LIS 312-Haubitz

Introduction to Newsgroups

  • How do newsgroups work?
  • Newsgroups: What's in a name?
  • Netiquette for newsgroups
  • Do you have questions about newsgroups?

    Newsgroups (sometimes referred to as Usenet News) is a service comprised of several thousand electronic discussions providing users an effective way to share information with others on just about any topic. As one of its Internet services, UT currently offers access to several thousand of these discussion forums. This means that several times a day, our computer host receives all messages posted to these newsgroups, making them available to UT users.

    If you're unclear about the concept of Newsgroups, it's helpful to think about a bulletin board that you might see on campus. Here, one might find posted messages advertising a futon for sale, asking for students to join a math study group, or announcing guest speakers at particular departments. In the newsgroup environment, the same kind of process takes place: User X may access a newsgroup on a particular topic and post a message, question, or respond to a previously posted message, and anyone accessing that newsgroup would then be able to see User X's message.

    Newsgroups provide this same kind of forum online, where users have access to the messages posted by all other users of that newsgroup. Usenet news has been described as an "international meeting place" where you're likely to find a discussion going on just about anything.

    How do newsgroups work?

    Messages posted on newsgroups are sent from host computer to host computer all over the world, using the network news transfer protocol. At UT, our host computer stores all its Newsgroups messages in a central place, and everyone with an UT account can access them. Because newsgroups are located on one server, it is a very efficient way to share information that might otherwise be disseminated to several individual users. This way, several people can read a given newsgroup message, but the host system stores only one copy of it.

    Newsgroups: What's in a name?

    As mentioned before each newsgroup is a collection of messages focusing on a related theme. You can probably find a newsgroup on any topic, no matter how arcane or bizarre.

    A newsgroup's name gives you a good idea of that group's focus, and also illustrates the hierarchical naming scheme given to newsgroups. Newsgroups with the prefix comp., for example, are for computer-related topics. After the initial prefix, you'll see an additional series of names assigned to the newsgroup that tell its specific concern: Note the following examples:

  • comp.mac.performa for "computers--macintosh--performas"
  • rec.auto.antique for "recreation--autos--antiques"
  • alt.backrubs for "alternative--backrubs"
  • soc.culture.japan for "social--culture--japan"

    NameDescription Example
    bizBusiness related groups biz.jobs.offered
    bionetBiology related groupsbionet.biology.tropical
    compComputer oriented groupscomp.sys.mac.apps
    k12Newsgroups for educators and K-12 topicsk12.chat.elementary
    miscDiscussions that don't fit into the other categories misc.consumers
    newsNews about Usenet developmentsnews.announce.newgroups
    recRecreation, hobbies, and gamesrec.music.dylan
    sciScience other than biology sci.med.aids
    soc"Social" groups; some ethnically oriented discussionssoc.rights.human
    talkDebates on politics and related (often controversial) topicstalk.politics.animals
    altControversial or unusual topics;
    Note: alt. groups are not carried by all sites!    		alt.backrubs

    "Netiquette for newsgroups", or Rules for using Usenet news

    You may have heard about someone being "flamed" on the Internet. What is "flaming?" Not all users agree on its definition, but flaming is generally described as the process of having a fight on the Internet, especially one that degenerates into name calling. You'll probably find that there's a range of tolerance for flame wars among individual users and among various newsgroups, especially as you gain experience using Network News.

    One of my favorite Internet quotes, seen as part of a user's e-mail signature, read: "In the future everyone will be flamed by the time they're 15." Well, that's probably true, especially if they're using Newsgroups without adhering to a few simple rules, enumerated below:

    1. Ease, don't barge, your way onto a newsgroup. In the same way that people rarely like showoffs at parties, sometimes veterans on newsgroups get a little testy when confronted by new users. When making an appearance on a newsgroup as a newbie, be respectful of those who've gone before you.

    2. If existing, get the "FAQs" before you post a message to a group. Newsgroups usually have a "frequently asked questions" list and guidelines for the group's participants. These can help you gain insight on the newsgroup's intended audience and operating assumptions. This preparation may also save you the embarrassment of posting a message (or question) that leaves the other participants annoyed and gets you flamed! Remember, the news.answers newsgroup is a great place to see if the group you're interested in has an FAQ.

    3. Monitor the messages on the newsgroup for awhile before posting. As in number 2, you'll have a better sense of the group (and group netiquette) if you read the newsgroup for a week or so before posting your first message.

    4. Be conscious of the tone of your messages. Be especially cautious when writing with irony or sarcasm, as these are easily misinterpreted in the online format. One of the rules of e-mail applies here: "Think before you send."

    5. Say something, but say it succinctly. The more newsgroups you read, the more you'll appreciate this rule. Try to be brief and to the point when posting. Likewise, it's important to read all follow-ups to a message, so you don't repeat what someone else has already contributed.

    6. Don't post something to the newsgroup, when you really want to communicate with a particular person from the newsgroup. In this case, send that person a message via e-mail.

    How do I post to a newsgroup?

    You use a special software program known as a news client (also called a newsreader) to access newsgroups. There are many newsreaders out and it will be your choice to get acquainted with the one(s) available for your prefered OS or accessible on the computers you use. WinVN, NewsWatcher, or Nuntius are such programs. They are however not widely available and depend on the OS. Also browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer offer newsgroup reading capabilities. Widely available UNIX based newsreaders are e.g. trn and tin. Using a news client, it's easy to post a new or follow-up message (referred to as an article) to a newsgroup. Similar to an e-mail message, each posting contains a header, followed by the text of the message. You direct the message to the newsgroup in the Newsgroups line of the header.

    Do you have questions about newsgroups? Consult a newsgroup!!

    With literally thousands of possible newsgroups, how will you ever find those that interest you? You might start by simply looking at the groups available from your newsreader client. Or you can try this site in Switzerland which provides an overview to newsgroups. You can also turn to these newsgroups, which address issues related to Network News:

    No matter how hard you try, you'll probably have a difficult time keeping up with all the news!

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    H. Haubitz