Newsgroups
Newsgroups are public forums devoted to specific
discussion topics. The entity which is all of the newsgroups is called Usenet.
Many newsgroups have a charter and a FAQ
which describes the purpose of the newsgroup, as well as what sort of topics
will be well-received. Anything posted to a newsgroup can potentially be seen by
hundreds of thousands of people. You also have the option to respond privately
to any post you read.
There are seven main newsgroup categories, called The
Big Seven. These are: comp (Computers), misc
(Miscellanous), news (News), rec (Recreation),
sci (Science), soc (Social Issues), and talk
(General Talk).
The alt category does not
represent topics which are considered alternative, but rather was originally
created to use a different backbone than other newsgroups. It is also a
hierarchy where newsgroups are created in a less-formalized manner. It takes
several months to create a newsgroup in the Big Seven, and involves a great deal
of work. Alt newsgroups are created (and removed) much more quickly, and while
some move on to become Big Seven groups, some are more quirky and remain alt
groups. alt.food.taco-bell
is a good example of a newsgroup with a fun spirit, devoted to the discussion of
Taco Bell restaurants and their products, but which can also provide information
of interest to the public. (Nutritional Information, Job Opportunities, etc.)
There are many hierarchies, most of which are
regional. There is a Texas hierarchy (tx), and then there are Austin (austin),
Dallas (dallas), Houston (houston), and San Antonio (sat) categories, as well as
categories for other states and countries. Non-regional categories include biz
(Business), and k12 (topics for kids in grades K-12).
Newsgroups broadcast to the world, but e-mail is
just between you and another person. You can reply privately to newsgroup posts
via e-mail, or you may reply publicly.
"Netiquette" is what really keeps the
internet together. It's no more than common courtesy in a computer setting. Here
are some guidelines to make your online experience all the more pleasant:
- Don't Type Everything in Uppercase
Posts or E-mail typed in all capital letters are extremely difficult for
most people to read, and it gives the impression that you are shouting. If
you get tired of hitting the shift-key then go for all lowercase instead.
- Use Emoticons If Necessary
Many people are unused to communicating through writing, and things which
are meant to be lighthearted come across harshly. If people are fleeing from
your words, consider using an "emoticon". These are makeshift
smiley faces to let the reader know you are jesting. Some people frown on
their use, especially the newsgroup alt.folklore.urban,
feeling that people should work harder on their writing. However, many
people find there is a time and place for them.
Examples of Emoticons:
:) The standard smiley is a colon and a right parenthesis.
Turn your head and imagine that the colon is two eyes, and the parenthesis
is a mouth. People have developed some whimsical options, many of which can
be viewed at the Unofficial
Smiley Dictionary.
- Quote Back Responsibly When Replying
For a deeper look at quoting back, see the Tips
and Techniques section for e-mail, above. Basically, do
quote back the relevant parts of a post when you are replying, but don't
ever quote the whole post. Not only are you saving costs for people who pay
per minute, but you are reducing bandwidth use, which results in lower costs
for everyone, and your post will be taken much more seriously.
- Know When to Reply Privately
Before posting, decide if what you have to say is of benefit to the
potential hundreds of thousands of people reading the newsgroup, or if it is
really a response to just one person. If the latter, then reply via e-mail
instead of the group. When in doubt, e-mail.
- Always "Lurk" Before
Posting
As tempting as it is to jump right in, it is almost always to your advantage
to "lurk" 2-4 weeks before posting a message to a newsgroup.
Lurking means that you read the newsgroup, and pay attention to its tone and
what is being discussed. Failure to follow this and other aspects of
Netiquette inevitably leads to flaming.
- Flaming
If you don't follow the rules of netiquette you'll be flamed. If you do
follow the rules of netiquette you may be flamed anyway. Flaming is just
insulting someone. Like offline life, sometimes people get upset without any
reason, and all you can do is shrug it off. However, most people will
forgive a new person ("newbie" - not a derogatory term) as they
get acquainted. Some mistakes are hard to prevent, but if you read the FAQs
first and keep Netiquette in mind, you'll be seen as a credible contributor
to the discussion.
FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions.
There are FAQs for newsgroups, activities, people - you name it. Before you post
a message to a newsgroup you should read its FAQ. FAQs are generally posted once
a month to various newsgroups, including news.answers
and alt.answers. You can also
read the FAQs at various sites on the World Wide Web. An excellent place to do
this is at the Oxford University Library's FAQ
Collection.
If you are new to Usenet, start with lurking in news.announce.newusers
and news.newusers.questions.
These groups are full of helpful people who can tell you where to find topics of
interest and offer ideas for successful Usenet navigation.
There are two categories which will interest those
looking for commercial-oriented discussion. The first is the biz
hierarchy, devoted to business oriented discussion. The second is the clari.biz
hierarchy, which carries news articles regarding business.
Many people, at one time or another (but usually
when they first get acquainted with Usenet), feel the need to start a newsgroup.
Some try, and few succeed. Those who do have 4-5 months to spend and a great
amount of persistence. Although it is simple to create an alt newsgroup, there
are people who will immediately remove it, or simply not carry it on their news
server, if they feel it hasn't gone favorably through enough of the discussion
process which can be read about on alt.config.
People who are determined to create an alt newsgroup are encouraged to read the
paper called So
You Want To Create an Alt Newsgroup?.
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