Editing Internet forum (section)

===Thread===
{{see also|Conversation threading}}
A ''thread'' (sometimes called a ''topic'') is a collection of posts, usually displayed from oldest to latest, although this is typically configurable: Options for newest to oldest and for a threaded view (a tree-like view applying logical reply structure before chronological order) can be available. {{anchor|OP}}A thread is defined by a title, an additional description that may summarize the intended discussion, and an opening or '''original post''' (common abbreviation '''OP''', which can also be used to refer to the '''original poster'''), which opens whatever dialogue or makes whatever announcement the poster wishes. A thread can contain any number of posts, including multiple posts from the same members, even if they are one after the other.

====<span id="Bumping"></span>Bumping====
{{Wiktionary pipe|bump#Noun|bump}}
A thread is contained in a forum and may have an associated date that is taken as the date of the last post (options to order threads by other criteria are generally available). When a member posts in a thread, it will jump to the top since it is the latest updated thread. Similarly, other threads will jump in front of it when they receive posts. When a member posts in a thread for no reason but to have it go to the top, it is referred to as a ''bump'' or ''bumping''. It has been suggested that "bump" is an acronym of "bring up my post";<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BUMP |title=BUMP |access-date=2010-01-17 |publisher=The Free Dictionary |archive-date=2017-10-18 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171018163859/http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BUMP |url-status=live }}</ref> however, this is almost certainly a [[backronym]], and the usage is entirely consistent with the verb "bump" which means "to knock to a new position".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/bump|title=bump: definition|website=[[Answers.com]]|access-date=2012-12-18|archive-date=2008-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007122533/http://www.answers.com/bump|url-status=live}}</ref>

On some message boards, users can choose to ''sage'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|a:|g|ei}}, though often {{IPAc-en|s|eɪ|dʒ}}) a post if they wish to make a post but not "bump" it. The word "sage" derives from the [[2channel]] terminology 下げる ''sageru'', meaning "to lower".

====Stickying====
Threads that are important but rarely receive posts are ''stickied'' (or, in some software, "pinned"). A ''sticky thread'' will always appear in front of normal threads, often in its own section. A "threaded discussion group" is simply any group of individuals who use a forum for threaded, or asynchronous, discussion purposes. The group may or may not be the only users of the forum.

A thread's popularity is measured on forums in reply (total posts minus one, the opening post, in most default forum settings) counts. Some forums also track [[Pageview|page views]]. Threads meeting a set number of posts or a set number of views may receive a designation such as "hot thread" and be displayed with a different icon compared to other threads. This icon may stand out more to emphasize the thread. If the forum's users have lost interest in a particular thread, it becomes a ''dead thread''.

{|align=left
|-
|[[File:PhpBB3 topic.png|thumb|left|280px|phpBB Thread (viewing as moderator)]]
|[[File:PhpBB forum.png|thumb|left|280px|phpBB Forum (viewing as moderator)]]
|[[File:TreeExample480px.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Forum (Fully Threaded display format)]]
|}
{{clear}}