Forum vs Live Feed: When to Use Each
The Data Lab Community gives you two main ways to share and connect with other members: the Forum and the Live Feed. Both are useful, but they’re designed for different kinds of posts.
Think of the Forum as the space for proper conversations and knowledge sharing, and the Live Feed as the place for quick updates and announcements.
Forum
The Forum is where members come together to:
- Ask questions and get help from others
- Share challenges and learnings
- Post knowledge, tips or stories that will still be useful months down the line
- Share something interesting they have seen or are working on
- Collect feedback and spark meaningful discussions
Best for: Building conversations that last, and making it easy for people to find, follow and join in.
Avoid for: Quick announcements and updates that will go out of date quickly.
Why use it? The Forum is at the heart of how our community learns from each other. It’s the space where members help one another, exchange ideas and share what works (and what doesn’t).
Live Feed
The Live Feed is where you can:
- Post an update or opportunity
- Share news or reminders
- Celebrate milestones
- Highlight new events or projects
Best for: Quick updates, light interactions and drawing attention to what’s new.
Avoid for: Questions or discussions you want people to come back to.
In short
- Use the Forum for discussions, questions and knowledge sharing.
- Use the Live Feed for updates and quick interactions.