by Neil Nicol

Created on: February 21, 2009

Website forums and discussion boards exist in a great many different forms. Some are very specialised and relate to a very specific subject. Some are so general that we can post to them on virtually any subject which we care to name. There are even a great many hosting sites which have their own forums and discussion boards for the exclusive use of their members. Each of these types of forum will require to be used in a different way but there are also a number of factors which apply in each instance when considering how and how best we should do so.

Let us first consider why we would wish to follow and post upon online forums or discussion boards. Broadly speaking, we are either hoping to learn something from the process, or conversely, we may know something which we believe others would benefit from our sharing with them. It may be that we are looking to establish ourselves as an authority on the subject of the forum in order to improve our future career prospects. Either way, it is our intention to participate either in information sharing or gathering.

Whenever we are posting to a discussion board or forum, therefore, we should ensure that we either add some form of value to the debate or make a specific and relevant question of our fellow debaters. Posts like "I agree" may get us seen on the Web but they are of absolutely no intrinsic value either to you or your fellow contributors if you do not state with what you agree and precisely why. You will only irritate others on the respective forum and do yourself no favours in getting yourself noticed or accredited in the longer term.

We also have to make sure that our post is relevant to the particular thread upon which we are posting and is neither slightly off subject or, even worse, totally irrelevant. This means that we obviously have to have a knowledge of the subject or a definite interest in acquiring same. Posting inappropriate content to forums is another activity which will only harm us in the longer term.

What we must never do with online website forums or discussion boards, above all else, is spam them. This would involve such as posting on multiple threads, including only such as the URL of our website, or perhaps doing so several times on the same thread. It is amazing how many people do this, in what they believe will be a quick and easy way of getting them Web traffic. In the short term, it probably will to some extent, but in the long term, it will do us a great deal of damage to be labelled a spammer and will probably get us banned from the forums in to the bargain.

It can therefore be seen that posting to forums and discussion boards is largely common sense and if we obey these simple rules and essential codes of conduct, we can give our personal online presence or that of our website or business a very significant and beneficial boost.

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