User collaboration through discussion forums

An apparatus comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions including:

• a first code segment for presenting a media asset;
• a second code segment for identifying a content element of the media asset on a user display, the content element having been selected from content of the media asset and augmented with content metadata;
• a third code segment for connecting the content element to a discussion forum, the discussion forum having been established with respect to the content element;
• and
• a fourth code segment for facilitating information exchange within the discussion forum.

A system comprising:

• a media asset database operable to store media asset information, the media asset information including media assets and discussion objects within content of the media assets, the discussion objects resulting from a selection from the content for assignment of content metadata;
• a server operable to deliver selected media assets to a plurality of users, the selected media assets including at least a common discussion object;
• a metadata presentation system operable to distinguish the common discussion object on user interfaces, each of the user interfaces being associated with one of the plurality of users;
• and
• a discussion forum engine operable to associate the common discussion object with a discussion forum, the discussion forum having been established based on the selection of the common discussion object.