Usenet Newsgroups

Newsgroup Information

Selected Links

USENET Newsgroups are frequently called electronic bulletin boards. Readers join topic-centered groups and post and respond to messages. Since newsgroup messages are distributed by a central server at your school, you can browse through a number of groups without the investment required of e-mail discussion lists. The news server at your school will determine which groups are available to you, but in general there are three basic types: (1.) Newsfeed groups which compile articles from professional newswires. (2.) Social groups devoted mostly to conversation. (3.) Hybrid groups which contain conversation, scholarly postings and news articles.

Newsgroups are organized under several large headings, For example, under the prefix talk there are groups devoted to debating issues like gun control, politics and religion. Some servers have newsfeed organized under a clari heading. Other groups are organized under the alt (alternative), comp (computers), and soc (society) headings, to name a few.

It may be that you are looking for an answer to a specific question. If so, rather than scouring through a number of groups and postings, you should try a search of some newsgroup archives. Eventually, you may have to post your question to an active group, but looking through the archives can save you a lot of time. Be sure to use specific search terms and to be flexible and persistent as you query these search engines.

Deja: Deja is the best search tool for Usenet. It lets you customize your searches by newsgroup, author and date, to name a few.

Critical Path: Another central site that archives newsgroup postings. Critical Path also has Web discussion forum information.

AltaVista: Their newsgroup search is fast and thorough. Be sure to select Usenet as the Search area.

When you can't find the information that you are looking for, you can post a query of your own to one of the groups. Choosing the right group can be difficult, but since newsgroups can be easily browsed without a long-term commitment, you can spend some time exploring. Another useful tactic is to perform a search and use the results to help you select an appropriate group.

Once you find an appropriate group, you should try to find the file of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the group. These will contain common questions, and you can save time and stay out of trouble by exploring here first.

As you get ready to post a message, consider issues of netiquette. When you post, don't ask the group to do basic research. Be considerate of their time and try to phrase a query that will elicit useful responses. If you summarize and synthesize important information and formulate specific questions, you will receive better responses.

A final thing to keep in mind is that newsgroup messages are replaced as new postings are made. Depending on the traffic in a group, messages may disappear overnight. Always save a copy of any messages that you find useful. As you save messages, take down information that you may need to document the sources.

Here are some additional newsgroup resources

Usenet Info Center Launch Pad: This page makes a useful starting place for finding general information about newsgroups.
The Tile.Net Newsgroup Page: A searchable directory of Usenet groups. Groups are also indexed by description and title.

USENET FAQs: A list linking the Frequently Asked Question files (FAQs) of many USENET newsgroups.
The Indiana University Support Center's Usenet Newsgroups Resources Page: A comprehensive compilation of resources, including information about newsgroups, newsreaders, netiquette and more.