred to as a web browser (i.e. Microsoft Explorer, Netscape, Mosaic).

Bulletin Board System (BBS)

In other words, a computerized meeting system. BBS users can have discussions, make announcements, and upload or download files. There are thousands of BBSs around the world. Many of which rely on a direct modem-to-modem connection over a phone line, using a computer.


Cache

Web browsers use a cache system to store web sites that have already been visited. This enables the revisited site’s pages to be downloaded more quickly than upon the initial visit.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)

A Web server scripting standard; a mechanism used to connect script to Web servers. In the past, most CGI programs were actually script files and were often written in scripting languages like PERL. Today, scripts can also be executable programs. You can write scripts in C and Visual Basic.

[RedWine]

Abstract A brief summary outlining the main content of a journal article or other document.
Adobe Acrobat A computer program used for displaying PDF files.
Article A piece of writing on a specific topic, by one or more authors, that forms an independent part of a periodical publication such as a journal or serial, magazine, or newspaper.
Bibliography A list at the end of your assignment that includes works for background or further reading as well as those you have referred to in the text.
Bookmark A method of storing links to individual web pages or web locations on your computer. Bookmark is the term used by Netscape; Favorites is the Internet Explorer term.
Boolean Operators A means of combining searches to broaden or narrow search results. The operator and narrows a search; the operator or broadens a search.
Broaden To alter a search in order to retrieve more references. Using the Boolean Operator "or" broadens a search.
Browser Software used to view and interact with resources available on the World Wide Web. The most common browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Call number A set of numeric and alphabetical symbols that identifies an item in a library collection and indicates its physical location (usually on a library shelf), eg.Clin RJ 50 .C87 1993 or
Ltn 610.73 B897t 1990
Catalogue Lists material held (both print and electronic) at all branches of the University of Tasmania Library
Catalogue record Details that identify a particular title, including bibliographic details, catalogue access points and physical location.

[RedWine]

Definition of open ebook forum on the Web:

The Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) is an organisation whose purpose is to develop a specification for electronic content, based on existing HTML and XML standards, that allows electronic book content to be viewed on various devices and all platforms.

I will talk about it later !

[RedWine]

The DVD Forum is an international organization composed of hardware, software, media and content companies that use and develop the DVD format. It was initially known as the DVD Consortium when it was founded in 1995.

Mission
The DVD Forum was created to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas about the DVD format, and to enable it to grow through technical improvement and innovation. The organization hopes to promote worldwide acceptance of DVD for entertainment, consumer electronics and information technology applications. Membership in the DVD Forum is open to any company or organization involved in DVD research, development, or manufacturing; software firms and other DVD users interested in developing the format are also encouraged to join. Forum members can support other formats in addition to DVD.

What it does
The DVD Forum is responsible for the official DVD format specification. The group handles licensing of the DVD format and logo through the DVD Format and Logo Licensing Corporation (DVD FLLC), which also publishes the official specifications in book form. Reference materials and newsletters are published for DVD Forum members.