What is a Newsgroup? (2024)

FAQs

What do you mean by newsgroup? ›

A newsgroup is a discussion about a particular subject consisting of notes written to a central internet site and redistributed through Usenet, a worldwide network of news discussion groups. Usenet uses the Network News Transfer Protocol, or NNTP.

Newsgroups are found on USENET, a network of discussion groups where millions of users read postings, or articles, using software called a newsreader. Users can then make comments and ask questions in response to the postings. Thousands of newsgroups exist, covering a wide range of topics.

An example of a newsgroup is a "computer help" group where individuals assist others with computer problems. Another example is COLA (comp. os. linux.

While there are still some active text newsgroups on Usenet, the system is now primarily used to share large files between users, and the underlying technology of Usenet remains unchanged.

Similar to mail lists, however, newsgroups can be moderated or unmoderated. The benefit of newsgroups is that, because they are more structured than mail lists, and because it often keeps a threaded archive of postings, it is fairly simple for a user to understand the context and history of discussions.

Newsreader: The main difference between newsgroups and forums is that additional software, a News client, is required to participate in newsgroups whereas using a forum requires no additional software beyond the web browser.

Mailing lists are closed discussions among subscribers who receive and send messages via an electronic mail program (e.g., Eudora). Newsgroups are public discussions to which anyone can gain access and respond via a newsreader program (e.g., Nuntius).

Unlike E-mail messages which are visible only to the sender and specified recipients newsgroup messages can be read by anyone who view the group that they are posted in.

Newsgroups are generally focused on discussion of a particular topic, like a sports team, a hobby, or a type of software. Anyone with access to the group can post to the group and read all posted messages. Some newsgroups have a moderator who monitors their use, but most newsgroups are not overseen in this way.

These questions tend to be the ones that are asked repeatedly and so negate the need for constantly answering the same question. A newsgroup is not as quick as an email or even a mailing list. Very often there will be a delay of at least a day, often longer, before a response is given.

How do you create a newsgroup? ›

Locate your newsgroup reader.

Otherwise, access newsgroups through one of the many portals on the Internet. Some popular newsgroups include Usenet.org, Google Groups, and Yahoo! Groups. Mac users have various options to download, including Unison, NewsFire, and NewsHunter.

Usenet is not a part of the dark web. Usenet was created in part to share information, not hide it. If you need any further assistance, please contact our 24/7 Customer Success Team, who would be glad to assist.

Is Usenet legal? Yes, it is legal to use, but as with many things, it can be (and is) used illegally. Because of the anonymity it offers, Usenet has attracted internet pirates who share copyrighted movies, software, and other data illegally.

USENET, or NetNews, is a text-only social discussions forum, or rather a set of a great many forums, called "newsgroups," carried by multiple servers around the world. Although the original developers closed down their instance in 2010, that was just one server out of hundreds, and many are still running just fine.