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 Welcome
The Internet is the best place to catch up on the latest bulletins, health warnings, celebrity gossip, sporting results, TV listings, film reviews and other information known in the popular media as "news." This information can even be delivered by e-mail or "pushed" (sent) to your desktop, almost like a virtual newspaper. But this not what's called "news" on the Internet. News in 'Net-speak refers to the collection of articles carried in "Usenet." These articles, or postings, are messages sent as contributions to public discussions. They're similar to e-mail messages but are transmitted in a separate system. Articles are grouped by topic into "newsgroups." Each newsgroup has a single theme and there's hardly a subject imaginable that's left uncovered. Whether you're interested in baseball, be-bop, Bible studies or brewing beer, there'll be a newsgroup deliberating over the issues closest to your heart. With a growing total of more than 15,000 newsgroups accessible to more than 50 million people, you can speak directly to -- and pose questions for -- the world's experts in every field. You want to know who played drums in the original Genesis lineup, what do to about a strange weed taking over your garden or how to take off 25 pounds before that class reunion? Just find the right newsgroup to post your bulletin and wait for the results. It's the 'Net as virtual community in action: fun, heartwarming and unpredictable -- and, after e-mail, perhaps the Internet's most valuable resource. In this section, you'll get a quick overview in Beginner's Guide to Usenet Newsgroups and Getting Started, we'll discuss how to talk in a newsgroup in Communicating with Newsgroups, tell you all about newsgroups which are exclusive to your service in Southwestern Bell's Usenet Newsgroups, help you solve the riddles of newsgroup naming in Beginner's Guide to Newsgroups Names, quickly tell you, with a lot of "techy talk," How Usenet Works, keep you up-to-date in What's New? and encourage you to continue your usenet resource in Helpful Links. Using "Usenet and Newsgroups" as your guide, you'll get more enjoyment out of your service, as you discuss and learn about issues with your fellow cyberspace travelers. So, come on in -- there's a "usenet community" (or two) waiting just for you! |
