This is my bibliography for my presentation, most of the links were provided at the end of the litrature i read.
The Real Value Of Forums, Terry Didcott
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Didcott
Forum Marketing - Using Forums For Marketing Online, Raymond Nesa
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Nesa
How To Make Money With Forums, Raymond Nesa
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Nesa
Effective Online Forum Usage, Herbert Simon
Internet Forum, Wikipedia
Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
Week Six of Presentations...
Today Karen Spoke on Youtube. Youtube is the largest international video upload site. most of the revenue for the site is made through advertising. The majority of video is amature video from the everyday public.
Videos are separated into different categories. The site offers a search bar so you can find which videos you want. You must have a user account to upload videos to the site however anyone can view videos withought being registered.
To upload a video there are a few different steps to go through such as labeling the video, adding a description, adding tags, which category and language and whether it is public or privately viewed.
You can collect videos and add them to a favourites folder, you also have an inbox which keeps track of incomming videos and messages. there is also a feature of being able to customize the look of the page as you view it, such as themes. you can also add people to a friends list and join a youtube group.
users of the site can also rate videos out of 5 stars.
Karen also mentioned that different countries put bans on the site and people also get into trouble through copywrite infringements.
The second presentation today was on Ebay by Melissa, its the worlds largest online shopping center in which prices are based on a bidding system.
Users need to be over 18 to register on ebay, once registered you need to varify your account via email. There are also options to register as only a seller or a buyer. Users can make judgments on buying from other users as people gain points and feedback from people they have sold or brought things from previously off ebay.
Videos are separated into different categories. The site offers a search bar so you can find which videos you want. You must have a user account to upload videos to the site however anyone can view videos withought being registered.
To upload a video there are a few different steps to go through such as labeling the video, adding a description, adding tags, which category and language and whether it is public or privately viewed.
You can collect videos and add them to a favourites folder, you also have an inbox which keeps track of incomming videos and messages. there is also a feature of being able to customize the look of the page as you view it, such as themes. you can also add people to a friends list and join a youtube group.
users of the site can also rate videos out of 5 stars.
Karen also mentioned that different countries put bans on the site and people also get into trouble through copywrite infringements.
The second presentation today was on Ebay by Melissa, its the worlds largest online shopping center in which prices are based on a bidding system.
Users need to be over 18 to register on ebay, once registered you need to varify your account via email. There are also options to register as only a seller or a buyer. Users can make judgments on buying from other users as people gain points and feedback from people they have sold or brought things from previously off ebay.
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
week five presintations
This week the first presintation was by logan who spoke about the afl dream team, which is a yearly online competition which runs around the football season through www.sportal.com
There are different dream teams for different sports such as the nrl, v8's and f1.
Players register online and they gain points as they play.
The site consists of a home page which shows the team, score and score for the year. There's a team page where you can see rankings and there's also a stats page which shows stats on the players like whos improving ect. There is also a coaches box where players can post comments to each other.
Participants also have forums and blogs such as impulse trading for example and you are also able to download podcasts.
The second person to speak today is Tristan who spoke about the triple j unearthed site which finds and surfaces bands. Triple j unearthed started to become realy big in about 2002. bands previously had to travel to a venue to compete against each other but now the compatition has moved online. The site features a homepage shows feature artists and other artists such as whos interesting, guest reviews, a featured playlist and the latest uploads.
There is also an artists page and it shows bands which have got playtime on triple j. it shows artist info such as what they sound like and who they think they sound like, a biography and you are able to listen to their music. you can also comment on songs and write a review.
There is a charts page which shows rankings of bands. Theres a competition page and also a message board which is alike a small forum. there is also a link to the ABC message board which is all triple j and you are able to download triple j podcasts.
Bands can register on the unearthed site and have the ability to change their user details ect. bands also have the ability to upload and change songs. they can also view a stats page where a band can see where they're ranked who's listened to them or added them to playlists ect.
There are different dream teams for different sports such as the nrl, v8's and f1.
Players register online and they gain points as they play.
The site consists of a home page which shows the team, score and score for the year. There's a team page where you can see rankings and there's also a stats page which shows stats on the players like whos improving ect. There is also a coaches box where players can post comments to each other.
Participants also have forums and blogs such as impulse trading for example and you are also able to download podcasts.
The second person to speak today is Tristan who spoke about the triple j unearthed site which finds and surfaces bands. Triple j unearthed started to become realy big in about 2002. bands previously had to travel to a venue to compete against each other but now the compatition has moved online. The site features a homepage shows feature artists and other artists such as whos interesting, guest reviews, a featured playlist and the latest uploads.
There is also an artists page and it shows bands which have got playtime on triple j. it shows artist info such as what they sound like and who they think they sound like, a biography and you are able to listen to their music. you can also comment on songs and write a review.
There is a charts page which shows rankings of bands. Theres a competition page and also a message board which is alike a small forum. there is also a link to the ABC message board which is all triple j and you are able to download triple j podcasts.
Bands can register on the unearthed site and have the ability to change their user details ect. bands also have the ability to upload and change songs. they can also view a stats page where a band can see where they're ranked who's listened to them or added them to playlists ect.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
My presentation
Online Forums
For my presentation iam going to talk about online forums.
A few people have mentioned forums in their presentations and specific forums imparticular. There are hundreds of forums out their for all different kinds of things, from gardening to online gaming. Im going to give a more general overview of forums. Even if your not an avid forum user yourself everyone here should be familiar with them, in specific the csu subject forums for example.
What is a forum?
Forums are a great way of online communication but unlike forms of instant communication such as instant messaging, information on forums can be looked back on and unlike emails they can be viewed by a wider audience and it’s great because people can share their own views and opinions. A lot of people have used the term of an ‘online community’ which is essentially what an online forum is, as a forum is generally comprised of user based content.
Iam going to be using the term ‘forum’ in specific but there are a number of different names for forums. Some of these include web forums, message boards, (electronic) discussion groups, discussion forums, bulletin boards or just online forums.
The Term ‘board’ or ‘forum’ in this case refers to the entire online community. It’s within this community where you get to your ‘sub-forums’ which are like different topics or subjects. It’s the forum software which has the ability to create more then one forum inside the forum as a whole.
A good example would be to look at these forums as being containers in which members of the community can start their own threads. Forums users can then post replies to existing threads and also create their own.
Some forums allow the user to be able to choose how they want threads displayed which is also linked to the customisation of how the user can view the forum. The csu forums for example offer this feature.
There are two different types of threads in forums. They are either ‘flat’ or ‘threaded.’
‘Flat’ meaning that the posts are listed in chronological order. A ‘threaded post’ means that each post is made in reply to a parent post.
Features of forum software.
Some forum software utilises a feature which enables the threads with newer replies to be bumped to the top while threads with fewer replies or no replies are bumped down the list. However forum moderators may find this a problem in some instances where people reply in these ‘dead’ threads to move them back up the top of the list, particularly posts which have gone unreplied to.
The software of a forum is whats responsible for a user to be able to post anonymously or under a registered user name. Some of you might have noticed that in the csu general forums that there used to be an option of being able to post under an alias, though this was repeatedly abused and the feature was turned off. It was the software used that was responsible for that feature.
To register as a user on a forum it usually requires a user name and password and sometimes you will be required to submit a working email address for validation purposes.
Being a registered user on a forum opens up a wide range of features. Some of these include the customisation of how their posts look, features such as custom avatars, custom signatures (which are added to the end of the users posts) and being able to create online profiles which other users can view.
Although some forums require you to be a registered user to be able to participate in the forum, some user name based software does allow for anonymity by allowing visitors to the forum to be able to post without registering.
There are on the other hand forums which are fully anonymous and don’t require registration to the forum. However for these forums to be able to provide the same set of features as a registered based forum they use a system of trip codes which is a system of authentication which doesn’t require registration.
If we look at a blog comment page for example, they are not internet forums but they use this system of anonymity for general simplicity.
Some forums offer members a points system, so within this members can add and detract points of each other. Some online forum users would say this is a positive practice as it boosts member contributions while others see it as a negative practice as it can become a frequent cause of dispute between members. Similarly in forums such as whirlpool forums, members can gain auras however a negative aspect of this is where members with bad auras get together and try to boost each others auras which can be a loose situation where members with good auras find out and therefore they probably leave with a worse aura then when they went in.
Administrators, Moderators and Members.
Forums are made up of your administrators, your moderators and most importantly members.
In general the administrator of a forum is in charge, they have the power. They can edit, delete and modify any aspect of the forum. They can ban, add or delete members and suspend the forum from use.
Moderators on the other hand are an aid to the administrator and this roll is generally delegated to members of the forum. The roll of the moderator is basically to retain the peace in the forum and make sure all the rules of the forum are being followed. They have fewer abilities then the administrator but they often have the ability to be able to edit and/or delete threads, move threads, warn members of offences and change minor forum details.
The members of the forum are most important otherwise there would be no point of the forum. Members have basic rights. For example the ability to edit their own posts, post in threads, start new topics and change their settings.
Most forums have the feature of member avatars. An avatar is basically a small picture which is located next to the members name or alias. Members can also choose to have a custom signature which I brought up earlier which is a comment or quote for example which is automatically added to the end of their posts.
Forum Etiquette
Generally among forum users one should use a certain forum etiquette. One example of this is double posting. Even though there are no rules against this it is often frowned upon. Double posting refers to posting twice in a row without another user separating the post or editing the previous post. Where it is possible to edit your own posts it is considered good forum etiquette to edit your previous post to include your new comments rather then just creating a whole new post.
Double posting often occurs when the exact same post is repeated in the same thread. This may happen due to the software not working properly or also when a user has a bad connection for example and have became impatient and clicked the submit or post button more then once.
Effects of regular forum participation.
Regular forum participation can have many benefits for some users, some of which may include, intellectual exchange, learning new ideas and refining old ones, enjoying community membership, influencing the evolution of a forum, contributing to others, making new friends and contacts, new business leads, keeping up with current events and learning about new opportunities.
Though there may also be some negative aspects of excessive forum usage. These negative aspects of which may include reduced concentration and focus, reduced productivity, chronic procrastination, increased pessimism and/or apathy, being distracted by endless debates and idle gossip, gradually substituting tribal group think for ones own intelligence, impaired social skills, neglected relationships and a weakened social circle ( which is a consequence of substituting online socialisation for face-to-face conversations) reduced self-esteem, career and income may suffer, and the inevitable forum addiction.
Making a profit with forums.
Though it is also useful to know that forums can also be very profitable to ones business. This can be done by adding one to your own website which in turn will draw more users to the site. However if you don’t have the time or resources to add a forum to your site you can use what is called a ‘soft’ method of promoting your website, blog or business by posting interesting topics in already existing forums that members would want to read and then displaying your links subtly at the end of your post in the signature. This method is considered acceptable by the online community as you are not spamming advertisements all over the place.
However you should remember that forums are not intended for that purpose and obvious promotional posts would be self defeating in the end as they only lead to a negative image.
For my presentation iam going to talk about online forums.
A few people have mentioned forums in their presentations and specific forums imparticular. There are hundreds of forums out their for all different kinds of things, from gardening to online gaming. Im going to give a more general overview of forums. Even if your not an avid forum user yourself everyone here should be familiar with them, in specific the csu subject forums for example.
What is a forum?
Forums are a great way of online communication but unlike forms of instant communication such as instant messaging, information on forums can be looked back on and unlike emails they can be viewed by a wider audience and it’s great because people can share their own views and opinions. A lot of people have used the term of an ‘online community’ which is essentially what an online forum is, as a forum is generally comprised of user based content.
Iam going to be using the term ‘forum’ in specific but there are a number of different names for forums. Some of these include web forums, message boards, (electronic) discussion groups, discussion forums, bulletin boards or just online forums.
The Term ‘board’ or ‘forum’ in this case refers to the entire online community. It’s within this community where you get to your ‘sub-forums’ which are like different topics or subjects. It’s the forum software which has the ability to create more then one forum inside the forum as a whole.
A good example would be to look at these forums as being containers in which members of the community can start their own threads. Forums users can then post replies to existing threads and also create their own.
Some forums allow the user to be able to choose how they want threads displayed which is also linked to the customisation of how the user can view the forum. The csu forums for example offer this feature.
There are two different types of threads in forums. They are either ‘flat’ or ‘threaded.’
‘Flat’ meaning that the posts are listed in chronological order. A ‘threaded post’ means that each post is made in reply to a parent post.
Features of forum software.
Some forum software utilises a feature which enables the threads with newer replies to be bumped to the top while threads with fewer replies or no replies are bumped down the list. However forum moderators may find this a problem in some instances where people reply in these ‘dead’ threads to move them back up the top of the list, particularly posts which have gone unreplied to.
The software of a forum is whats responsible for a user to be able to post anonymously or under a registered user name. Some of you might have noticed that in the csu general forums that there used to be an option of being able to post under an alias, though this was repeatedly abused and the feature was turned off. It was the software used that was responsible for that feature.
To register as a user on a forum it usually requires a user name and password and sometimes you will be required to submit a working email address for validation purposes.
Being a registered user on a forum opens up a wide range of features. Some of these include the customisation of how their posts look, features such as custom avatars, custom signatures (which are added to the end of the users posts) and being able to create online profiles which other users can view.
Although some forums require you to be a registered user to be able to participate in the forum, some user name based software does allow for anonymity by allowing visitors to the forum to be able to post without registering.
There are on the other hand forums which are fully anonymous and don’t require registration to the forum. However for these forums to be able to provide the same set of features as a registered based forum they use a system of trip codes which is a system of authentication which doesn’t require registration.
If we look at a blog comment page for example, they are not internet forums but they use this system of anonymity for general simplicity.
Some forums offer members a points system, so within this members can add and detract points of each other. Some online forum users would say this is a positive practice as it boosts member contributions while others see it as a negative practice as it can become a frequent cause of dispute between members. Similarly in forums such as whirlpool forums, members can gain auras however a negative aspect of this is where members with bad auras get together and try to boost each others auras which can be a loose situation where members with good auras find out and therefore they probably leave with a worse aura then when they went in.
Administrators, Moderators and Members.
Forums are made up of your administrators, your moderators and most importantly members.
In general the administrator of a forum is in charge, they have the power. They can edit, delete and modify any aspect of the forum. They can ban, add or delete members and suspend the forum from use.
Moderators on the other hand are an aid to the administrator and this roll is generally delegated to members of the forum. The roll of the moderator is basically to retain the peace in the forum and make sure all the rules of the forum are being followed. They have fewer abilities then the administrator but they often have the ability to be able to edit and/or delete threads, move threads, warn members of offences and change minor forum details.
The members of the forum are most important otherwise there would be no point of the forum. Members have basic rights. For example the ability to edit their own posts, post in threads, start new topics and change their settings.
Most forums have the feature of member avatars. An avatar is basically a small picture which is located next to the members name or alias. Members can also choose to have a custom signature which I brought up earlier which is a comment or quote for example which is automatically added to the end of their posts.
Forum Etiquette
Generally among forum users one should use a certain forum etiquette. One example of this is double posting. Even though there are no rules against this it is often frowned upon. Double posting refers to posting twice in a row without another user separating the post or editing the previous post. Where it is possible to edit your own posts it is considered good forum etiquette to edit your previous post to include your new comments rather then just creating a whole new post.
Double posting often occurs when the exact same post is repeated in the same thread. This may happen due to the software not working properly or also when a user has a bad connection for example and have became impatient and clicked the submit or post button more then once.
Effects of regular forum participation.
Regular forum participation can have many benefits for some users, some of which may include, intellectual exchange, learning new ideas and refining old ones, enjoying community membership, influencing the evolution of a forum, contributing to others, making new friends and contacts, new business leads, keeping up with current events and learning about new opportunities.
Though there may also be some negative aspects of excessive forum usage. These negative aspects of which may include reduced concentration and focus, reduced productivity, chronic procrastination, increased pessimism and/or apathy, being distracted by endless debates and idle gossip, gradually substituting tribal group think for ones own intelligence, impaired social skills, neglected relationships and a weakened social circle ( which is a consequence of substituting online socialisation for face-to-face conversations) reduced self-esteem, career and income may suffer, and the inevitable forum addiction.
Making a profit with forums.
Though it is also useful to know that forums can also be very profitable to ones business. This can be done by adding one to your own website which in turn will draw more users to the site. However if you don’t have the time or resources to add a forum to your site you can use what is called a ‘soft’ method of promoting your website, blog or business by posting interesting topics in already existing forums that members would want to read and then displaying your links subtly at the end of your post in the signature. This method is considered acceptable by the online community as you are not spamming advertisements all over the place.
However you should remember that forums are not intended for that purpose and obvious promotional posts would be self defeating in the end as they only lead to a negative image.
Week Four of Presentations
today Rachel and myself are giving presentations,
For Rachels she spoke about windows live messenger which is essentialy a newer version of msn messenger. there are also other forms of windows live messenger such as web messenger mac messenger and e messenger which can also use people with yahoo accounts.
Windows live is a program which you have to install on your computer to be able to use. it has a broad range of features such as being able to chat with a number of people at a time, and keep in touch with friends. it is a well established program which now offeres the ability to send messages to people who are offline so they will receive it the next time they come online. within the conversation you can show display pictures or avatars, use emoticons and winks ect, and you have the ability to add dinamic backgrounds to the window which have movable features such as a clock wich shows real time. within this window you can also invite new people to the conversation and send files, call contacts and send video files.
For Rachels she spoke about windows live messenger which is essentialy a newer version of msn messenger. there are also other forms of windows live messenger such as web messenger mac messenger and e messenger which can also use people with yahoo accounts.
Windows live is a program which you have to install on your computer to be able to use. it has a broad range of features such as being able to chat with a number of people at a time, and keep in touch with friends. it is a well established program which now offeres the ability to send messages to people who are offline so they will receive it the next time they come online. within the conversation you can show display pictures or avatars, use emoticons and winks ect, and you have the ability to add dinamic backgrounds to the window which have movable features such as a clock wich shows real time. within this window you can also invite new people to the conversation and send files, call contacts and send video files.
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
week three of presentations
Today Tim spoke about the myspace scene, in specific the myspace music scene or music page. He commented on the vast amount of bands which utilize this way of getting their band out their stating that several thousand bands use the service. Tim said that because myspace had such a huge audience it then becomes benificial for the bands. bands can post gigs and also upload music that people can listen to. Triple j unearthed had a similar site where bands could upload music and people can listen and vote, Tim also taked a bit about myspace creating their own label.
The second person to speak today is Luke who spoke a bit about online gaming, he outlined what a clan is, being an online group of people or a gang, FEAR being the online clan to which he belongs. He spoke about finding or recruiting players and methods of contact such as msn, email, ts2 voip network (teamspeak) where players can talk to each other rather then type. Luke also showed us the site for his clan FEAR and showed how members have the ability to log in and controll the site. Another point he discussed was background checks on players and the ranking of players within the clan.
The second person to speak today is Luke who spoke a bit about online gaming, he outlined what a clan is, being an online group of people or a gang, FEAR being the online clan to which he belongs. He spoke about finding or recruiting players and methods of contact such as msn, email, ts2 voip network (teamspeak) where players can talk to each other rather then type. Luke also showed us the site for his clan FEAR and showed how members have the ability to log in and controll the site. Another point he discussed was background checks on players and the ranking of players within the clan.
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
presentations week two
At the moment iam slowly compiling research for my assignment :) i have found a few interisting things about forums, i also found that alot of people tend to stress a particular etiquette when using forums. Ive noticed that a few people have mentioned forums in their presentations but havn't given a very in depth view just generaly mentioning them.
First up for presentations today was Tom who spoke about the online community in general. he talked about the interactivity of people on the net and having an 'online presence.' Tom mentioned such online communities as my space users and forum users, and in specific sites such as deviant art where young artists can socialise with over 2million members, he also mentioned the site 'kids with guns' and the youtube community.
Second up we had Robbert who gave his talk on the online community 'my space' www.myspace.com He described it as a social interest site. it enables people to get an account and view news, new messages, any comments and you can see how many people have viewed your profile. There are features such as mail which is just like webmail enabling you to be able to make new friends through myspace. There are also features such as blogs and forums. There is now an added feature of dedicating myspace communities to specific countries enabling a feature on events in your country.
The third and last presentation for today was by Daniel who spoke about itunes and mp3's. Itunes provides easy access to music ect without having to physicaly go out and buy it. He showed Bigpond being one of the first companies alowing you to be ablke to download mp3's and also an american site mp3.com which provides rss feeds which is adapted by the itunes store. Daniel also showed examples of the different qualities in mp3 compared to the radio and itunes ect. another interseting thing he talked about was the fact that bands could sign up to itunes and sell their music and you can preview songs before you buy them.
First up for presentations today was Tom who spoke about the online community in general. he talked about the interactivity of people on the net and having an 'online presence.' Tom mentioned such online communities as my space users and forum users, and in specific sites such as deviant art where young artists can socialise with over 2million members, he also mentioned the site 'kids with guns' and the youtube community.
Second up we had Robbert who gave his talk on the online community 'my space' www.myspace.com He described it as a social interest site. it enables people to get an account and view news, new messages, any comments and you can see how many people have viewed your profile. There are features such as mail which is just like webmail enabling you to be able to make new friends through myspace. There are also features such as blogs and forums. There is now an added feature of dedicating myspace communities to specific countries enabling a feature on events in your country.
The third and last presentation for today was by Daniel who spoke about itunes and mp3's. Itunes provides easy access to music ect without having to physicaly go out and buy it. He showed Bigpond being one of the first companies alowing you to be ablke to download mp3's and also an american site mp3.com which provides rss feeds which is adapted by the itunes store. Daniel also showed examples of the different qualities in mp3 compared to the radio and itunes ect. another interseting thing he talked about was the fact that bands could sign up to itunes and sell their music and you can preview songs before you buy them.
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