This document is divided into three sections to help you use the basic functions of Allyn & Bacon Newsgroups. The examples presented are for Netscape Navigator 4.0/Communicator -- the same principles will apply for other browsers, although the specific commands/buttons may differ between programs.
If your system is configured correctly, when you access an Allyn & Bacon Newsgroup through one of our Web Sites, you will already be viewing the newsgroup in your browser. If this is not the case, you are probably configured incorrectly. Check on how to configure your system for Allyn & Bacon Newsgroups.
Table Of Contents
Reading The Newsgroup
Upon entering the newsreader, you will be presented with a list of the messages in the newsgroup which you have not read yet. This list is in the middle portion of the screen.
To read a new message, simply click on the message and highlight it. The message will then appear in the lower text window of the newsreader.
If there are replies to the message, they will be presented in a heirarchical structure to display the reply structure.
Sending a New Message to the Newsgroup
To send a message to the newsgroup, simply select the "New Message" option (either a button, or an option under "Message" menu). This will bring up a new window in which to edit your message.
The window will already list the newsgroup you are currently viewing as a recipient for the new message. Other recipients can be added on the lines underneath.
Enter the subject of your post in the Subject field, and enter the text of your message in the large text window at the bottom. When you are finished, click on the send button and your message will be sent to the newsgroup.
Replying To a Posted Message
You can also reply directly to a posted message -- and your message will be associated with the original post for ease of reading the topic. In order to do this, when you are viewing the message you wish to reply to, just select the "Reply" option (either the button, or the "Message" menu option).
You will be presented with a list of possible recipients for your reply. A "Reply to Sender" will send a private email only to the original sender of the message you are reading. "Reply to Group" will post your reply to the newsgroup, relating your message to the original post. "Reply to Sender and Group" will do both these options (email to the original writer, as well as a post to the newsgroup).
Once you select an option, you will be presented with a new window, similar to the box for creating a new post. The only differences is that the Subject field will already be filled in with a subject header for a reply to the original post (which you can change if you wish), and that the content of the original message will be quoted in the box for your message so that you can directly refer to parts of the original message. Just edit the message as you would normally, and "Send" it when you are done.
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