Hail Odin!

In the internet, self expression has become the norm. People would like to share with everyone what they think and why they think that way. People from further back in time had a steep slope to climb if they want to do this, since the only way to do it is to build your own webpage that would hold your content. Nowadays two formats are arguably the king of self expression. The first is the forum, which is older, and then there is the blog. Both are very popular with their separate methodologies of expression.

A forum was once called a bulletin board due to the manner in which users say what they say. Each user’s comment can be placed in the thread that he wants it in and the thread appears to be a conversation, albeit a very long one, that could last a up to a few months or even years. Forums are usually niche specific so that likeminded people gather around the forums that they are most drawn to. There are forums that talk about computer technology, about motorcycles, even pets. There is probably a forum for every niche that there is. A forum needs to have a moderator who would be responsible for keeping the peace and ensuring that everyone follows the rules; especially because forums can often spark verbal fights called flame wars due to the very heated arguments.

The second one is the blog. This is like creating your own webpage but the blog site that you are using usually provides templates so that your page is automatically set up. You just need to change a few options so that it suits you or your personality. A blog is like an online diary than anybody can read and leave comments on. Although there are a lot people who use blogs for this purpose, most people who do make blogs usually discuss events or issues that have affected them. There are multitudes of blogs that discuss about politics, religion, and current events. Some blogs become very popular that some people are already following what the owner would say next.

If you just want to express yourself in the internet, a blog might be the right tool for you. But if you want to participate in discussions that can sometimes turn into debates, joining a forum is what’s for you. There are multiple ways of gaining internet presence; you just have to choose your position.