Re: Re: Newsgroups

[Guest guest]

In article 9gpnbl+bqtp (AT) eGroups (DOT) com>, bin man

postmistress@...> writes

>

>> > Mine happened on a newsgroup (rec.crafts.textiles.needlework)

>>

>> Sorry to be such an internet novice but what are newsgroups??

>>

>> TIA

>>

>> Jenni.

>

>news groups are pretty similar to this really, but using a specific

>protocol rather than email (a protocol is like a language that your

>computer needs to speak in order to be able to use a particular

>service eg email uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and

>browsing uses HyperText Transfer Protocl (HTTP). News uses Network

>News Transfer Protocol NNTP).

Except the thing about newsgroups is you don't subscribe to them, they

exist, and you can read/post if you want to or not. Anyone can access

them - there is no subscribing process (although some are moderated in

terms of who can post). You need to be aware that there are often a lot

of lurkers who never post, and that this may be a problem as you never

know who they are and why they are there. I have seen people get in a

real state on newsgroups after they have posted personal details and had

them picked up and used maliciously. Trolls and spam are both common as

well.

Not wishing to put you off, but I think it's important that people

realise exactly what newsgroups are about before using them. Newsgroup

posters can be supportive in the way that people are here, but equally

well they may not be, and most regular posters to newsgroups have to be

pretty thick-skinned. I lurk in a variety of newsgroups, but very rarely

post, and then only to one or two groups where I actually know a lot of

the regular posters.

Also a major source of email spam if you post to them - it's quite a

good idea to mangle your email address in some way before posting.

Cath