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 (the proper Latin plural) or simply forums.

Culture

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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. It is also dubious as to whether any country has its own fora, as - especially in the English language - contributors to a forum often come from outside the country in which the forum is hosted. There is often not a 1-1 relationship between languages and countries: for example, English language fora are contributed to by people all over the world, whilst Japanese language fora are likely to be contributed to only by Japanese people, but Japanese people also contribute to English language fora, so there is no 1-1 relationship between Japanese language fora and Japanese people contributing to fora.

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eWeek - RSS Feeds

The Risks In Wildcard Certificates
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:43:20 -0400
They may not be real-world problems, but wildcard certificates have some definite theoretical problems. But they can be so much cheaper that users will buy them anyway. - The imperative to use SSL, for web authentication and encryption or VPNs, is reasonably universal. Competition has driven prices of certificates down over the years to the point where you can get conventional SSL certificates from reputable vendors for well under $100 per year. Another product gain...
FCC Likely to Recommend Unlicensed Spectrum Use
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:09:07 -0400
The Federal Communications Commission will soon release a report on the feasibility of opening up unused spectrum, or white spaces, for use with wireless broadband. The FCC engineering report will share results of several years of data collection, including field tests on Broadway in New York City and at FedEx Field in Maryland. - WASHINGTON (Reuters) A battle between tech companies like Google Inc and broadcasters over use of soon-to-be vacant airwaves will heat up soon as U.S. regulators release an anticipated report on the issue. The Federal Communications Commission's report will weigh in as early as Friday on the fea...
Enterprise 2.0 Software to Take Hard Hits Amid Competition, Weak Economy
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:26:55 -0400
Spending on Enterprise 2.0 messaging and collaboration technologies will take a hit, according to Forrester Research. The research company says cutthroat competition and oversaturation of blogs, wikis, mashups and RSS feeds will curb spending, but predicts growth for mashups. At what point will Forrester have to factor the dragging economy into the slowdown in spending on anything from Enterprise 2.0 to enterprise applications? - Just a few weeks ago, the Enterprise 2.0 world was humming along smoothly, to all outward appearances. Vendors and analysts alike were bullish on growth prospects for modern collaboration and productivity platforms. The tide is turning, according to an analysis from Forrester Research analyst...
Intel, AMD Earnings to Offer Guidance on PC, IT Spending
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:24:03 -0400
When Intel and AMD report their third-quarter earnings in a few day, the two companies, which are the leading suppliers of x86 processors for desktops, notebooks and servers, are expected to offer a glimpse of how the financial crisis and the U.S. credit crunch is likely to impact the entire IT industry. In addition, Intel and AMD are likely to discuss the impact of the new chip manufacturing that formed when AMD sold off its fabs earlier this month. - When Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, the two largest suppliers of x86 processors for PCs and servers, report their 2008 third-quarter financial results in a few days, industry watchers will be looking for signs of how those numbers will reflect the ongoing financial crisis and its impact on the IT...
Apple Releases Mega Patch Security Update
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:08:25 -0400
Apple released a large security update that touches on nearly two dozen Mac applications and features. The release includes updates for Apache, PHP, ClamAV and MySQL. - Apple has released a massive update for Mac OS X 10.5 and Mac OS X 10.4.11 that plugs security gaps in 20 Mac applications and features. The update, released Sept. 9, is available on Apples Web site. Several of the patches deal with Mac OS X technologies, such as a fix for an issue in Script Edi...
10 Steps Techies Should Take to Keep Their Jobs in a Financial Meltdown
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:44:41 -0400
As the economy gets shakier each day, workers everywhere are concerned about losing their jobs. Here are 10 steps the corporate techie toiling away in the server room or the help desk can take to help keep his or her job. - OK, the stock market is falling like a rock. Big banks are being bought and sold like overripe bananas. The masters of the financial universe are looking like suckers at the horse race track buying tip sheets printed after each race. And now, even the venture capitalists of Silicon Valley are te...

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology

Acquisition takes Wells Fargo east
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:28:56 -0700
With its iconic stagecoach, Wells Fargo has evoked images of the wild West throughout its 156-year history. Now it's finally expanding east...
Adobe's big, new Creative Suite helpful in many ways
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:28:55 -0700
Every software release is big, but in the Macintosh world, Adobe's Creative Suite is bigger than most. Entire industries rely heavily on...
Reports: Chrysler, GM discuss merger, acquisition
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:56:02 -0700
. DETROIT — General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have held preliminary talks about a merger or an acquisition of Chrysler by GM...

NYT > Technology

Verizon Wireless Plans to Charge Companies Sending Text Messages
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:53:14 -0000
Verizon told companies that send out text messages that starting Nov. 1 it will impose a fee of 3 cents for each message it delivers to the phones of its subscribers.
YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:16:28 -0000
YouTube said it would start offering full-length episodes of some television shows on its sprawling Web site.
Memory Maker Reduces Work Force
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:38:00 -0000
Falling prices for the flash memory used in a wide range of consumer electronics have forced Micron Technology to shut down most of a factory it shares with Intel and lay off close to 3,000 workers.

CNN.com - Technology

New machine prints sheets of light
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:29:17 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Shark mom has 'virgin birth'
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:52:51 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Keeping track of climate change
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:35:12 -0400
It can often seem like hard work keeping track of the changes happening to our planet. Another day, another new prediction. Another week, another warning. It's enough to make even the most conscientious climate change student issue a weary discombobulated sigh.

NPR Topics: Technology

Fast, Citywide WiFi Launches In Baltimore
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:19:00 -0400
The nation's first rollout of WiMax has launched in Baltimore. Host Steve Inskeep talks to tech commentator Mario Armstrong about the fourth generation Internet service. It's a wireless connection that is fast and allows a subscriber to roam across the city.
New Solar Cell Easy As Pizza To Make
Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:16:00 -0400
The iJET is a new type of solar cell that's cheap and easy to make, requiring not much more than a pizza oven, some nail polish remover, and a common inkjet printer. Australian scientist Nicole Kuepper describes her invention.
SpaceX Celebrates First Successful Rocket Launch
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:53:00 -0400
SpaceX's flagship Falcon1 rocket has successfully launched from an island in the central Pacific, becoming the first privately-developed rocket to orbit the planet. NASA has already contracted SpaceX to begin private space flight missions to the International Space Station beginning in 2010.

BBC News | Technology | UK Edition

Bank turmoil fuels phishing boom
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:38:19 -0000
Scammers and fraudsters are capitalising on the changes sweeping through global financial markets and sectors.
'Spam attack' halts Virgin e-mail
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:32:02 -0000
Tens of thousands of Virgin.net customers lose e-mail access for up to four days after a suspected spam attack.
Channel 4 abandons digital radio
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:15:31 -0000
Channel 4 pulls the plug on three proposed digital radio stations owing to a slump in advertising revenues.

Reuters Video: Technology

Reuters Technology Week
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:38:38 -0400
Oct. 10 - Palin dukes it out digitally, super strong scents, and prize-winning protein.
Shazam enters new era
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:22:20 -0400
Oct 6 - The mobile music discovery service has seen a surge of new users after broadening its offering to work seamlessly with social networks.
Solar clothes
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:30:01 -0400
Oct. 3 - Argentine designer looks to the future by creating solar-powered clothing.

AP Top Technology News At 12:39 a.m. EDT

Flexible OLEDs could be part of lighting's future
By PETER SVENSSON Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:39:15 -0000
NISKAYUNA, N.Y. (AP) -- On a bank of the Mohawk River, a windowless industrial building of corrugated steel hides something that could make floor lamps, bedside lamps, wall sconces and nearly every other household lamp obsolete....
Sony seeks to harmonize music, electronics
By RYAN NAKASHIMA Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:38:01 -0000
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Now that Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG have broken off their troubled relationship, known as Sony BMG, the Japanese company hopes to harmonize its consumer electronics and its music, a duo that was badly out of sync....
Sinking shares could make Yahoo a target again
By JESSICA MINTZ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:47:35 -0000
SEATTLE (AP) -- When Yahoo Inc. co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang spurned Microsoft Corp.'s rich buyout offer this spring, he promised brighter days in Sunnyvale were just over the horizon....

CNET News.com

EFF: MPAA's RealDVD suit is a smoke screen
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:39:00 -0700
Internet-advocacy group accuses Hollywood of being less concerned about stopping piracy than it is about controlling innovation.
Photos: Top 10 reviews of the week
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0700
Here are CNET Reviews' 10 favorite items from the past week, including the Pantech flip phone, Sony Bravia LCD TV, Acer Aspire laptop, and Canon PowerShot ultracompact.
Apple will repair MacBooks that have faulty Nvidia GPUs
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 -0700
Computer maker says it has determined some MacBook Pros may be affected by Nvidia graphics chip glitch, and offers to repair those notebooks at no charge.

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