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So what is this Usenet thing?
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So maybe you've heard about Usenet or News as it's commonly called.
Below are the most common questions about Usenet. If you're still
confused about Usenet after reading this, relax. Read
`trn: How do I read Usenet?' and start looking at articles. You'll get
the hang of it.
- What exactly is Usenet?
Usenet is a bunch of discussion groups that you can read from your
account. These groups are commonly called, oddly enough, groups, or
sometimes bulletin boards. They are carried on the Internet (another
subject). You read and post articles that are in turn read by other
people.
- Where is Usenet?
Hoboy, would you believe everywhere? Every Usenet site, such as the
TCC, has a computer that connects to the Internet. That computer has
a program that controls what groups the site will accept. It also
contains the local groups, groups that can only be read at that site.
- How did Usenet get started?
Originally, Usenet was a system started in 1980 for UNIX
sites to discuss UNIX questions and system configurations. Folks started
chatting about other things, and finally discussions got so large that
groups were created. You've come a long way, baby.
- What do those long group names mean?
As more and more people connected and wanted to join the discussion
groups, folks decided that it would be easier to break up the
discussions into distinctive groups. As those groups got bigger and
unwieldy, the groups got split even further.
The main groups (hierarchies) are:
- nmt: New Mexico Tech. Important stuff!
- comp: Computer stuff
- sci: Sciences
- soc: Social issues, socializing, cultural discussions
- talk: Debate
- news: Usenet (meta-discussion, if you will)
- misc: Random issues
- rec: Recreational discussions
- humanities: Humanities (honest!)
- alt: Strange, silly, sometimes serious
- Who owns/controls Usenet?
Oddly enough, no one. The rules are based on tradition and
discussion for most part. Most folks understand that these groups
cannot survive it a state of chaos, so they follow the rules and
conventions. And those individuals that can not follow the rules,
system programmers can evoke their accounts. And the Usenet
community has been known to be very vicious to those that break the
major tenets: violators have had massive email attacks, fax rampages,
even phone calls in the middle of the night and house egging.
Remember, some of those readers are your neighbors.
- What is a moderated newsgroup?
The readers of some newsgroups want to limit the amount of articles
(traffic) and to eliminate some unwanted articles before they show up
in the newsgroup. So they have a moderator go through all submissions
first.
- So, how do I get started with Usenet?
Glad you asked. Take a look at
`trn: How do I read Usenet?'
Next: trn: How do I read Usenet?
See also: Reading net news (Usenet) with trn
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R. G. Baer,
gypsy@nmt.edu
Last updated: 1995/12/19 18:47:56 UT
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/tcc/help/news/what_usenet.html