Structure Of Forum
A forum consists of 4
components: the forum itself, its categories, the topics and the messages. Each component, or level of hierarchy, is
illustrated in the diagram below.
Each forum can have an
unlimited number of categories and sub-categories. Categories are like placeholders in which
topics of discussion and messages are contained. Henceforth, a category manages the forum’s topics
into folders or groupings. This is a
logical method of sorting topics. On the
home page of the forum, a listing of all the categories to which the user has
access, excluding those categories that the user wishes to block from viewing
(refer to “How do I update my profile?”), will be displayed. In addition, the user will see the number of
topics posted within each corresponding category, and the date/time/author of
the last posting made in the corresponding category. To find out quickly if new messages have been
posted since the last viewing, simply hover over the clipboard icon
corresponding to the category in question.
