{"id":20459,"date":"2020-01-29T22:40:58","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T22:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/glosario-digital\/internet-forum"},"modified":"2026-06-26T14:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:42:20","slug":"internet-forum","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/internet-forum","title":{"rendered":"Internet Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"boxpad wp-image-23135 size-full alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/internet-forum.jpg\" alt=\"Internet Forum\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/internet-forum.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/internet-forum-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An <strong>internet forum<\/strong> is a place where people can exchange ideas on topics of interest. Its members can post discussions and read and respond to messages written by other participants. A forum can focus on various topics and usually develops a sense of virtual community among its members.<\/p>\n<p>Forums are also known as bulletin boards or discussion groups, differing from a blog because the latter is usually written by a user or administrators of the web and usually only allows the responses of other users regarding the material of the blog. A forum usually allows all members to post and start new topics.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span class=\"heading_text\">Difference between forum and chat<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An Internet forum is also different from a chat room, as members in a chat room communicate at the same time, while members of a discussion group post messages that will then be read by other users each time they log in. In addition, forums are usually more focused on a specific topic than chat rooms.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"como-funciona-un-foro\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">How a forum works<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As a general rule, the prospective member must register before they can join a group and write a message. This user will need to follow certain online rules, known as netiquette, such as treating other members with respect and refraining from using profanity. When a member is approved by the administrator or moderator, they usually choose their own username and password. An avatar, photograph, or image provided by the member usually appears next to the username in each message.<\/p>\n<p>Separate conversations in a forum are called <strong>threads<\/strong> and are made up of messages written by members. Typically, users can edit their own messages, launch new topics, and edit their profile. A general profile displays optional information about each member of the forum, such as the city where they are located and their interests.<\/p>\n<p>The forum administrator or moderator can also participate in the threads. An administrator can modify the discussions, as well as move or delete them if necessary, usually being their role to monitor and guide the discussion to ensure that the rules of the forum are being followed.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span class=\"heading_text\">Examples of forums<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although the forums have lost part of their popularity due to the irruption of social networks, which also allow to establish discussions and resolve doubts through tags or <em>hashtags,<\/em>there are forums in Spanish that continue to enjoy great popularity. Among them we can highlight:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.losviajeros.com\/foros.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Travelers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.burbuja.info\/inmobiliaria\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Bubble<\/a><\/li>\n<li>HTCMania<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/abandonware.superforo.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferre nofollowr noopener noreferrer\">Abandonware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forocoches.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Forocoches<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"herramientas-para-crear-un-foro\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">Tools to create a forum<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most of these discussion groups, even those with a larger number of participants, retain a rudimentary design and far removed from new trends on the Internet. In fact, there are several tools that allow you to create forums without excessive complications.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>phpBB<\/strong>. Short for PHP Bulletin Board, it is a versatile and easy-to-use free software.<\/li>\n<li><strong>MyBB<\/strong> (My Bulletin Board). It is another free and easy-to-use option.<\/li>\n<li><strong>bbPress<\/strong>. It is a WordPress plugging that allows you to insert the forum into a web page.<\/li>\n<li><strong>vBulletin<\/strong>. Payment tool with which they are configured, among others, Forocoches.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kunena.<\/strong> It is a forum for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/joomla\">Joomla<\/a> CMS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span class=\"heading_text\">Usefulness of forums in web positioning<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Forums were a fundamental part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/seo-agency-spain\">positioning <\/a>strategy until the arrival of Google&#8217;s &#8220;penguin update&#8221; in 2011, and until then they were used to include links both in the posts and in the signatures of users. However, after this change in the algorithm, numerous websites that positioned through these practices suffered serious penalties in their positioning. There is still a discrepancy in the role that forums should play today in SEO strategies, but there is a consensus that they can no longer be used as a single strategy, but, in any case, complementary to others within link building.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about Internet Forum<\/h2>\n<div class=\"geo-faq-block\">\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>What is Internet Forum?<\/summary>\n<p>Definition: An internet forum is a place where people can exchange ideas on topics of interest. Its members can post discussions and read and respond to messages written by other participants. In the Arimetrics glossary it is placed in a digital marketing context to clarify its role, uses and practical implications.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>What is Internet Forum used for in digital marketing?<\/summary>\n<p>It is used to better analyse an action, tool, channel or behaviour related to acquisition, measurement, communication, sales or user experience. Its value depends on applying it to a concrete decision.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>How is Internet Forum related to a digital strategy?<\/summary>\n<p>It is related to digital strategy when it affects objectives, data, content, technology, campaigns or conversion processes. That is why it should be reviewed together with the business context, not as an isolated term.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>What should be considered when working with Internet Forum?<\/summary>\n<p>It is advisable to review its definition, context, associated metrics, limitations and possible risks. It is also useful to validate whether the concept has a real impact on performance, user experience or decision-making.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"DefinedTerm\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/internet-forum#definedterm\",\n      \"name\": \"Internet Forum\",\n      \"description\": \"Definition of Internet Forum in the Arimetrics Digital Glossary.\",\n      \"inDefinedTermSet\": {\n        \"@type\": \"DefinedTermSet\",\n        \"name\": \"Arimetrics Digital Glossary\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/internet-forum#faq\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is Internet Forum?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Definition: An internet forum is a place where people can exchange ideas on topics of interest. 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