What's a blog?

A blog (short for weblog) is a space online where people write posts about various topics, depending on their interests. Blogs can range from purely opinion-based to research-based posts that rival some journal articles. 

Blog Characteristics

• Updated: Blogs are regularly updated. Some blogs are updated multiple times a day, whereas other blogs are updated weekly.
• Order of posts: Blog posts are shown in reverse chronological order meaning that the most recent post is shown at the top of the webpage.
• Comments: Blogs have the capacity for people to comment on the posts; however, some blog authors turn off this function.

Popular Blog Platforms

• Wordpress
• Blogger
• Tumblr (microblogging)

What's a Forum?

A forum, also known as message boards, is a place where people can come together online to discuss issues and get questions answered. Forums can be moderated, meaning that some people are designated moderators to ensure that people follow the forum's code of conduct. Other forums are unmoderated. 

Forum Characteristics

• Authors: Usually will see usernames or avatars.
• Threads: Forums usually consist of threads which contain questions, answers, and comments related to the topic of the thread.
• Dates: Forum threads are dated.