Usenet and Newsgroups

Newsgroups are part of Usenet, often referred to as "the underground Internet" or "the hidden Internet."

What is Usenet?

Usenet is an international system consisting of tens of thousands of "bulletin boards" that users can access through the Internet. It consists of forums, properly known as newsgroups, that deal with every conceivable area of human interest.

"Articles" or "messages" are posted on the forums by anyone who has an Internet-connected computer using software known as a "news reader" or "news client. "Other users can in turn post responses or comments to the newsgroup, or can send emails to other members if they have provided valid email addresses.

Accessing Usenet

Almost all ISP's provide access to at least some newsgroups, but it is solely up to the ISP to decide which newsgroups they will carry -- if any at all. (Subscribers to Online Services, rather than true ISP's, may or may not be able to access newsgroups through their accounts.)

Users get access to individual newsgroups by "subscribing" to them using a news reader. Almost everyone has a news reader on their computer because Outlook Express, which comes with Windows, includes a news reader. Other more advanced news readers -- many of them free -- are also widely available by download.

Usenet can be a valuable resource for anyone seeking information about virtually anything. Unlike the Web, Usenet allows anyone to post anything at all about any subject whatsoever. Because of this, even highly specific or technical questions can be asked and answered.

The Dark Side of Usenet

The freedom of Usenet is not without its disadvantages. Usenet is the least-regulated part of the Internet. The absolute freedom to post any question you want also means that anyone else can post any answer they want -- regardless of whether they have any idea what they're talking about. The majority of newsgroups are not moderated, meaning that no one checks the posts before allowing them to be published.

In addition, many of the forums on Usenet deal with controversial issues or subjects that average people may consider to be downright disgusting, and ISP's generally don't have the time or desire to examine every forum to sort the good from the bad.

Learning More

If you want to learn more about Usenet, click here for an excellent (and lengthy) explanation.