"Dave Higton" <davehigton@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:360000f34e.davehigton@dsl.pipex.com[color=blue]
> In message <5dcrbtF34c6v1U1@mid.individual.net>
> "Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote:
>[color=green]
> > "Paul Cupis" <paul@cupis.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:slrnf72928.hq9.paul@challenger.my.home
> >
> > [snip]
> >[color=darkred]
> > > "newsgroups are the internet's open discussion
> > > forums".
> > >
> > > uk.telecom.voip is a newsgroup, yes, but it is also a
> > > forum, specifically for the discussion of VoIP in the
> > > UK.[/color]
> >
> > No. It is not a forum.
> >
> > I am fed up with saying it as you only seem to want to
> > inflame the situation.
> >
> > Call it what you will, you will not change the FACT
> > that this NEWSGROUP is NOT a forum.[/color]
>
> But it manifestly /is/ a forum - in the general sense of
> the word.[/color]

It is not the general sense of the word at issue here. It is Usenet
convention.
[color=blue]
>I accept that there are other entities that are
> called forums (and shouldn't they be "fora"?)[/color]

Actually no.
[color=blue]
>, in the
> specific Internet sense of the word; but the existence of
> the specific sense in no way invalidates the general
> sense, therefore, since users of this newsgroup use it as
> a forum for discussions, it follows that it is a forum.[/color]

No it *isn't* - how many more times..?![color=blue]
>[color=green]
> > A forum can take place within a newsgroup, yes, and I
> > suspect this is where you are going wrong. A newsgroup
> > is not a forum in itself.[/color]
>
> There you go again with this logical nonsense. How can a
> forum "take place"? It's as daft as saying that a street
> takes place. Please explain yourself.[/color]

I have done so ad nauseum.

I'm fed up now. Call it what you like, it still isn't a forum.

Ivor
[color=blue]
>
> Dave[/color]