An Internet forum is a facility on the World Wide Web for holding discussions, or the web application software used to provide the facility. Web-based forums, which date from around 1995, perform a similar function as the dial-up bulletin boards and Internet newsgroups that were numerous in the 1980s and 1990s. A sense of virtual community often develops around forums that have regular users. Technology, computer games, and politics are popular areas for forum themes, but there are forums for a huge number of different topics .

Internet forums are also commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion boards, discussion forums, discussion groups, bulletin boards (but see also dial-up bulletin boards), fora (the proper Latin plural) or simply forums.

Culture

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Internet forums are prevalent in several developed countries. In terms of countable posts, Japan is far in the lead with over two million posts per day on their largest forum, 2channel. The United States does not have any one large forum, but instead several hundred thousand smaller forums, the largest of which are GameFAQs, Gaia Online, and IGN. Other countries such as China, the Netherlands, and France are also home to hundreds of independent forums. Some countries such as Finland and Sweden do not have many prevalent forums despite having open and easily available Internet access. As of yet no study has been done on the prevalence of forums in countries around the world. It is also dubious as to whether any country has its own fora, as - especially in the English language - contributors to a forum often come from outside the country in which the forum is hosted. There is often not a 1-1 relationship between languages and countries: for example, English language fora are contributed to by people all over the world, whilst Japanese language fora are likely to be contributed to only by Japanese people, but Japanese people also contribute to English language fora, so there is no 1-1 relationship between Japanese language fora and Japanese people contributing to fora.

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NYT > Health

Patient Money: For a Frugal Dieter, Weight Loss on a Sliding Scale
By LESLEY ALDERMAN Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:42:07 -0000
A dieter’s commitment to weight loss can sometimes be linked to how much money he or she is willing to spend.
Global Update: Tuberculosis: TB Vaccine Too Dangerous for Babies With AIDS Virus, Study Says
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:40:26 -0000
A common tuberculosis vaccine is too risky to give to those born infected with the AIDS virus, says a new study published by the World Health Organization.
Swine Flu Death Toll in Argentina Climbs
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:15:21 -0000
Argentina’s president said she would not rule out closing major public venues where swine flu could spread more quickly.

CNN.com - Health

Police: Hospital worker swiped shots, spread hep C
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:42 -0400
A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds or thousands of surgical patients to hepatitis C when she replaced clean needles filled with the powerful painkiller fentanyl with her own dirty needles filled with saline solution.
Health.com picks top beach, lake getaways
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:40 -0400
We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well -- without breaking the bank. That's why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation's most popular beach and lake towns.
Suit: Toxic plane air sickens flight attendant
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:31:03 -0400
The last time Terry Williams can remember being headache-free was in December. A chronic migraine has plagued her ever since. So have balance and vision problems, a tremor in her left arm, a prickly sensation in her feet and a loss of childhood memories.

BBC News | Health | World Edition

Self-help 'makes you feel worse'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:06:55 -0000
Bridget Jones is not alone in turning to self-help mantras to boost her spirits, but a study warns they may have the opposite effect.
WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:00:11 -0000
The UN's top health official tells a swine flu forum in Mexico that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable.
Solo life ups gene dementia risk
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:25:24 -0000
People who have a gene flaw and live alone in middle-age are at highest risk of developing dementia, a study suggests.

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