# The best message boards for learning about specific subjects **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198 "2007-08-11T00:25:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/1 "2007-08-11T00:25:59Z")
I have found that the best way to learn about a subject is to surround yourself with people who also interested in the subject. That’s why if I am wanting to learn about something I really like message boards. They are huge repositories of information and more often than not there are many people there who are more than willing to help. I am mostly interested in message boards about specific subjects (esp. technical, but feel free to post any) I will start off with this one: [http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showforum=29](http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showforum=29) If you want to learn about credit, loans, mortgages, etc. this is the best place I have found. They can teach you how to get your credit in order. Terrific forum. So please post any gems you may have found. They can be about anything. For example, a great message board for learning about cars, playing tennis, embedded software, electronics, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/2 "2007-08-11T00:27:38Z")
reported ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/3 "2007-08-11T00:27:54Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] reported [/QUOTE] What did I do? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/4 "2007-08-11T00:29:02Z")
Oh, crikey. brainfart - combination of your anonymous-looking username and the content of the post - I’m sorry - it looked like spambot posting for _just_ long enough for me to click the button. sorrysorrysorry. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/5 "2007-08-11T00:31:48Z")
\ I’m going to let this continue for now - but let’s keep it _positive_, otherwise it goes bye-bye. \ ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/6 "2007-08-11T00:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Oh, crikey. brainfart - combination of your anonymous-looking username and the content of the post - I’m sorry - it looked like spambot posting for _just_ long enough for me to click the button. sorrysorrysorry. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I am not affiliated with the aforementioned MB in any way other than being a member there. This definitely isn’t spam. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/7 "2007-08-11T00:34:46Z")
I haven’t posted there for a very long time, but [Access World Forums](http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/) used to be - and as far as I can tell still is, a great place for help on MS Access, VBA and MS office generally. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/8 "2007-08-11T01:28:51Z")
A few specialized boards I frequent: [AVS Forum](http://www.avsforum.com/) - THE place to go to discuss Home Theatre tech. There’s a mind-numbing amount of info on audio/video components, digial media, high defintion video, home theatre computer building, dedicated viewing room construction, remote controls and automation, etc. [Hydrogen Audio](http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php) - Dedicated specifically to digital audio formats, codecs, software, hardware, etc. Has a rigorous scientific point of view, no audiophile nonsense about magic speaker cables or power conditioners. [Fred Miranda](http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/) and [DPReview](http://www.dpreview.com/forums/) - A couple of photography sites. There are a large no. of posters on both forums with a loads of talent, technical knowledge and artistic insight. Except for the retouching forum on DPReview, that is. Some of the monstrosities there will make your eyes bleed. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/9 "2007-08-11T12:26:45Z")
All That Chat is the board for theatre. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/10 "2007-08-11T13:07:04Z")
[Notebook Review](http://forum.notebookreview.com/) for notebook PCs and tablets [Slashdot](http://slashdot.org) for general technology and pontificated law/politics [Fatwallet](http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/) and [Slickdeals](http://forums.slickdeals.net/index.php) for anything having to do with shopping or capitalism at large [Doom9](http://forum.doom9.org/) for DVD ripping/copying and other piracy-related things [Howardforums](http://www.howardforums.com/) for anything related to cell phones and service providers I’m such a geek :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/11 "2007-08-11T14:04:41Z")
The Tape Op board is great for everything you want to know about recording music, from guys using a boombox in their bedroom to people working in multi-million dollar studios. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/12 "2007-08-11T14:09:08Z")
Great stuff so far guys. Please keep them coming if you have any more. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/13 "2007-08-11T14:18:28Z")
[Videohelp.com](http://www.videohelp.com) is a great site for advice on all aspects of digital video and audio, with a helpful forum and a great many links to free and commercial software for video editing, encoding, DVD authoring, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/14 "2007-08-11T15:05:50Z")
[ADVRider](http://www.advrider.com/) is _the_ place to learn all there is to know about adventure travel by motorcycle. Besides talking about the bikes and equipment, the travel reports from the farthest corners of the earth make for some great reading. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/15 "2007-08-12T16:06:35Z")
[eGullet](http://forums.egullet.org) for food and cooking. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/16 "2007-08-12T16:45:22Z")
If I’ve got a spyware or virus infection that won’t go away, I always go to the [Tech Support Guy Forums](http://forums.techguy.org/). Particularly the Malware Removal & HijackThis Logs forum. I suspect if I had other computer problems I couldn’t fix myself, I’d go there too. Haven’t needed to - yet 🙂 I’ve also been told that [CK5](http://coloradok5.com/forums/index.php) is THE place to go if you are doing any mods or restorations on a Blazer or any other Chevy truck. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/17 "2007-08-12T17:13:15Z")
[GardenWeb](http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums) is still the best source of conversation and information about gardening (loads of forums on general types of gardening and specific genera of plants), plus there are home forums for discussion of kitchen renovations and such. Registration is free. [Dave’s Garden](http://www.davesgarden.com) has many gardening forums (paid membership) and an invaluable free service (Garden Watchdog) for evaluating mail-order nurseries. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/18 "2007-08-12T18:31:21Z")
You know, I actually thought that this was kind of a silly OP, but then I clicked on a couple of the responses and found some really cool stuff. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/19 "2007-08-13T13:14:49Z")
[Woodworking Forum](http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198/20 "2007-08-13T13:23:06Z")
The Chronicle of the Horse Forums for all things horse related, especially horse health and care. Some internationally-known trainers and competitors, members of several of the major organizing associations, several published authors, and a wealth of informed citizens participate. Bad grammar is not welcomed. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-message-boards-for-learning-about-specific-subjects/415198.md?page=2)