Internet Newsgroup Hints

What is Usenet?
Usenet (the User Network)* is for many, the most interesting part of the Internet. Usenet is essentially a text based forum for debate that allows people to share their personal thoughts, practical tips, expertise and just about anything else imaginable with the rest of the world.

Usenet is made up of individual Newsgroups, all covering different subjects. Currently there are over 35,000 Newsgroups. The names of the groups, usually reflect the topic they discuss and are organised into hierarchies.

What do people discuss?
Just about anything they like. Some people use Newsgroups to find answers to technical problems relating to their computers, some people use it to share recipes, other people use it to discuss music or sport. As you can imagine from the number of Newsgroups that exist, there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the subjects.

How does Usenet work?
When you post a message to a newsgroup, this message is stored on a news server. As Usenet is a network, this message is also passed on to other news servers, which in turn pass it on to other servers, so that eventually (usually within three days) the message has been propagated to all of the news servers in the world and is available to be downloaded by an estimated 25,000,000 newsgroup users. Messages posted by people using other Internet Service Providers work in exactly the same way.

How do I start?
First of all, you need a program called a News Reader. There are several very good News Reader programs currently available - even better, they're free of charge! Outlook Express, is one such News Reader program and is probably the best program of its kind. It is available for Windows 95, 98 and NT4.0. Microsoft Internet News and Forte Free Agent, offer slightly less functionality.

These programs come with instructions on how to read messages from and post message to Newsgroups. In many ways, using a News Reader is similar to using email, with the difference that instead of posting an email to an individual, you are posting to the whole world.

Hints and Tips on Usenet

1. If you post a message, don't expect an instant answer. Usenet messages can take up to three days to reach news servers in far away places, so be prepared to wait for a response to your message.
   
   If you want instant communication, then Internet Relay Chat or email are more appropriate.
   
   
2. Stay on topic! Usenet is divided up into groups for a reason - so that people who are interested in a particular topic can discuss that topic. If you post a message about fishing to rec.sport.soccer you are likely to find that you will receive emails giving you more than a yellow card!
   
   
3. Read before you post! Spend a while getting to know the type of things people talk about in the Newsgroups you are interested in. Make sure that the tone of your message matches that of the other people posting - sending a message to sci.med.pharmacy saying "I've got this cough ... " is not going to win you many friends.
   
   
4. Have fun, get involved but don't believe everything you read in Newsgroups.

*Note for Parents: Some Newsgroups include content which is unsuitable for children. Although you can usually spot these groups by their names, we advise parents to ensure that their children's use of the Internet is always under the supervision of an adult.