The What, When, Where and How of Online Computer Forums

Dave Page asked:

Computer Forums

While computer technology and technology as a whole continues to advance, the discussions based on computer technology continues to grow online also. All of the who, what, when, where and how questions are posted and answered at forums by people from around the world. Computer enthusiast and novice users alike all take part in detailed discussion centered around computers. There are various kinds of computer forums online to choose from. Forums may be solely based on a particular computer brand or one of the many computer parts and accessories. Sections may include computer security; Operating Systems (OS), software and hardware just to name a few. Or, all of the above.

Computer forum benefits

One of the primary reasons people join and view computer forums is for the troubleshooting help. Imagine yourself having trouble with your computer. For XP users, this shouldn’t be very hard to do! You may have several options available to you that could resolve the issue. The only problem is, you may not even know where to begin. Chances are that the same computer worries you are having someone else has had also. No only that but the same problem has probably been extensively discussed at one of the many computer forums. Everything from the symptoms, causes and yes, even fixes. In my own personal experience, simply visiting a computer forum was all I needed to do to obtain help. This is very beneficial to personal computer users and companies alike. This is because large amounts of money can be spent trying to solve common computer problems.

Technology forums

Some of the best computer forums around are not advertised as such. Many blogs and websites that specialize in technology also have forums with computer themes. This is because the content on the site is often computer orientated and the regular visitors are computer savvy. Instead of targeted direct computer related sections, you may instead find broader computer topics. Nevertheless, they are usually computer related and worth checking out.

What to look for in computer forums

Finding a computer forum isn’t hard in the least bit as stated earlier. However, finding one that suites your needs may be. One of the first things you should check for in a computer forum or any forum for that matter is site activity. If people aren’t posting on a regular basis, chances are you won’t be able to get any questions you may have answered. Mac. and Linux users may have a harder time in this area since Windows dominates the market. Your best bet in this scenario is finding a computer forum devoted exclusively to your computer brand/model or OS. You would be surprised to see how many people are completely ignorant to non Windows based parts, software and OS’s. If you can join a forum that has trained computer technicians as members or staff, you will find this very helpful in the long run. Forums with chartrooms or shout boxes should have priority over regular forums if you would like to have more personal, one-on-one conversations about computers.