Newsgroups

Newsgroups have nothing to do with news. They're really discussion groups that work very much like e-mail, except that anyone can read any messages sent to them. There are thousands of newsgroups, all divided into subject categories. They are one of the richest sources of online information. They are used in the School to disseminate information and for discussion and many modules have their own group. There are newsgroups for each Stage, and for MSc and SDIA students. A list of the most commonly used groups is available below.

How do I access them?

Windows users will find:-

• Agent News in Start\Programs\Communications and Internet.
• A shortcut to xnews in Start\Programs\Departmental Software\Computing Science\Utilities.

Linux users have the choice of:-

• the KDE application Knode
• the program pan
• the WWW browsers netscape, netscape6 or mozilla
• the command line based news reader nn.

The alias news.ncl.ac.uk should be used in specifying the local news server during configuration.

Netiquette

Netiquette is Internet etiquette - the informal rules of behavior for the Internet. These Internet customs have evolved over time, and help make the Internet a pleasant place. When you participate in newsgroups you should observe the rules of netiquette, and the links below will familiarise you with what is, and is not acceptable.

• What is Usenet?
• A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
• Rules for posting to Usenet
• Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet

Commonly Used Newsgroups

This is a list of some commonly used newsgroups. In addition, you should also read any newsgroups named after the modules you are taking (for example ncl.cs.csc399).