|
|
What is Newsgroup ?
Other names of newsgroup include online discussion
groups, Web forums and message boards. Each of these is basically the same
thing, a place online to read and post messages related to a single topic.
Discussion groups differ from chat rooms in that the messages travel back
and forth a bit slower and they are usually archived for a fairly long
period of time. This makes newsgroups good places to gather information on a
topic, even if you don't have anything to contribute to the conversation.
The specific term "newsgroup" is usually associated with Usenet,
the mother of all online forums. The thousands of discussion groups
in this system are some of the most active in the world. In fact,
Usenet predates the Web by about 20 years and exists outside of the
universe of HTML. That means it requires a separate piece of
software if you'd like to participate. Don't worry, these days most
browsers come with "news readers" included, although you may have to
ask your Internet service provider for the address of the local news
host. Once you're connected, you'll find groups covering just about
every topic under the sun. The content of Usenet is definitely as
varied and volatile as the rest of the Internet. Maybe even more so.
|
|