How to Find Interesting Newsgroups

There are tens of thousands of Usenet newsgroups available to read and post to. Find the ones that are right for you and start sharing information with people all over the world.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access

1. Visit newsgroup search sites and databases, and search for newsgroups by keywords or categories.

2. Find several groups that match your interests.

3. Review current threads on various groups and see which ones seem worthwhile.

4. Read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) of a potential newsgroup to familiarize yourself with the type of discussion and community the newsgroup supports.

5. Use a news reader to subscribe to the newsgroups you choose. (This may be included with your ISP, e-mail program or Web browser, or you may have to download one.)

Tips & Warnings

• Newsgroup names are preceded by a prefix, followed by a series of words separated by dots. Common prefixes include "comp" for computer-related topics, "rec" for recreational subjects, "soc" for cultural and sociological newsgroups and "alt" for "alternative" topics. There are also many regional prefixes, such as "ba" for the San Francisco Bay Area. The other words in the name go from general to more specific keywords. Sample newsgroup names include rec.food.recipes, soc.culture.jewish and rec.music.folk. There might be many newsgroups in one "hierarchy level"; for example, rec.food.cooking and rec.food.drinks are two other rec.food newsgroups.
• If no one has posted to the newsgroup recently or if there are very few postings, it's probably not worth your time.
• Also beware of newsgroups where everyone seems to know one another. These tend to concentrate more on social interaction than on the exchange of information.

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