Although messages may be stored in an archive for reference, there is no way for those not subscribed to view the information distributed on the list. The Listservice member can reply to a message or simply delete it. A Discussion forum displays messages or information in a bulletin board setup which is accessible from a website or by a direct link to the Discussion board. The forum is accessed through categories and groups - similar to a directory tree. The main advantage to a discussion forum is that the messages remain on public display for review or comment by those permitted to access the site.
Many forums are open for public review but require registration to reply or add comments.
The Discussion forum is best used to maintain a library of threaded topics which are maintained for easy reference. Discussions can be linked to other sites and can also be embellished with graphics and icons. For example, most of the browsers support Javascript, but Microsoft has refined the language which they coined JScript. You will find that all features on the Structuralist. Net will work with all version of Internet Explorer from release 4.0 and later.