What is Forum: Definition and 404 Discussions

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the access level of a user or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes publicly visible.
Forums have a specific set of jargon associated with them; example: a single conversation is called a "thread", or topic.
A discussion forum is hierarchical or tree-like in structure: a forum can contain a number of subforums, each of which may have several topics. Within a forum's topic, each new discussion started is called a thread and can be replied to by as many people as so wish.
Depending on the forum's settings, users can be anonymous or have to register with the forum and then subsequently log in to post messages. On most forums, users do not have to log in to read existing messages.

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  1. G

    Ahoy, matey! Are ye ready to set sail on a pirate adventure?

    I have posted, but people are not wearing enough hats? Hi guys.
  2. A

    Maple Maple Forum: Get Answers Fast!

    does anyone knows a forum specially made for maple so I can get my answers fast? Or will admins of this forums make a special section for maple so people can help each other faster?
  3. A

    Hello, I'm new to this forum, I'm not really sure if this is the

    Hello, I'm new to this forum, I'm not really sure if this is the correct board to post it on. But I've got a question, I believe regarding exponents and percentages. The problem I've got is that I have a number of 250 different items, and I wanted to know what the odds of randomly selecting...
  4. A

    Dear Fellows If I am on wrong part of forum then sory for that

    Dear Fellows If I am on wrong part of forum then sory for that , I need some help regarding VOIDS,,, there are so many work done on voids titled as, PLANE WAVES IN THERMO-ELASTIC SOLID WITH VOIDS, and in abstract they said that , small voids are considered as pores in that solid...
  5. M

    How Can I Master Statistics for Psychology Without a Math Background?

    Hi everyone... I found this forum while desperately looking for someone to help me with my statistics assignment, well not just the assignment, just understanding all the new formulas and symbols and things in general. I'm studying psychology and one of my modules is this research statistics...
  6. K

    Any Abaqus related matters in this forum?

    Dear all, This forum is really great. Iam just wondering if there is any dicussion with regard to Abaqus matters. If there is one, please let me know which section that I should post the message to. For anyone who is not familiar about Abaqus, it is a Finite Element Analysis software that...
  7. I

    I'm afraid of posting around this forum

    Yup, I already have two or three threads in the Academic guidance section, and oddly enough I'm not done yet. I don't want to be an annoying person, so I try not to ask questions upon questions. I'm still hoping to post more, although it wouldn't be a surprise if someone hits me in the face...
  8. F

    I am back on intro physics forum Question on springs

    Homework Statement It feels good to be back after spending a month in the calculus and beyond section. Here is my question [PLAIN]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3883/unleduh.jpg Imagine a spring was pushed back by some distance x_0 and then it ends up at some distance 5m up the ramp...
  9. C

    Hi folks Im new to this forum and have a question that I hope someone

    Hi folks! I am new to this forum and have a question that I hope someone can answer. I have 4 circular holes, 3", 4", 5" and 6". I am covering the holes with 14 gauge sheetmetal. The sheetmetal is circular also and overlaps the holes 1" all the way around. My question is, how many pounds would...
  10. C

    New to the forum - Stored energy to melt ice

    Hi All, New to the forum, but requiring a certain amount of assistance if possible. In relation to ice defrost time, 334 Joules per gram is required to change the state of ice to water and 2.03 joules per gram is required to raise the temperature of ice by one degree? With this in...
  11. S

    LaTeX LaTex in Lyx differs from LaTex on forum?

    Are there supposed to be significant differences in how LaTex is displayed in the Lyx editor and how LaTex is displayed by the processor used by this forum? On this forum, the LaTex expression \int_a^b f(x) dx shows an integral with lower limit a and upper limit b. When I ( as a novice...
  12. A

    Welcome to the Physics Forum: A Place to Discuss All Things Science

    Hello how are you all i am new in physics forum Whats up
  13. Y

    Master ETABS with Help from Fellow Civil Engineers at a Top Forum | CSI Berkeley

    I am a civil engineer and trying to master a structural analysis program called ETABS which is produced by CSI company. http://www.csiberkeley.com/etabs I am not sure if this forum is a correct place to ask relevant questions. Where do you do recommend to look for tutors and data about...
  14. B

    Optical Lens Design Forum: Tips & Resources for Beginners

    Hi, Does there exist any form for optical lens design? I am a beginner in this field and would like to find such forum, and have search physicsforums.com, but only found isolated threads without any dedicated subforum. Bob
  15. P

    How to use these forum sign up a few min ago

    hello i just sign up to thses forum recommended by a friend to help with mu assignment. i posted a few questions to get help on but no replies. how do i get more replies and help thank you
  16. E

    New ME Major: Navigating the Forum

    I have no idea about the topics posted on this part of the forum, nor have I had any slight experience about the things posted. Is this okay or normal if I'm still a first year ME major?
  17. Femme_physics

    Am I overusing this forum and homework helpers?

    I keep getting great help time and time again. I'm kinda worried people would be sick of me, heh. I think the helpers see that I'm putting a lot of work (I always make sure to scan my answers and write clearly), and thought into the exercise, and I always make sure to thank them. But lately I've...
  18. Filip Larsen

    Forum netiquette in a push-mode world?

    I've recently started to notice that whenever I reply to some post (even if I'm the first one posting after the OP question), people will often make a later post to the thread seemingly without as much as a glance through mine or other peoples posts in the thread and often repeating what has...
  19. Drakkith

    Getting Physics Forum Answers from Google Search

    I love entering a question in google and having PF pop up on the first page. Like I did earlier with a "what are the waste products of fusion" and getting the link to: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=121166&page=2 :-p
  20. M

    LaTeX Why latex of this forum is horrible

    Hi, Why latex of this forum is horrible? Sometime it does not write what you are writing. Sometime it does not display latex. Sometime, it does not refresh, it will show the same thing even you delete it. etc...
  21. S

    Where Can I Find Reliable Help for Advanced Stats Questions?

    Hello, As part of a research project I'm going to have to run some relatively (for me) advanced stats. Anybody know of a forum where I can post my stats questions? Thanks! Michael
  22. H

    LaTeX How to use Latex in this Forum

    Update: Well, apparently the problem is just that the preview doesn't work on this site. The actual post is fine. Homework Statement I can't use this forum well, because any latex tags I type in are removed. For example, see the tex code below. In the preview (and probably in the real post...
  23. M

    Medical National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine

    Does anyone know anything about this forum/convention? My kid is interested in bio engineering, and has been invited to attend the forum. She wants to know if this is a good investment of time and money to attend. I think she needs a mentor, but she claims she can't have one through school...
  24. N

    What kind of students use this forum?

    I'm quite new... Everything posted here looks so uni-level. Any high school students?
  25. E

    Need help with Periodic Motion, Frequency, and Wavelength?

    Hi everyone my name is Erik Ioerger and i just joined your forums. I really appreciate this being on here for i am a high school student and sometimes need help with various topics. Currently my class is covering Periodic Motion, Frequency, and Wavelength questions. Just wanted to thank whoever...
  26. R

    Is there a Math forum as good as this Physics forum?

    Is there a Math forum as good as this Physics forum? I would like to find it.
  27. rootX

    My Forum-Visiting Routine: One Forum, 15-30 min/day

    How many forums you visit actively (on weekly basis or even monthly basis)? What kind of forums you visit and what's the purpose behind that? How much average time you spend on them? I only visit one and I believe I spend between 15 and 30 minutes per day on average. I started on PF because I...
  28. rhody

    Find a Robust Forum for VectorCAST 5.1h Users

    I did a search on VectorCAST and nothing came up. I am using VectorCAST 5.1h at work, am an amateur user. I need to find a forum that is robust, engaging a large community of users. Thanks in advance... Rhody...
  29. M

    New to electrical engineering and this forum

    hey guys, I am taking my first electrical engineering class which is circuit analysis. I am having a hard time with it so i was wondering if anybody knew of a website that has tutorials, videos, problems, etc that somewhat follows the course. the material is tough and it seems like theirs not...
  30. P

    What Happened to the Advanced Physics Forum?

    What happened to the "Advanced Physics Forum"? I get a DNS error for the url "http://www.advancedphysics.org/". Google doesn't show any news about a shutdown for that site. Anybody know what's going on?
  31. H

    Play the Forum Game: Mafia - Kill or Be Killed!

    If anyone has ever played the party game, Mafia, you will love this game! This is a kill or be killed, battle of wits, deception and manipulation between an informed minority and an uninformed majority. At the beginning of the game, everyone will be given a role. Some will have actions that...
  32. M

    Welcome to the Forum! Learn About Cavity Resonance Here.

    hello I am a new member in this forum , and I want to learn well with you...sorry I speak little English,so I use google traductor , i speak french , but with french unfortunately there is a little information! now what is a cavity resonant ? and how to write equations for field within...i...
  33. F

    Learn Mathematica - Discuss on Forum

    I'm currently learning Mathematica. Are there any forums that you guys usually surf?
  34. Math Is Hard

    New Rules for the PF Philosophy forum beginning January 1, 2011

    The announcement and discussion thread is here. Please also read page 2 of the applicable rules. https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=459349
  35. C

    A-Level Students Unite: Join the Forum and Share Experiences!

    hiya everyone;) I recently found this forum and would hail success for it ..indeed an excellent opportunity for people of all genera to take help from ;) But one complaint... I didn't find a junior here... I mean doing A-Level! If anybody from A-level please reply... I'll be glad! indeed I...
  36. F

    I've always wondered about this, not sure if a Science forum can help

    Okay this has been bothering me for a while, why is it that colleges still force Science students to take humanities courses? Didn't we get it over and done with in high school? I have foreign friends who really excel in science subjects, but they are on the verge of nearly failing (like 60%?)...
  37. B

    LaTeX LaTeX Code Distorsion in Forum Edit Mode

    Hi. When I write my LaTeX code in this forum, it appears completely distorsionated when I click "Preview Changes" in edit mode. For example: n^2(\rho) = n^2_0\left(1-\alpha^2\rho^2)\right) is shown as a "z" if previously I wrote z. In fact, I don't know if this post will be shown well...
  38. A

    LaTeX Why is Latex causing problems in this forum?

    I'm trying to make a post, but the latex is frustrating me. I typed in the following two lines. [t*x]KE=\frac{1}{2}mv^2[/t*x] [t*x]=\frac{1}{2}mv\cdot v[/t*x] It just gives me a v and a dot, intead of v dot v, and it put both equations on one line. I attached an image of what showed...
  39. B

    Yet another limit question in this forum (No.2 :P)

    Homework Statement f(x)= lim t-> x [csc(t)-csc(x)]/(t-x). Find the value of f'(PI/4) Homework Equations I can see that this equation somewhat resembles one of the first principle def'ns lim z->x [f(z)-f(x)]/(z-x) The Attempt at a Solution Not really sure how to begin. I...
  40. B

    Yet another limit question in this forum.

    Homework Statement limx->0+ [tan(\sqrt{x})-sin(\sqrt{x})] / x\sqrt{2x} Homework Equations tanx= sinx/cosx The Attempt at a Solution I set u= \sqrt{x} Therefore as a->0, u->0 And I get the limit =lim x->0+ (tan(\sqrt{x})-sin(\sqrt{x}))/ (x*\sqrt{2}* \sqrt{x}) = 1/\sqrt{2}lim u->0...
  41. mnb96

    LaTeX How to make a latex forum like this?

    Hello, does anyone know if there exist a free service that would allow one to base up a forum supporting latex for math discussions? just like physicsforums? Thanks.
  42. R

    What Are the Latest Advances in Anti-Aging and Human Enhancement Research?

    I'm glad to join this community. I'm currently a high school upperclassmen interested heavily in science, primarily in biochemistry. I take advanced (IB) courses in Biology and Chemistry and plan to Higher Level in them, and then also take SL Physics at the same time, and Calculus AB SL...
  43. K

    Making online forum posts necessary - is this a good idea?

    One of my teachers, for AP Physics, has made it mandatory for my entire class to register on this particular forum and post three times per week. Although this is not a hugely time consuming assignment, me and many of my classmates have found it difficult to find threads to post on or places to...
  44. FlexGunship

    Forum Stagnant - California UFO Report

    Hey all, the S&D forum seemed to be stagnant and you can't exchange ideas without discourse, so here's a conversation starter: California UFO Report: (http://www.lanewsmonitor.com/news/UFO-Over-California--Resident-Reports-UFO-Sighting-1288189641/ )...
  45. wolram

    Is Text Speak Acceptable in Online Forums?

    Do u think text speak is ok in forums or r u averse to it.
  46. D

    LaTeX How to post this Latex code on forum?

    Hello! I just finished typing up my first Latex document for a proof I worked on. Now, I'm having trouble posting it on these forums. Here is the source code... \begin{document} $f : \mathbb{R} \Rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is odd $\;\Longleftrightarrow \;f(-x) = -f(x) \;\forall x$. Show that...
  47. berkeman

    Adv. Physics Homework Help Forum: Jr/Sr & Grad Level Q's

    The Advanced Physics Homework Help forum is for upper-division (college junior or senior) and graduate-level questions. Other schoolwork physics questions should go in the Intro Physics forum. Thanks!
  48. B

    Welcome New Physics Forum User - Grade 11 Student

    Hey guys, I'm obviously new to the forums and as well new to Physics. I'm currently in grade 11 and taking Physics. I'm very interested in it and hopefully this forum will help me develop a greater interest and more knowledge on this subject.
  49. A

    Book Recommendations & Reviews Forum: A Resource for Students

    I did not see a forum for book recommendations or reviews. Would be helpful for the student in me.
  50. P

    MATHS INTEGRATION, Wont let me post in calculus forum

    MATHS INTEGRATION, Wont let me post in calculus forum :( Homework Statement Integrate 1/(sqrt(2x-x^2)) between 0 and 2. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I have no idea what method to use to try and integrate it, I've played around with it for hours but it ends up...
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