When you look at a forum, what you see is just the tip of a very large iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a web of rivalries and antagonism that stretch well beyond the boundaries of the forums. Forum owners enjoy the sensation of power that being in charge of such an "organisation", brings them.
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Forums have become increasingly popular places for people to get help and support with their problems. Tory austerity policies and resulting cuts to legal aid and lack of funding have pushed consumers to rely on internet forums. However, before you dive in, there are a few things you should know. Certain types of advice, such as debt counselling, are regulated activities, yet forums are not authorised to carry them out. See Debt Advice and Regulation.
REGULATION AND THE FORUMS
Anyone can set up a forum and there is no organism or body that oversees them. Owners/admins do not report to anyone and are free to do as they please. No-one supervises or regulates them, which is why they can be so dangerous to rely on without checking your facts. As will be seen below, a lot of forums engage regulated activities, debt counselling in particular, without being authorised by the FCA. They have managed to skirt around the issue arguing that they don't give advice, using disclaimers and claiming that their sites are editorial in nature. In fact, if you look at the FCA statements below, you'll find most consumer sites should be auhtorised by the FCA.
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Forums are free to join and post on, which gives the impression that they are not set up with the intention of making a profit, however, this isn't necessarily the case. Some forums do charge to access certain content or for the privilege of posting on a semi-private area, they may ask for donations or advertise, however, these are not the only ways forums can make money. As with everything forum related, what you see is just the tip of a huge iceberg and the biggest chunk is beneath the surface.
You can safely join and participate in forums as long as you are aware of what they are and observe a few basic principles. Just because a site uses certain words such as "legal", it doesn't mean it's run by experts or specialists, nor that they are authorised or qualified. Anyone can set up a forum and anyone can join. Forum personalities hide behind anonymous screen names and there may be more than one individual behind a name and more than one name used by an individual.
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Facebook has come a long way since its debut as a social network c. 2004. These days, Facebook would like to be all things for all people. In addition to being a social network, it doubles up as a platform to advertise, sell products and run groups. Facebook was not designed to function as a forum and it doesn't do a very good job as a foral platform but, being free, easy to use and virtually idiot-proof, it's little wonder it's often used as a substitute for forums, especially when it comes to the more niche subjects and unorthodox approaches.
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We have already said that forums were originally intended as discussion platforms for people to share experiences and that many have turned into advisory services where people go looking for help.
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