o=o=o NEWSGROUPS o=o=o›       by Alan Sharkis, Editor›          OHAUG Newsletter›                                 › A NEWSGROUP  makes  it  possible  for› people with a common interest to post› messages     containing    questions,› answers to those questions, opinions,› announcements,  etc.,  and have those› messages  get  seen  and  potentially› answered by all who subscribe to  the› newsgroup.   In  order  to subscribe,› you must  have  an  Internet  Service› Provider  who  has newsgroups as part› of his service.  Most do.  GEnie does› not  currently  handle  newsgroups on› its   regular  dial-up  service,  but› might on its deluxe Internet  service› (I  haven't  checked.)   Until  three› months or so ago, however, GEnie made› available digests  of  the  newsgroup› most  important to us as 8-bitters as› Atari text  files  for  downloading. › The  files are still there, but Genie› has not received new ones since  that› time.›› Once  subscribed  to a newsgroup, and› there are thousands of  them,  you're› likely  to  have   several   features› besides  the  individual messages you› read.    In   the   newsgroup    most› important   to   us   as   8-bitters,› comp.sys.atari.8bit,   there   is   a› regularly  updated  FAQ feature.  FAQ› means "frequently  asked  questions,"› and  it  includes  the  questions and› answers in an organized list.  If you› landed  here  from Mars and had never› heard of the classic  Atari, but  had› orders  from  your leader to find out› all you could about it, the FAQ is  a› good place to start.  There is also a› regularly-updated LIST OF VENDORS AND› DEVELOPERS   on   comp.sys.atari.8bit› that is longer and more complete than› you could ever imagine.›› Each  newsgroup has a specific method› of subscribing.  It usually  involves› your  sending the person in charge of› the   newsgroup  an  Internet  E-Mail› message   with   the   single   word,› "subscribe"  in  its  body or subject› line.  Since the message will contain› your  address, all that you'd need is› the address to send it to.   Services› like America Online and AT&T Worldnet› only require that  you  type  in  the› name  of the newsgroup on a form, and› they  subscribe  or  unsubscribe  for› you.    What's   more,  they  have  a› listing   of   many   thousands    of› newsgroups  that  you can just choose› off a screen.  That's the way  I  did› it (I'm spoiled!)›› The  amount  of  information that one› gets on newsgroups is  overwhelming. › However,  much  of  it  is   opinion,› rather  than  fact.   Sometimes   the› language  of  a message gives you the› impression that what you are  reading› is  opinion.   So, people tend to get› intense  when  speaking  about  their› favorite likes and dislikes.  On  the› other    hand,    some   people   use› abbreviations like IMHO (in my humble› opinion)  to  preface everything they› write.  What you have  to  watch  out› for  is  the  guy  that categorically› states what might be fact, and is not› disputed   in   replys.    Your   own› experience with the  product  he  was› describing    might   be   completely› different.›› You will also see topics and  threads› continue  through  some  twenty-or-so› messages  over  a  period of weeks at› times.  Other times, it's just a  guy› selling  or  looking for a particular› game, and there are no responses.  If› there's  enough  controversy   in   a› message, you'll see people line up on› sides of the issue.  You can jump in,› or  just LURK (read without writing);› the choice is yours.›› I feel that newsgroups are similar to› message  bases on a BBS, particularly› a networked BBS, with  one  important› difference.   There  are much tighter› controls   on  what  is  on-topic  or› off-topic, and the controls come from› the  users  themselves.  There  is no› moderator, but  EVERYONE can act as a› moderator.     FLAMING    (deragatory› references  to  a  person or product)› and  SPAMMING  (delivering a  message› across several newsgroups whether its› flaming or not; on-topic  or not) are› usually not tolerated.›› One  thing  that   you  will  see  in› messages is  that a reply  will quote› from  the  message  to  which  it  is› responding.  The  quotes  should   be› just a  few lines  from the  point to› which  the  responder  is responding;› not   the  entire  original  message.› Otherwise people  get tired of seeing› the same  text all  the time.  If the› software you're using allows quoting,› by  all  means  use  it.  People  can› follow  the thread  more easily  that› But, use it judiciously!›› Joining  a   newsgroup,  particularly› comp.sys.atari.8bit, can  do  more to› strengthen  a  feeling  of  community› than   anything  else   I  have  seen› (IMHO!)››            o=o=o=o=o››