Newsgroups
Last updated on June 26, 1996
Newsgroups are Internet-based messaging systems - electronic bulletin boards. There are many
newsgroup systems on the Internet but the two primary services are Bitnet and Usenet. There
is a Bitnet or a Usenet newsgroup for almost any special-interest subject or group you can
imagine. They run the full gamut from the absolutely sublime to the perfectly offensive. Most newsgroups are
informative and many are entertaining, as well. The sheer volume of messages and variety
of information available can make using newsgroups seem daunting but with a little exploration
you'll find the one's you like to read the most. Most Internet service providers allow
unrestricted and uncensored access to literally thousands of newsgroups. The overwhelming
majority of newsgroups permit any user to post any message he or she wants to post. This,
more than anything else, has earned the Internet its reputation for anarchy and prompted
recent legislative efforts in the U.S. and abroad to control content, limit access and
eliminate anonymity.
General Newsgroup Dos and Don'ts
Do be a lurker.
- Just hang out and read for a while - lurk - before you post anything so you can get a feel
for the style, culture and expected form of the newsgroup. Remember - a lot of the
folks who use newsgroups have been around a lot longer than you have and may consider
themselves experts. There are a lot of prima donnas out there, too, who will dress you
down if you trespass on what they consider to be their turf.
Don't be a newbie.
- Being a newbie is a bad thing. Newbies ask questions that have been asked a thousand
times before by every other newbie. Oldsters on the newsgroup don't like this and they'll
certainly tell you so. So read the periodically posted FAQ (Frequently
Asked Questions) files instead. Most newsgroup operators post a FAQ for
newbies that they update regularly - usually every two weeks or so. So hang loose until you
see a FAQ posted and read it when you do. It may save you some embarrassment. But also remember -
there are no dumb questions - only dumb answers. So go ahead and ask.
Do post when you're ready.
- You have something to contribute and you should. The Internet community generally welcomes
contributions. Just remember to keep your postings on the topic of the newsgroup, and try not
to rehash old themes.
Don't flame.
- Flaming is writing something incendiary that is designed specifically to provoke some kind
of response - generally negative. It would be considered bad form, for example, to post an incendiary
message on the Flat-Earth-Society forum saying anyone who didn't know the earth was round was a moron.
What sort of response would you expect, anyway? If you are unfortunate to have flamed, apologize - it's
considered good form. And don't participate in or start a flame war. Don't admonish flamers.
Don't engage in personal attacks at all. Finally, remember the old saw - "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Don't spam.
- Spamming - named for the delicious canned delicacy we all love - is posting the same message
to a very large number of newsgroups all at once. The Internet community takes a very dim view of
this kind of activity and you will hear about it from a large number of Internet users if you do it.
It's viewed in sort of the same light as the Post Office views chain letters and for the same reason.
It wastes resources and it's stupid and boring.
Don't kibitz.
- Kibitzing is interfering, meddling or butting in, especially in flame wars. Peacemakers are not
necessarily blessed on the Internet. Some folks really enjoy their flame wars - it's entertainment.
Kibitzing can also mean holding forth on a topic about which you know absolutely nothing but on which
you somehow manage to have a strong and loudly voiced opinion.
Don't waste bandwidth.
- Wasting the shared Internet resource with jibberish is viewed in a dark light. So don't
hold forth ad infinitum, ad nauseam on any topic. Say what you have to say and
move on. Don't repost messages from other newsgroups unless you think they're really important
for everyone to see - again. Chances are, they've seen it already and will just be annoyed.
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