What is the Difference Between a Blog and a Forum

The main difference between a blog and a forum is that a blog is a frequently updated web page or website where the content appears in reverse chronological order, while a forum is an online discussion site where users share ideas, thoughts, or help by posting text messages.

Blogs and forums are two online platforms that help us to access various types of information. However, these two platforms have very different features.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Blog 
     – Definition, Features, Uses
2. What is a Forum
     – Definition, Features, Uses
3. What is the Difference Between a Blog and a Forum
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Blog, Forum

What is a Blog

A blog is a frequently updated web page or website, typically one run by an individual or small group. In a blog, the content appears in reverse chronological order – this means newer content appears first. We call the individual sections of content blog entries or blog posts. Moreover, the writing style of blog posts is usually informal or conversational style.

During the 90s, people used personal web pages where they regularly posted about their personal lives, as well as, their opinions and thoughts. These were like online journals and diaries. Blogs evolved from this concept. Although traditionally, individuals or small groups of people managed the blogs, in the modern world, businesses also use them as a part of a larger website. They use the blog section of their website to create content regularly and educate their customers. Although blogs are somewhat similar to websites, there is one major difference. Websites are usually static in nature as they do not have regular updates. Blogs, on the other hand, have regular updates or posts. Some blogs publish multiple articles a day.

What is a Forum

A forum is an online discussion site where users share ideas, thoughts, or help by posting text messages. In other words, it’s an area where people can hold conversations via posted messages. Forums are not the same as chat rooms since posting message does not happen in real-time, and users can read these messages at any time. Moreover, unlike in chat rooms, messages are often longer, and they are temporarily archived. Sometimes, a moderator of the forum reviews and approves users’ messages before posting them. This depends on the set-up of the forum and the access level of the user. Furthermore, users may have to register in the forum and log in to post messages. Some forums may allow posting without registration. Generally, users do not have to log in to read messages.

A discussion forum can have several subforums, and each of them has multiple topics. Each new discussion started within these topics is called a thread. Many people can respond to a thread. Furthermore, Reddit, Quora, Stack Overflow, and GamesSpot are some popular online forums.

Some companies also use forums as a way to help with technical support and customer service. Customers can search the forums for similar concerns and questions to see if their question was previously asked and answered. This way they can find the solution to their problem on their own.

Difference Between a Blog and a Forum

Definition

A blog is a frequently updated web page or website where the content appears in reverse chronological order, while a forum is an online discussion site where users share ideas, thoughts, or help by posting text messages.

Nature

A blog post typically involves one person’s opinions and thoughts, followed optionally by comments, whereas a forum involves the exchange of ideas and views between many users.

Communication

A blog allows one-to-many communications; for instance, the one who posts the blog communicates with his or her readers. A forum, on the other hand, involves many-to-many communication.

Structure

In a blog, content appears in reverse chronological order, whereas in a forum, the messages appear in chronological order so that it’s easy to follow the thread.

Media

A blog can contain different types of media such as text, photos, videos, links to other sites, whereas a forum mainly contains text.

Conclusion

A blog is a frequently updated web page or website where the content appears in reverse chronological order, while a forum is an online discussion site where users share ideas, thoughts, or help by posting text messages. Thus, this is the main difference between a blog and a forum.

Reference:

1. “What Is a Forum?” Computer Hope, 2 Aug. 2020, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “791049” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “FUDforum” (GPL) via Commons Wikimedia