To open your newsgroups server:
When you open your newsgroup server:
Note: A newsgroup message body is not downloaded until you open it, or unless you select the newsgroup for downloading before going offline.
Before you can display the name of your primary newsgroup server, you must first set preferences for that server. If these preferences have yet to be set, the Mail & Newsgroups Wizard, or the Newsgroups Server panel of the Mail & Newsgroup Preferences dialog box comes up automatically. Use the Mail & Newsgroups Wizard or the items on the Newsgroup Servers Preferences panel to set required preferences.
If an invalid newsgroup server name appears for your primary server in the list of servers, provide the correct server name by using the Newsgroup Servers Preferences panel (choose Preferences from the Edit menu and then select Newsgroup Servers from the Mail & Newsgroups category).
If an invalid newsgroup server name appears for a server that is not your primary server, use the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box to correct the name of the server.
If you can't access a server using a dial-up connection with auto-connect, check your network software, such as PPP and TCP/IP, and modem settings to see if they're correctly configured to access the server's site. Enable configurations for the server's site, then try opening the server.
Setting Newsgroups Server Preferences (with Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard--Windows only)
Changing Newsgroups Server Preferences
Adding a Newsgroups Server to Your List of Servers
Setting Newsgroups Server Properties
Once you select a newsgroup server, you can join or subscribe to newsgroups available on that server. When you open your newsgroup server, Netscape Messenger automatically updates groups to which you subscribe on that server.
To subscribe to a newsgroup:
Using the List All Groups panel
Using the Search for Groups panel
Using the List New Groups panel
Use the items on the Subscribe to Newsgroups Dialog Box dialog box to:
To use the List All Groups panel:
Use the items on the Search for a Newsgroup dialog box to find particular newsgroups that deal with subject matter you are interested in. You guide the search by specifying keywords that relate to the subject matter:
Use items on the List All Newsgroups dialog box to:
To remove a newsgroup (unsubscribe) from your subscription list:
To open your subscription list and update all subscribed newsgroups:
Newsgroup properties are:
Set or change newsgroup properties by using the Newsgroup Properties dialog box. To open the Newsgroup Properties dialog box:
Use the items on the General panel of the Newsgroup Properties dialog box to:
When when you uncheck the HTML messages checkbox, you cannot post HTML messages to the selected newsgroup nor any groups that contain it. For example, if you uncheck HTML messages for the newsgroup mcom.jellybeans.lime, you cannot post HTML messages to mcom.jellybeans.
Messenger converts to plain text any HTML messages you post to groups that do not accept HTML.
Use the items on the Download panel of the Newsgroup Properties dialog box to:
If you select to use default settings from preferences, Messenger uses settings in the Newsgroup Servers panel of Mail & Newsgroups Preferences.
When you download newsgroups to work offline, your local disk can fill up quickly. Use the items on the Newsgroup Properties Disk Space panel to help you keep disk usage at a manageable level.
When it's time to clean up messages (compact folders)
Click one of the following to specify when newsgroup messages should be deleted.
Click Download Now to download newsgroup messages according to your current settings.
(Windows only) You can save disk space by retaining only message subject lines. Click the More button to display the More Disk Space Options dialog box. At "Remove message bodies only older than" type the number of days to keep message bodies.
When you remove message bodies, you still retain the message headers that appear in the Message List window. However, you can only retrieve the message when you connect to your newsgroups server and if the message still resides on your newsgroups server.
You can contribute to a newsgroup in the following ways:
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To post a response to a newsgroup message and contribute to a discussion (also called a thread):
When you reply or respond to a newsgroup message:
In either case, ensure your reply is correctly addressed. Check the addresses in the address list and delete addresses and names of newsgroups that are not familiar to you. Use the Address Area to add or edit addresses, if you need to.
To include the original message in your reply, click Quote, which is on the new message window toolbar. When you include the original message, it is included as an attachment, so you can see an entry in the attachments area, but you do not see the message in the composition area.
Compose your response in the composition area. If you are composing in HTML, use the Composer application tools.
To send the message, click the Send button on the Composition window toolbar.
To open the Newsgroup Server preferences panel:
To add a newsgroup server to your selection of groups servers, use the Add Newsgroup Server dialog box. There are two ways to open the Add Newsgroup Server dialog:
Use the items on the Add Newsgroup Server dialog box to specify settings for a new newsgroup server.
If you are adding or editing a server name, enter it here.
Enter a port number where your newsgroup server listens for requests. The standard default port number is 119, but this may also vary among sites and services.
Check this if your server can send and receive messages using encryption and certificates (the default port number will change to a secure number established by your host server).
Check this if you always want to be prompted for your user name and password to add an extra level of security. When you set this option, Messenger requires your user name and password when you first open the selected server.
If you do not know the name of the server, obtain from your system administrator (or help desk) the name as well as the port number of the server.
Newsgroup server properties are:
To change properties associated with a groups server use the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box. To open the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box:
Use the items on the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog to view information for the selected server and specify settings for password prompts.
Check this if you always want to be prompted for your user name and password to add an extra level of security. When you set this option, Messenger requires your user name and password when you first open the selected server.
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Work as efficiently offline as when online. When re-connecting to the network, Messenger automatically synchronizes offline changes: file or delete IMAP or POP mail, create folders, and search mail (IMAP or POP).
When exiting, Messenger reminds you to synchronize your mail folders, directories, and newsgroups.
If you're an IMAP mail user, you can immediately download selected or flagged mail and newsgroup messages.
Note: POP mail users can download newsgroup messages only.
To download flagged messages:
To download selected messages:
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In order to read mail and newsgroup messages offline, you must first select them for downloading. Use the items in the Synchronize Offline Items dialog box to indicate the types of messages you want to download: mail messages, newsgroup messages, and directories.
Note: Messenger uses the settings you provided for downloading newsgroup messages in the Download Preferences panel. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences and then select the Offline category. Under Offline, choose Download and check the settings.
If you're an IMAP mail user, you can download messages from all three categories: mail, newsgroups, and directories. Check the ones you want. Click the Select button to display the Select Items for Download dialog box, where you can indicate the specific mail folders, newsgroups, and directories to download.
Note: If you're a POP mail user, you can select only newsgroup messages for downloading.
Check this to have Messenger automatically send messages in your Unsent folder when you go offline, or when you reconnect.
Check this to switch to offline mode as soon as the synchronization is complete. Click the Synchronize button to begin the process.
This dialog box displays your mail folders, subscribed newsgroups, and directories. To pick a folder or newsgroup for downloading, select it by clicking in the Download column to the left of the folder or newsgroup name.
Note: If you are using a POP3 mail server, you can download only newsgroup messages for offline reading.
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If you're using a modem connection, you might want to work offline, and go online only when you need to connect to the network. This can reduce online time and costs.
If you choose Online Work Mode or Offline Work Mode, you can begin or end a network connection by opening the File menu and choosing Go Offline/Go Online. You can also download mail or selected discussion groups, and send messages in your Outbox just before disconnecting or just after connecting to the network. If you choose Ask Me, these choices are presented automatically when you start Communicator.
You can download messages--that is, read them offline without maintaining a network connection.
Check the security status of your current task by using the Security Info window:
The Security Info panel displays the status of a certificate-based task that is currently in progress. Certificate-based tasks are:
Some Security Information panel messages require you to make a decision and provide input, while other panel messages report the success or failure of a task.
The status of your outgoing message can be only one of the following:
In most cases, you probably want your outgoing message to be both encrypted and signed:
You cannot encrypt nor digitally sign messages on any computer but the one to which your certificates were issued. If you are using a computer other than the one you used when you obtained your certificates, you must contact your certificate issuer and obtain a new certificate for the computer you are now using, or use export and import certificate features, which are available through the Security Info window.
Check your address list. You cannot encrypt your message to any of your recipients if even one recipient has failed to distribute a valid certificate.
Update recipients' certificates. To update certificates you've collected from others, use the Certificates panel. Under Certificates, click People.
You can also use the Signers panel to update your recipients' certificates. Your recipients may all have valid certificates, but may not have distributed them recently. signers can update all certificates of the types they distribute, and do so upon request.
Check your own certificates and update them with their signers. You cannot add your digital signature unless you have a valid certificate.
You cannot decrypt messages on any computer but the one to which your certificates were issued, unless you export your certificates. If you are using a computer other than the one you used when you obtained your certificates, you must import the certificates you've exported from the original computer.
Update your personal certificate. If you are using the original computer on which your expired certificate was issued, after contacting the certificate issuer, you can regenerate a valid private key and can then decrypt your current messages.
Warning: Once the Browser Window displays an encrypted page, your disk cache retains an unencrypted copy of the page in an unencrypted form. Anyone having access to your Netscape disk cache can view the contents of the page.
You cannot decrypt messages on any computer but the one to which your certificates were issued. If you are using a computer other than the one you used when you obtained your certificates, you must contact your certificate issuer and obtain a new certificate for the computer you are now using.
To decrypt your current messages, you must use your original computer, or use certificate export and import features of the Security Info window.
Update your personal certificate. If you are using the original computer on which your expired certificate was issued, after contacting the certificate issuer, you can regenerate a valid private key and can then decrypt the web page.
You can set a password that Netscape Communicator requires before enabling access to your collection of certificates.
To set or alter your password:
Set a password for access to your certificates. This helps to ensure that others using this computer and software installation cannot use your certificates without your knowledge.
When choosing a password follow these guidelines, which make it difficult for your password to be guessed by a password-cracking program:
The software installation on this computer already has password-protected certificates for your user name. You cannot set a new password, if you do not know your existing password.
If someone set up your account for you, you must obtain your password from that person.
If you set your own password and have forgotten it, you cannot access your certificates or decrypt your messages. Your certificate issuer cannot provide you a replacement certificate, so you must obtain new certificates. Because you cannot access your certificates without your password, any encrypted messages you saved in your Inbox and other message folder cannot be decrypted.
If you attempt to forward a decrypted message without first encrypting it, Messenger reminds you to encrypt it, unless you have explicitly turned off encryption from the composition window.
A warning about message tampering comes up only when an incoming message has been altered in some way after it was sent. Alteration of the original message content can be due to corruption due to mishandling or to interception and forgery.
Return the tampered message to its sender. Contact the sender to let them know you are having problems with encrypted or signed messages they are sending.
Contact your system administrator or help desk to report the incident and to inquire about procedures they may have in place.
A warning about messages with mixed encryption only comes up when you access a document that is encrypted, but contains unencrypted parts. If you do not feel that your system is secure, you may not want to open a document that contains unencrypted parts.
Check your address list. You cannot encrypt your message to any of your recipients if even one recipient has failed to distribute a valid certificate.
Update recipients' certificates. To update certificates you've collected from others, use the Certificates panel. Under Certificates, click People.
You can also use the Signers panel to update your recipients' certificates. Your recipients may all have valid certificates, but may not have distributed them recently. signers can update all certificates of the types they distribute, and do so upon request.
Warning: Once the Browser Window displays an encrypted page, your disk cache retains an unencrypted copy of the page in an unencrypted form. Anyone having access to your Netscape disk cache can view the contents of the page.
The following sections detail why you might want to enable warnings from Navigator:
You need to be aware that the pages you are accessing are encrypted. Because the pages are decrypted without your intervention, you may want notification to remind you that you must clean up or secure downloaded files upon completion of your session.
You may want this as a reminder when to remove decrypted files left on your local drive. Web pages are only encrypted during transmission from the web page server to your browser. Files in your cache or file you may have saved to disk are not encrypted.
You may want this as a reminder to consult the Security Info panel, which identifies files encrypted during transmission.
You may want this as a reminder to help to prevent you from submitting unencrypted forms or information that you may not realize is submitted through email.
This includes your digital signature. If you have multiple certificates of your own, you can choose which you want to send to a web server. Some web sites may only accept certificates from specific signers or certificates exceeding particular grade. If you frequently transact with multiple sites that have conflicting requirements, set Ask Every Time.
The following sections detail why you might want to enable warnings from Messenger:
You may not always need to encrypt replies. Because replies often contain contents from the original message, and because it is easy to overlook message decryption, it's advisable to set this option.
You can prevent the unfortunate event of overlooking encryption by setting this option. Even though you take the chance that your recipient may not be able to decrypt your message (in the event your recipient neglects to remember a password, import certificates when using a computer infrequently used, or keep certificates updated), the repercussions of neglecting encryption can be much more severe.
Unless attaching your digital signature is causing problems for your recipients, it is highly recommended that you set this option. When you attach your digital signature, it enables your recipients to encrypt replies to you.
Because readers and administrators of Usenet news are often concerned about posting extraneous material, such as adding your certificate when you digitally sign a posting, you may not want to set this option.
Set "Always sign discussion messages" if you post to Intranet newsgroups, such as newsgroups hosted by your site. Signing discussion messages is an effective way to distribute your certificate.
This contains your digital signature. If you own multiple certificates, you can choose which you want to send to recipients when you sign messages. Some recipients may only accept certificates from specific signers or certificates exceeding particular grade. If recipients are not particular concerning which certificate you use when signing messages, you may want to use a certificate having the longest period of validity.
Click "Select S/MIME Ciphers" to indicate types of ciphers you prefer a correspondent uses when encrypting and sending a message to you. Your enabled ciphers are included in signed, outgoing messages. However, this does not prevent a correspondent from encrypting a message to you with a type of cipher you have disabled.
Use the Java Applets panel to view, remove, and edit access privileges for Java applets signed with a certificate issued by the signer listed in the list box.
To use the Java Applets panel:
Use the Java Security dialog box to grant or deny the access it describes:
If you don't choose to have Communicator remember this decision, the next time Java software signed by this entity requests access, Communicator displays this dialog box again.
If you select to remember your decision each time you start Communicator, Communicator always allows Java software signed by this entity to have this kind of access.
The Java Security dialog box provides information to help you make your decision:
Netscape provides risk level categories High, Medium, and Low as guidelines only. You may have a different opinion about the degree of risk access entails. Be sure to click Details and exactly what types of access are involved and make your own decision.
Use the Java Security Target Details Dialog Box to get detailed information about the kind of access a Java applet or JavaScript script is requesting:
The risk level categories High, Medium, and Low are provided by Netscape as guidelines only. You may have a different opinion about the level of risk this kind of access entails. Be sure to read the description of the access requested and make your own decision.
Netscape's current classification system is based on these categories:
You can obtain your own certificate by contacting a signing authority. You obtain certificates from others by opening a message from them, by accessing their web pages, and by allowing their Java applets access to your computer. To obtain a certificate for yourself, click Get Certificate. When you click Get Certificate Netscape Navigator connects to a signing authority. Through the signing authority, you obtain a certificate and generate keys.
To use your certificate on a computer other than the one you used to obtain the certificate, you must export the certificate. To export a certificate, select it in the certificates list, then click Export.
The People certificates panel lists certificates you've collected from email messages. All the certificates listed in the certificate list were sent to you in email messages. Use this list to verify, view, or delete certificates in the list.
Verifing a certificate is when you ensure it was issued by signing authority the certificate claims. Select the certificate you want to verify, then click Verify.
When you connect to a web site offering an encrypted web page, you collect a certificate from the site. This is a list of all the site certificates you've collected.
When you accept the use of a signed Java applet, you collect a certificate from the applet requesting access. This is a list of all the certificates you've collected.
This is a list of all the organizations who have issued certificates you've either collected or own. Click on the name of the organization in order to select it. You can then verify all certificates by the selected issuer or obtain more information about the selected issuer.
Cryptographic Modules are loadable pieces of software that provide a function of cryptographic services, such as: