By bslade on

The following is a comment that I posted on the web page Handbook -> Installation and configuration -> Introduction to Drupal terminology -> Terminology ( http://drupal.org/node/937 ):

In Drupal, the forums subsystem/module is referred to as "forums". Within those forums you have forum containers (general forum topics). Within those forum containers you have individual forums, also referred to as "forums". Within those lower level "forums" you have forum "topics" (a content message posted in a
forum). Withing a forum topic you can have comments in reply to a topic. For example:

  • Drupal Forum Module/Subsystem (called "forums")
    • Form Container - Software for Beginners (An example of a "forum container". Shows up as "Home » forums » Software for Beginners" )
      • Forum - Pro's and Con's of Hello World Programs (An example of a specific forum subject area also called a "forum". Shows up as "Home » forums » Software for Beginners » Pro's and Con's of Hello World Programs)
        • Forum topic posting - An example "Hello World" program in C (An example of a specific posting of content in a forum. Called a forum "topic")
          • Comment - Your example sucks (A "comment". An example of a second type of content posting in a forum. Comments can only be in response to a forum "topic")

So "forums" can refer to the top level subsystem/module or to an lower level forum subject area under a forum container

I just want to say, this is a very confusing name convention design. Especially the term "forum topic" which is really just a forum posting, not a topic area under which postings are placed. It makes it extremely difficult to provide technical support to admin users.

I've worked with several non-techie admin's who have setup their site so that users are not allowed to post forum "topics" thinking that "topics" referred to a subject category of forum postings, not an individual posting of content

PublicMailbox@benslade.com

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⋅ Categories: Drupal 4.7.x

Comments

sepeck’s picture

sepeck commented

Comment in the handbook removed, this is a better place to discuss it. I unfortunately don''t have time right now to decipher your post so will have to follow up at a later time.

-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain

-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide

schwa’s picture

schwa commented

I concur, though it would be a lot of work for someone to make name changes in all the code. But to add a simplified version of what I think you're saying, bslade, my experience with numerous other discussion/fora softwares has also led me to the following nomenclature expectations:

Discussion
     Forum
          Board
               Post
                  Comment
               Post
                  Comment
          Board
               Post
     Forum
          Board
               Post
                  Comment
               Post

as opposed to the current Drupal usages:

Forum
     Forum Container
          Forum
               Topic
                  Comment
               Topic
                  Comment
          Forum
               Topic
     Forum Container
          Forum
               Topic
                  Comment
               Topic
bslade’s picture

bslade commented

That's excellent and concise problem summary and proposed solution. And I agree it that would be a major hassle to change the code to fix the terminology.

PublicMailbox@benslade.com

karldied’s picture

karldied commented

My experience has been that the area of the site is called "Forum;" I have not seen "Discussion" except in referring to the forum as the "discussion boards."

While I would agree that "Post" is a more typical term than "Topic," I would say that a Topic is comprised of an initial Post plus Replies (or, Comments). Thread is another synonym for Topic. Another issue with using "Post" is that it is also used as a verb when you "post topics" or "post replies."

Though Reply may be a more common synonym for Comment, the latter is more appropriate in Drupal since it applies across all node types, not just forum topics.

Thus, my preferred terminology would be: 

Forum
   Forum Container (or Forum Group)
      Forum Board
         Post
            Comment
         Post
            Comment
      Forum Board
         Post
   Forum Container
      Forum Board
         Topic (when viewed on the board level)
         Topic
         Topic

In Drupal (4.7), the administer > forums section has "edit forum" (in the list tab) and "add forum" as the third tab. I agree this would be clearer if made "edit board" and "add board"

karldied’s picture

karldied commented

Handbook forum page [1] updated to be slightly clearer. The terminology page [2] doesn't go into forums or forum hierarchy terminology; it deals more with blocks, themes, nodes, roles, etc.

[1] http://drupal.org/handbook/modules/forum
[2] http://drupal.org/node/937