Forums vs. blog

hassen1 · #1 (**permalink**) 9th November 2006, 07:01 AM

well when wanting to decide which one o add o your site we better know what is the difference beween the two,

blog is short for web log. It is your personal soapbox to say whatever you feel. People can post comments but a forum is better for interaction. You can start a forum on your site and blog about it. Every time you blog (go to blogger(dot)com its free) ping your blog (pingomatic) and it alerts the search engines that you have new content on your blog. You should add links to your site in your blog so you have high PR one way links to your site.

So you should do both. Blogging is an important way to generate traffic and you need traffic to have a successfull forum. You can also set up your blog with RSS feeds to your site so updates are available right away.

astros99 · #2 (**permalink**) 8th December 2006, 07:19 PM

To me a blog is more like a journal. You can write your feelings and whatever else you want to right. It doesn't even have to be professional if you don't want it to. But a forum is basically a community. I like forums better because there are people who might share your opinion so forums are much better for just having some good talk. Blogs are just a place to let your thoughts out

misteralan · #3 (**permalink**) 11th December 2006, 11:08 AM

Forum is more to mingling and interacting with other forum users. And your conversation is mostly based on the topic. But then blog is more to individual thing, a thought, or doodling. And mostly you invest more of your thought in blogs compare to forums.

mini_0 · #4 (**permalink**) 30th March 2007, 02:34 PM

Blog software allows you to post online, which means that you won't need to bother with FTP software. This also means that you can post anywhere, not just from your own computer. You may be in a hotel room in China, and if it has an internet connection you can log in and update your website from your web-based control panel. Your blog's software will automatically move your most recent post to the top, while archiving older posts by date or by topic, so you don't ever have to bother to move web pages around.

rowenahere · #5 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 04:58 AM

Forum: A place setup online, wherein people can share and discuss views/opinions on various topics, just like a public meeting. Great place to learn and explore new things, can share and download files, view demos etc. Good place for beginners.

One needs to be a member to add comments while guests are allowed to browse only.

Blog: A place setup online, by single/group of people about a particular topic generally date wise. They are more personal than forums, similar to a personal diary wherein one makes notes on an hourly/daily basis, which is made public for people to view or comment upon.

One need not be a member to add comments.

“Forums are more democratic than blogs and help build communities.”

rowenahere · #6 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 06:07 AM

Forums, these communities of interest were found on dial-up, bulletin board services and on Internet newsgroups frequented by early adopters of computer technology. Later, forums came up in the World Wide Web, also known as “online forums, user groups, message boards, discussion groups, web forums, newsgroups, chat groups, or discussion threads”.

Blogs, firstly a "publishing tool", wherein the individual blogger/author voices their opinions, are a recent entry in the Web.

Similarities

One can post/reply/leave comments which may or may not be moderated, thus creating discussions. One may need to be a member by signing up with name and email address.

rowenahere · #7 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 08:56 AM

Focussing on Forums

Creates discussions on particular topics by allowing commenting of posts (generally short), highly structured/organized in date order.

Decentralized Structure, members start discussions and have more control on topic/discussion, more options (private messaging, member profiles, email notifications for new comments/replies, view statistical information like online members/guests, new posts/replies); can be author/reader/both with similar/distinct view points. Required to “Log in/register”.

Can’t turn off replies, but can moderate (moderators); ensures that members remain focused on topic discussed; proper decorum is maintained, or any other technical help. Can control how the site is accessed, limit user posts, and check spam (unsolicited online messages generally commercial) or flames (hostile language, usually personal).

Offer rich functionality like greater security and authorization features, more formatting options and administrative controls.

Content is private, so broadcasting and connecting to other sites via blogging tools not possible.

rowenahere · #8 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 09:00 AM

Focussing on Blogs

Main purpose is “Posting/content”(generally lengthy), not commenting. Is a collection of posts/articles, usually structured/organized by category, though not essential.

Centralized Structure, includes readers’ ability to comment on posts, thus a community arises. The comments/replies (can be turned off) are not a primary purpose of conversation between author and reader, show single view point (authors’), which are directed to primary author, Readers can comment, not start new posts/threads.

Not required to Log in/register; communication via private messaging not provided though can have personal connections. Do not provide statistical information of any kind.

Ability to read/link weblogs together as tools that help publish blogs and includes functionality necessary for community-building (allows author to comment on others’ post to start conversations)

rowenahere · #9 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 09:02 AM

Track backs: Allows bloggers to see who has seen the original post and has written another entry concerning it

Pings: Requests notification when somebody links to their documents

Above two: “de facto technologies of blogs” (rarely offered by forums), thus allowing outreach and links conversations on similar topics between blogs

RSS feeds and Atom generation: “Aggregation or Syndication languages", mechanism for distributing/syndicating blog posts over Internet for automatic notification to subscribers when new/updated posts are made and now, being used in Forums.

Aggregation: Desktop/Web application that can read and display several feeds in a single interface

Perm linking (Archiving systems, filtering, search features): Links to specific articles in blogs’ archive, which remain valid after the article has been archived

Cross linking: Simple process; where two websites provide links to each other.

Complex templating languages: Uses (i) proprietary tag language (Movable Type), (ii) existing language such as PHP (Word Press), which allows extensive modification in blogs. Though, forums can be integrated in the parent site, blogs supports this customization.

Comment systems: Turns a blog from a publishing system into a community. Authors have vast control over comment systems, which are customizable from within blogs, like “never/always allow comments or open/close comments”. Users can preview/edit comments, with maybe some HTML facilities.

rowenahere · #10 (**permalink**) 21st April 2007, 11:03 AM

Present Trends:

Blogs and forums are merging in a manner, as "Forums have trackbacks, RSS feeds while Blogs support community".

But, to remember, that though they may have "common aspects but are there for different reasons with distinct contributions to the users of internet".

They are also implementing "Web standards" which shall generate better and more useful HTML, XHTML, CSS, thus allow easy modification and maintenance.

mini_0 · #11 (**permalink**) 23rd April 2007, 03:43 AM

Forums save information posted on a particular topic for other people to see at any time, this creates a discussion environment. Everything that gets posted gets read again and again. The fact that the discussion isn't real time means that it rarely turns into heated arguments as people are given time to research and consider their comments before replying, this makes for mostly high-quality discussion.

mini_0 · #12 (**permalink**) 23rd April 2007, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misteralan

Forum is more to mingling and interacting with other forum users.

Forums allow you to create robust online communities even with low traffic volumes since people often return to the site on a regular basis to catch up on whats happened since then.Having a medium to high traffic forum on a website will increase the value of it as members of forums are very knowledgeable about the topic at hand and they'll usually try to show this in their posts thus creating lots of information and tips which visitors to your site can use.

ritche · #13 (**permalink**) 25th April 2007, 06:15 AM

I would go for Forums--- because it is a good venue for social interaction from all the people you share the same interests with. It works like a conference room where you can all roll up your sleeves, sit back and relax and just enjoy the topic as it goes on and on.

mini_0 · #14 (**permalink**) 27th April 2007, 04:13 PM

Actually , I would also say that forums create interaction . I think in no way can a blog compete with forums on this point . Blogs have noo way of interaction between users , becaus they are initially like only a user views platform . one blogger posts and there are users and bloggers posting comments on them , no doubt commenting can become interactive but as comapred to a forum , it is much more difficult . forum provide a healthy way of communication and views that is much more easier and organised .