What is Forum: Definition and 404 Discussions

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the access level of a user or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes publicly visible.
Forums have a specific set of jargon associated with them; example: a single conversation is called a "thread", or topic.
A discussion forum is hierarchical or tree-like in structure: a forum can contain a number of subforums, each of which may have several topics. Within a forum's topic, each new discussion started is called a thread and can be replied to by as many people as so wish.
Depending on the forum's settings, users can be anonymous or have to register with the forum and then subsequently log in to post messages. On most forums, users do not have to log in to read existing messages.

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  1. gmax137

    Necroposts

    Is necroposting seen as a problem here on PF? Screenshot below from another forum shows an approach to avoiding necroposts, at least those unintentional ones.
  2. F X

    Where is the correct forum to ask questions?

    For example. I have a question, about what branch of physics would the question be asked? And is that how you do it here? Ask questions based on which branch it might concern? Is there a questions topic anywhere? I looked. Many times. I'm not even sure if this section is the place to ask...
  3. kaare_t

    Physics forum, I found you! (but not via Google) :D

    How did you find PF?: Tried a new search-engine and voilà; found an interesting forum! Hi all! I'm glad to have found this forum, it seems to be lot's of great people and information here and I'm looking forward to dive into everything! Interestingly my previous search-engine has never put...
  4. Coolboy1987

    Who Is New Member Melroy on PF?

    Hi everyone. My name is Melroy. I would love to be a part of this forum and help contribute to it. Looking forward to getting to know each one of you
  5. Greg Bernhardt

    Homework Helper Award

    Please select up to 3 members who were most impactful in the Homework Help forums in 2023. This is a popular vote. Polls were created by weighing activity and measure of helpfulness. Everyone nominated should feel honored. Many more could be added to this poll, but we can never realistically add...
  6. Greg Bernhardt

    Mathematics Award

    Please select up to 3 members who were most impactful in the Mathematics forums in 2023. This is a popular vote. Polls were created by weighing activity and measure of helpfulness. Everyone nominated should feel honored. Many more could be added to this poll, we can never realistically add...
  7. JJcika

    What are the benefits of using online forums for physics majors?

    I'm a physics major at central washington university, and this forum looks like something I might be using from time to time :) nice to meet everyone!
  8. Shan9

    What is the best way to stay curious as a scientist?

    I am looking forward to this forum :).
  9. gmax137

    PF search feature -- Why is "Coonts" changed to "Counts"?

    I just finished reading "Saucer," by Stephen Coonts. I was curious to see if this book had been discussed in the sci-fi forum. So I have been trying to search for "Coonts." No matter what I do, the search returns hits for "counts." Is there a way to make the search engine take the given...
  10. K

    How Do New Members Feel About Joining Physics Forums?

    Hi there. How are you guys doing ? I am a new member in this forum. I will appreciate it later because I am still new
  11. B

    Are you new to PF? Check out our site guidelines!

    Hi, new to the forum and checking in ✔️
  12. H

    Can I View the Latest Posts on the Forum?

    Hello. I am new to the forum, and I wonder if there is a way to see the list of latest posts across the entire list of topics. My apologies if this is not the proper place to ask such a question.
  13. skynr13

    Myself-Intro and a Complaint

    How did you find PF?: Science article link about the Universe being twice as old by an Ottawa physicist. Hi people, I am unsure about what the requirements are for posting to this forum, but upon posting a basic comment on an article I was given an almost unimaginable list of requirements and...
  14. H

    Suggestion (What) Level are you / is the question

    It seems somewhat common that a poster marks the level of their thread "I" or "A" but their knowledge of the relevant subject is lower than what's needed to understand the selected level. Setting aside feasibility with the forums architecture, what do people think about language that would make...
  15. C

    How can I use my scientific knowledge to help my children with their homework?

    Hi Everyone, newbie to your great forum. Trying to dust off my old school books to help my growing kids with their homework.....happy to met you all!
  16. L

    LaTeX Latex inputs here in the forum

    I have unfortunately a problem, if I make my inputs only with two dollar signs, that these are not indicated, but only with 4 dollar signs. Unfortunately, I cannot make my latex inputs in the text in such a way, like e.g. The formula is as follows $f(x)=x^2$, form the derivative of this formula.
  17. S

    Can’t understand is "life" word banned in physics forum.

    Whenever I am posting anything related to "life" it got deleted! Does life not related to physics??
  18. Nobody7heGreat

    B Questions on magnets (multiple so I don't spam the forum)

    I want to start this post by saying I don't know much and I'm asking everything here so I don't fill the forum with a million questions. I apologize if this is not how it is done. My questions are... Is it possible for a magnet to be in the shape of a hollow ball?1. Would it pull? push? or...
  19. H

    In search of an economics forum

    I need an economics forum very similar to the way PhysicsForums is for Maths and Physics. S done I tried reddit and stackexchange but they were not very suitable. Stackexchange in economics was not very active and reddit was mostly about discussing the everyday issues involving economics. What...
  20. J

    Are There Other Confirmed Geniuses in this Forum?

    Am a mathematical genius and computer science and other by most metrics that are available today. Are there any other here who are confirmed to be such? Trying to find a forum of smart people.
  21. Tutor 9640

    Is there a forum for NYC physics standards K-12?

    I am a new tutor working with students in 11th grade physics in New York City. I am required to keep notes internally on the sessions and the standards that I cover in them; after noticing that the physical science standards don’t include mentions of velocity or displacement as a content area, I...
  22. H

    New to the forum and with my hay bale loader (large bales)

    How did you find PF?: Found on google, was the top rated physics forum on there. I need help! I posted 2 pictures above. I’m a rancher/farmer. I grow my own feed for our cattle (outside of natural pasture, as pasture goes dormant in the winter). I built this bale mover to be able to haul...
  23. Y

    Suggestion of a forum that knows SFML

    Any suggestion of a forum that can answer question on SFML? The SFML community doesn't answer much question. I don't think it's a real forum, more like the staff answer very specific questions. Thanks
  24. curious__

    This entire forum is very relaxing

    I found this forum and registered a few minutes ago, and the atmosphere here is so relaxing and comfortable (unlike Stack Exchange where people look like they are hungry to beat each other up) Luv it :)
  25. Monsterboy

    Building a discussion forum like PF

    I want to work on a personal project, a web application similar to PhysicsForums just to understand how everything works. I have some basic questions. 1. What kind of database is ideal for a discussion forum like this ? SQL or NoSQL ? 2. Which frontend and backend technologies are used to...
  26. Jarvis323

    B Is there a forum where people can share and discuss features on Mars?

    There are hundreds of thousands of images of Mars. In my spare time, I've browsed through many, and have kept track of the most interesting ones (to my eyes). So of course, I would be interested to discuss the features I found interesting with people that are more qualified to analyze them. I...
  27. docnet

    This forum is great for the learner. What's in it for the mentors?

    I was wondering why "learned" people who have degrees in physics, mathematics, and other fields of science take the time to answer stranger's questions on the internet? This is a straightforward question. Do the mentors truly enjoy answering questions on the forum?
  28. D

    A Reference frame of the vacuum -- which forum?

    I have a question about interactions between matter and the vacuum, but I don't see a forum for that. Quantum field theory seems to be the most closely related subject. What would be the best forum for questions related to QFT?
  29. S

    Free easy to use discussion forum for U3A group?

    Hi, I am the leader of a University of the Third Age discussion group which has just been suspended due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation. I am hoping to be able to continue our discussions online in some way. All group members are tech savvy enough to use email, and search the internet...
  30. S

    Need help with 2 Kinematics questions (New to forum and physics)

    I am new to physics and these are my last two questions of my homework. I am extremely confused on what to do but I do know that for question 1 I need to create a triangle and solve for the hypotenuse, and for question 2 I believe I need to input my given values into the equation for...
  31. Greg Bernhardt

    B Guidelines for Quantum Physics Forum

    Brief Description of New Quantum Forum Structure A common topic of discussion regarding quantum mechanics is the foundations of QM as a theory structure and different interpretations of QM. These discussions are of interest to many PF members, but they present some unique challenges since they...
  32. Ibix

    LaTeX Write Maths in Forum: LaTeX Guide

    I suggest relabelling the "LaTeX guide" link, which is just below the reply box in threads. I think people who don't know LaTeX already don't necessarily recognise that this tells them how to write maths in the forum. Perhaps "How to write maths in the forum"? Also, the guide isn't linked at...
  33. C

    Automotive Can anybody suggest some forum about internal combustion engines?

    Could anybody suggest some forums(or bbs(s)) of internal combustion engine? Hello guys, I'm a physics fan, recently I was doing some research of internal combustion engines, could anybody who could suggest some forums or bbs(s) of internal combustion engine? i need somewhere to find some...
  34. J

    How to write BB codes in this forum?

    Hello. I want to show like this not I tried [PYTHON], [Python], [ CODE](Python), etc. But They weren't run. How can I display my programming language?
  35. karush

    MHB How do you itemize in this forum

    its usually this :( \begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)] \item How \item Now \item Brown \item Cow \end{enumerate} would be nice but don't see it
  36. fresh_42

    What can you expect to find in this forum?

    In the Science and Math Textbooks Forum we gather all subjects related to textbook publications in science. This includes textbooks about natural sciences and mathematics which can also cover fields like economy or philosophy if it is standard literature written lecture notes about the above...
  37. M

    MHB Join the MA104 College Algebra Forum at Lehman College

    I would like to see a College Algebra forum. It is a course at Lehman College that gives students lots of trouble. At Lehman, the course is known as MA104.
  38. nscozzaro

    What's your favorite part of this forum?

    As the title suggests, I'm wondering what's your favorite part of this forum? I'm new to this forum, and I have started to explore the nooks and crannies, but I don't want to miss anything. I'm also familiar with Reddit physics and a lot of physics people go there, so to play devil's advocate...
  39. F

    Need Forum for Outlandish Science Ideas

    Hello, Does anyone know of a science forum that deals with far out, controversial theories & ideas? This would be similar to the science fiction forum here at PF but may even be more outlandish, however postings would receive serious consideration. I have made some simple animations that I...
  40. anorlunda

    Misc. DIY Forum Rules - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

    Amateur do-it-yourself projects are enjoyed by many people. Do it yourself (DIY) is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things without the direct aid of experts or professionals. Other people sometimes enjoy helping others with projects. That is what this forum is about...
  41. M

    Tips & Tricks for web searches focusing on discussion forum sites

    How can we make a search just focusing on forum sites? Is there any discussion search options in search engines? https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-forum-search-engines-to-search-40-000-message-boards/...
  42. Gene Naden

    Classical Looking for a textbook of undergrad E&M, for Physics Forum Help that I give

    I sometimes post answers to threads people post about E&M. Unfortunately, my Masters in physics was 40 years ago and I am a little rusty. I am looking for something that will help me answer people's questions. The level of math can be fairly sophisticated as I have brushed up a bit.
  43. P J Strydom

    I Can I be taught general and special Relativity on this forum

    If I am wasting anyone's time, please advise so I can leave and find another source to assist me in my quest. I have been thinking about the theory of General and Special Relativity for most of my life. When I was 16 years old, I saw a documentary about Einstein and how he used his thoughts as...
  44. Y

    Strange problem navigating in AudioKarma forum

    I have a strange problem. I am an active member of AudioKarma forum. 3 weeks ago, all of a sudden, the site is very slow in responding, when I try to navigate in the site, I get kick back to the main page instead of going into the thread I click. It's very slow, also, uploading failed or very...
  45. topolosaurus

    LaTeX \newcommand on Physics Forum post

    Hello, this is my first question on Physics Forums and is a question on how to ask questions. I have been using LaTex for a while already. I wanted to post a thread about classical field theory. I tried to use \newcommand just to make easier the typing of expressions such as...
  46. Pushoam

    LaTeX Plain latex code not working in Physics forum

    I have written a solution of problem in LYX. I exported the lyx code as latex plain code. I opened the latex plain code in Tex studio and copied it and pasted it in Physics forum and it didn't work. Can anyone please tell me what should I do? Should I again type the latex code here i.e.Physics...
  47. Ghost117

    LaTeX Does any forum platform come equipped with LaTeX?

    Hi all, I want to create a private online forum for a small team of project members, and we will require LaTeX. I've been trying to google options, but most forum platforms do not seem to support LaTeX 'out of the box.' (Or at least I can't seem to find any that do... ) If anyone here is aware...
  48. M

    MHB Is MathTV the Number One Online Resource for Precalculus Help?

    From now on, I will not post questions from each chapter of the precalculus textbook. I realize now that this site is not for that purpose. I will only post questions from the textbook that are interestingly hard.
  49. D

    Discussing Non-Mainstream Physics on Physics Forums

    Hello people, I'm really interested in non-mainstream physics but so far i can't find a place./forum where i can discuss or share theories. I've tried doing it in the Quantum Physics section, but my thread was rejected because personal theory developments are not allowed here. So far it's ok...
  50. R

    Stargazing Formulas for camera obscura (correct sub forum?)

    Experiment / demonstration: Set up military surplus command tent as camera obscura / pinhole projector for observation of full soar eclipse. Problem: lacking in personal knowledge of the formula needed to determine correct focal length to hole diameter Solution: Request assistance from actual...
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