Getting Those Newsgroups

Newsgroups is another protocol (or layer) of the Internet. It works similar to bulletin boards. There are close to 17,000 newsgroups. Each is appropriately titled by its subject. Messages are posted regarding that particular subject. You may reply to messages, or post your own (to which others may reply).

A few terms that need clarification.

• Subscribe: When you check "News" you have the option of only retrieving the messages of a particular newsgroup that you have subscribed to. Subscribing to a newsgroup does not mean that you pay to read it.
• Thread: A message is posted, someone replies to that message, someone else replies to the reply, etc.... This is a thread. A long succession of messages all stemming from an original. As you read newsgroups, you will encounter threads as well as some attempts to start threads.
• Spam: Spamming is similar to a mass mailing, but Internet style. Spams are typically blatent calls for readers to visit a commercial website. Additionally, these messages are often posted to many newsgroups simultaeneously. Please do not spam.

Getting "News"groups.

These instructions will take you through the steps of:

• showing all newsgroups
• subscribing to the ones you're interested in
• retrieving those you've subscribed to at a later time

1. On the Menu Bar - Click on Window.
2. Click on Netscape News
3. A new window pops-up. If this new window is not maximized, maximize it. This is the Netscape News screen.
4. Double click on the folder that says "default news host";
5. On the Menu Bar - Click on Options.
6. Click on Show All Newsgroups.

This will take some time to download all the groups. They will appear in the upper left section of the screen in a directory like structure. Be patient, it won't always take this long.....just the first time. Once you see the directory tree (of both folders and files), scan down the list and find a topic of interest. Click on a folder. Give it a few moments and a list of the postings to that folder (newsgroup) will appear in the upper right section of the screen.

See a posting you'd like to read and click on that posting.

Now in the lower half of your screen, you'll see the posting. It looks similar to an email message. Look at your menu bar. You have the choice of:

• Posting a New Message
• Responding to the person that posted the message you are reading via email
• Responding to the message via newsgroup
• Responding via emal and newsgroup
• Forwarding the message to someone via email

. . . . . . .How to Subscribe

1. Within the upper left section of screen, click on the newsgroup you wish to subscribe to
2. On the Menu Bar - Click on File.
3. Click Add Newsgroup

That's it, you've subscribed !

You can subscribe to as many newsgroups as you'd like.

. . . . . . .Reading subscribed newsgroups

You'll need to get to the netscape news screen (from another screen . . .On the Menu Bar - Click on Window. Then, Click on Netscape News)

1. Double click on the folder that says "default news host";
2. On the Menu Bar - Click on Options.
3. Click on Show Subscribed Newsgroups.

Now only the newsgroups you've previously subscribed to will load (instead of the long list).

...................final note.....

You may occassionally run into a link on a webpage that will load-up a particular newsgroup. Below is an example to the "memphis.employment" newsgroup.

memphis.employment

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