An , or message board, is a bulletin board system in the form of a discussion site. From a technological standpoint, forumsthe term forums refers to the site, while the term forum refers to one of many containers (directories) that the site uses to organize the user submitted content or boards are web applications managing user-generated content. Forums allow anonymous visitors to view the contents and consist of a group of contributors who've registered into the system, becoming known as members. The members submit topics for discussion (known as threads) and communicate with each other using publicly visible messages (referred to as posts) or private messaging]].

People participating in an Internet forum will usually build bonds with each other and interest groups will easily form around a topic's discussion, subjects dealt within or around sections in the forum. The term community refers to the segment of the online community participating in the activities of the web site they reside in. It is also used to refer to the group interested in the topic on the Internet, rather than just the site.

Registration

Registration is the process through which one becomes a member of the forum. Registered users of the site are referred to as members and are allowed to submit or send electronic messages through the web application. The process of registration involves verification of one's age (typically over 12 is required so as to meet COPPA requirements) followed by a declaration of the [[Terms of Service (other documents may also be present) and a request for agreement to said terms. Subsequently, if all goes well, the candidate is presented with a web form to fill requesting at the very least: a username (an alias), password, email and validation of a CAPTCHA code.

While simply completing the registration web form is – usually – enough to generate an accounta account is a space on the site identified by the chosen username through which a member caries out activities and contributes. the status label Inactive is commonly given by default until the registered confirms the email address indeed belongs to him. Until that time, the registered can log in to his new account but may not use the forum for communication (posts, threads, private messages).

Sometimes a referrer system is implemented. A referrer is someone who lead you or otherwise "helped you" in your decision to join the site (similarly how a HTTP referer is the site who linked you to a another site). Usually for forums referrers are other members. The referrer system is also sometimes implemented so that if a visitor visits the forum though a link such as referrerid=300, the user with the id number (in the example 300) would receive referral credit if the visitor registers. The purpose is commonly just to give credit (sometimes rewards are implied) to those who help the community grow.