Guide 3: Newsgroups and Netiquette

Guide 3: Newsgroups and Netiquette

This is where things get more interesting.  The Usenet Newsgroups are
essentially open forums for discussions and conversations on many
different topics; thousands of these groups exist covering a whole range
of interests.  Typing rtin at the Unix prompt will start the newsreader
programme.  It may ask if you want to subscribe to some new groups; this
is entirely up to you.  You are subscribed to certain groups
automatically;  press Y to see the whole range of groups available. 


Newsgroups are based in hierarchies according to their content; for
example, comp. groups all deal with some aspect of computers or computing. 
Most of the groups you see are international; even the uk. groups can be
read and added to by people outside the UK.  However, the groups beginning
dur. are local to the University; these are a mix of society groups and
academic groups, along with a general free-for-all group, dur.general, and
IT Service groups which provide information on the status of the Durham
LAN and a testing ground for postings.  Certain groups inevitably attract
more interest than others and can be hard to keep up with, so it's best
just to choose just a select few to subscribe to.  By pressing S with a
group selected on the main list you can subscribe to it, which means it is
added to the default list of groups which appears when you start the
application.  To enter a group select it using its number or the cursor
keys and press return.  You will then see all the current discussion
'threads'.  Pressing return when a thread is selected will alllow you to
view the articles in it; space bar moves down a page, tab key moves you to
the next unread article.  Note that articles disappear when you read them;
they are marked as read and will not appear when you next open that
newsgroup, unless you alter the programme's settings.  Pressing Q will
move you up towards your main list and will eventually exit the programme. 


So, you've found a discussion group and want to join in.  This is where
Netiquette comes in.  The Usenet Newsgroups are, essentially, an anarchy. 
Only certain groups have moderators which filter the messages being put
onto the group.  However, there is an unofficial code of conduct for the
Newsgroups which you ignore at your peril.  If you abuse people without
good cause, expect to be flamed.  If you ask a question which is answered
in the group's FAQ (Frequenty Asked Questions) you are likely to be
flamed, depending on the patience of the group's old hands.  Flaming
basically means that your message will be ripped to shreds on the group
and you could well find your inbox filling up at an alarming rate if you
really step over the mark.  Yes, that's right; posting to a newsgroup will
give anyone reading your post your E-Mail address.  The best advice I can
give is to have a look at the groups catering for those new to
newsgrouping, and having done that, 'lurk' in the group of your choice for
a while and get a feel for it before you dive into any of the discussions. 
Just use your common sense and you'll find most old hands to be reasonably
tolerant, providing you don't do something really stupid such as asking a
totally off topic question for that particular newsgroup.  Note that doing
this on purpose is know as 'spamming'.  Don't send a message containing
only upper case words, or you may be accused of 'shouting'. 

 Before I tell you how to post, I should mention one last thing: the
smiley.  A smiley can transform the whole tone of a message and clarify
your intention in writing it.  For example, if you write a message
slagging someone off, adding a smiley is the equivalent of being ironic,
sarcastic or saying 'just kidding!' A smiley is simply this:  :-) If you
want to indicate unhappiness, it's this :-( and so on.  There are many
different variants, but I won't list them all here.  You may see some
abbreviations which you don't recognise; I'll list some of these in the
jargon guide. 


If you want to start a whole new thread on a group, go into the group's
list of threads and type W.  Type in the title you want to give your
thread and then type your article.  Then post as you would do from Pine. 
After a brief delay your message will go out, but you may not see it until
the next time you use the programme.  It is possible for a posting to
fail, but this is not common.  You will receive a 'receipt' acknowledging
your attempt to post by E-Mail.  To respond to an article, press F when
you're reading the article you want to reply to.  If it's very long, try
editing the bits you're not interested in replying to, or remove it
altogether; 'real' people have to pay for their Usenet access and don't
appreciate having to read through a long message only to find that just
two new lines have been added; don't follow up to something and just say
'I agree!' If you want to do that you can respond to the poster off group
by pressing R and sending an E-Mail message to him or her; it is often
better to discuss an issue at length with someone using E-Mail rather than
a newsgroup, because it keeps everyone else's 'phone bills down!  If you
want to keep a message by mailing it to yourself, just hit M and type in
your E-Mail address. 

Written by Andy Thomas, A.G.Thomas@durham.ac.uk