Forums aren't marketplaces but when used as such, the marketers? actions become offensive and will only inspire the wrath of fellow members and marketers, not to mention moderators who can ban them from the site with the click of their mouse.



In order to be effective, this kind of marketing carries a certain degree of commitment, responsibility and respect. The first requirement is to take a personal interest in the main theme of the forum. Not only does that mean visiting it regularly, but it also means developing a good relationship with both other members and the moderators, as well as taking an active interest in helping others. Of course, it also means abiding by and all rules that exist. By doing this, one can develop a reputation and, since it is human nature to work with a trusted colleague, business will naturally grow from this.

This type of marketing has already suffered some abuse and because of this, many forums have recently developed stringent rules designed to protect their members from abusive or overly-aggressive marketing tactics. One forum grants .sig files only after a member has created one hundred valid posts and another has disallowed ads in sig files altogether.

Marketers must respect that the purpose of a forum is to be a platform to exchange ideas on a given topic. It is not there to promote products and services. By focusing on the topic and posting questions and answers, a marketer's reputation will grow and this creates the potential for sales naturally.

Forums are NOT a Paid Support,?Volunteers give of their own time and expertise to answer your questions. Forums are about specific professional and personal interest content areas from web hosting and development to health, relationships, and free time activities. Forums are typically divided into topic-specific forums, and each forum description helps members decide where to post about particular topics. Forums are online communities and or discussion groups.

Forums differ from chat rooms, and instant messaging, in that forum members do not have to be online at the same time; forums also usually deal with one particular topic and personal exchanges are typically discouraged. Forums often have a general subject that the topics within are about. Forums offer interaction with people from various backgrounds and countries. Forums have been successful in making a real difference.

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. Forum software enables members to sign up without their email address being public, create profiles, set up a signature to appear with their posts, subscribe to threads, use a private messaging system, and much more...

members sometimes post versions of a message that are only slightly different, especially in forums where they are allowed to edit their earlier posts. Usernames can be real names or other words or word/number combinations.

Site announcements: a read-only board where announcements about the Standards Site and the forums are made. Site feedback: if you're encountering any problems or need help using the Standard Site.

Topic

Topic A topic is a collection of messages.

Commercial, free, and custom skins give forums individual appearances. Come visit the forums, kick the tires and join the community, usual shout.

Users wishing to create new forums and topics, or post messages, should use the CORDIS online Forums.

Questions.

Questions placed in the wrong Forum may get overlooked.