Ran accross this article.
Forums - what are they good for?
The bumper sticker goes: "*orn - driving the Internet since 1986." While there's no denying pornography's long-standing reign over the Net, the runner-up to the throne would have to be the mighty forum: messageboards and all those virtual common rooms where people can gather and communicate. Forums often cop a bit of a beating, mostly for harbouring people who have not yet mastered the art of acceptable social behaviour, and there's a lot of merit to this belief, although it's not all bad...
It's often been said (mostly by n00bs that have been flamed for not adhering to posting guidelines), that Internet communities are the refuge of the lonely, bored and socially retarded. Because users' true identities are protected by the anonymity of the Web, they aren't judged on physicality, hence it becoming a sanctuary for those who don't fit society's perception of physical attractiveness. While existing in a virtual world where looks are redundant obviously has its benefits, there are plenty of downsides, which are unfortunately made worse by the lower echelons of Net users.
While it would be nice to place the blame for Net nastiness firmly in the lap of one particular type of people, the Web is your ultimate social leveller and it seems that (with the exception of a few world-class trolls who fall into the sub-human category) everyone is equally susceptible to being a part of one of these lower echelons. Even the most tolerant person will deride another if pushed far enough. Because Net communities are formed by like-minded people coming together to talk like-minded things, messageboards can quickly become cliquey. Each clique sets up its own rules (see: 'guidelines on posting') re-inforcing norms designed to include members (and exclude newbies), which can foster an environment where anything less than extreme conformity results in rejection. This doesn't exactly breed the sort of environment where people feel safe to post their views, something most forums ironically pride themselves on providing. Established forums are most unforgiving when it comes to newbs and even long-time members can face the wrath of the board if they oppose the dominant way of thinking for too long.
In the real world, in face-to-face, non-anonymous human interaction there's such a thing as accountability. There's no 'hiding behind a keyboard' or changing your avatar and user name when you insult someone in the real world, which is why so many people use the Net (a non-consequential environment) to indulge themselves in normally consequential acts. Thus, one of the biggest benefits of the Internet also becomes its biggest detracting feature, with censorship at the core of the issue. (ie. How visible should moderators be/ should they have the power to delete post etc etc).
Despite the bitchery, Internet communities are yet valuable resources, they link people together who may be separated by physical distance or circumstance on the common ground of shared interests and provide a relatively safe arena for open discussion. Forums are useful in providing ongoing discourse about topics that may not be easily broached in the real world, and this value is strengthened by the accessibility of information on the Net at large.
So, to answer the question, forums do perform valuable functions - both real and virtual. While there's not a lot of worth to a forum that's full of unchecked criticism and self-indulgent whining, there is a place for open-ended discussion, and the airing of issues to stimulate debate. So newbies, don't be scared of posting, go forth and forum. And, if you can't find a forum you can relate to, don't despair - there'll always be *orn.
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