Not to be confused with a chat application where people exchange typed messages in real time, discussion forums allow people to communicate about various topics by posting messages and replies to messages under the heading of a particular topic. A collection of messages and replies about a topic is often referred to as a thread.

Online tools that capture the exchange of messages over time. Threaded discussion forums are organized into categories so that the exchange of messages and responses are grouped together and are easy to find. Discussion forums can be created for individuals or small groups. For example, in a tutoring environment, this could be a one-on-one communication between tutor and student.

Discussion forums are online tools that capture the exchange of messages over time, sometimes over a period of days, weeks, or even months. Threaded discussion forums are organized into categories so that the exchange of messages and responses are grouped together and are easy to find.