Editing RPGnet (section)

===Forums===
Originally based on Matt's WWWBoard script, the 1997 RPGnet forums were formatted in earlier [[message boards]]' threaded style, being mostly dedicated to game design and industry news. With the change to [[vBulletin]] on 2002, new sections catering to the growing player and enthusiast user bases were added. The boards used vBulletin for the next sixteen years, until November, 2018, when they were migrated to the [[XenForo]] 2 software package.

Over time, the RPGnet forums have grown to encompass a broad range of subjects related to gaming and modern media. ''Tabletop Roleplaying Open'', the general game discussion forum, has the most posts per day. There are also [[video game]]s, [[Play-by-post role-playing game|play-by-post]] and [[board game]]s forums, a section dedicated to [[game design]], [[publishing]] and [[brainstorming]] in general, while the ''Other Media'' covers [[television]], [[comic book]]s, [[film|movies]] and [[book]]s. The site also hosts small forums for [[photography]], [[parenting]], and other specific interests.

Like most large forums, RPGnet has developed numerous [[in-joke]]s, [[tagline]]s, and recurring [[Flaming (Internet)|flame wars]]. Many game writers, artists, and [[game designer|designers]] post.  Content and conduct rules are enforced by moderators, who "can do what they feel is necessary in their best judgment to promote the well-being of the forums," even going beyond any written rules, "in order to keep the forums friendly and welcoming."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/rpg-net-rules-guidelines-revised-10-28-2018.835847/|title=RPG.net Rules & Guidelines (Revised 10/28/2018)|website=RPGnet Forums|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref>  A list of sanctions and bans on users assessed by the moderators is available for public view.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?forums/infractions.138/|title=Infractions|website=RPGnet Forums|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref>    RPGnet policies have occasionally been referenced by other platforms and forums<ref>{{cite web |title=The Universal Rules of Civilized Discourse |url=https://blog.discourse.org/2013/03/the-universal-rules-of-civilized-discourse/ |website=[[Discourse (software)|Discourse]] Blog |access-date=15 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715221506/https://blog.discourse.org/2013/03/the-universal-rules-of-civilized-discourse/ |archive-date=2017-07-15 |url-status=live}}</ref> when drawing their own policies.

A wide range of tastes are present on the forums. Smaller niche and [[indie role-playing game]]s are particularly well represented and the latest releases often generate a great deal of discussion. Threads on [[Dungeons & Dragons]], [[World of Darkness]], [[GURPS]] and other popular systems are fairly common. [[Exalted]] is known for generating a particularly large number of discussion threads.

Other websites will excerpt or reference forum posts that (much as with the [[Fark]] PhotoShop contests) have lasting value, such as ZenDesign excerpting WoW-erizing movie quotes and From the Shop Floor borrowing from the Demotivators thread.