Kill files are used in Usenet reader programs to filter out certain article topics or writers. They allow users to quickly eliminate unwanted content and can be used intentionally to snub a writer. Newer newsreader programs offer more complex kill files, called score files, which allow for smoother system-based filtering. Similar systems are also used on modern internet forums.
A kill file is used in Usenet reader programs to flag certain article topics or writers so that future articles in that category will no longer be displayed to the reader. Such kill files, sometimes called killfiles, tweet lists, or bozo bins, are typically used by newsreading programs that allow a person to read articles posted to Usenet newsgroups. Kill files allow users to more quickly filter out certain article or author topics that the user no longer wants to read. The kill file causes future articles in a selected category or by a selected writer to no longer be displayed to the user.
Newsreaders are programs created to help users navigate and access articles posted on Usenet newsgroups. These programs make the process of finding and reading these articles easier, and to that end, they often include the ability to add files to a kill. In this way, the user is able to filter out a topic that does not interest him or eliminate the possibility of having to read an article by a particular writer. This action can be used simply to streamline the article search process, or as an intentional snub against a writer the user is not interested in.
The process of adding a person to a kill file is often called a “plonk” or used in the verb form “to plonk” someone. This is meant to resemble the sound of dropping the person into a kill file, as if a user were literally dropping something into an empty trash can. While this may simply be a personal preference, it is sometimes used tauntingly to insult the person added to the kill file.
New news reader programs allow for more complicated types of kill files that allow a user to add more complex or specific categories to the file. This type of system allows a user to establish multiple rules for which articles are filtered and which are presented for the user to read. These more sophisticated forms of kill files are often called score files and allow items to be rated or rated to allow for smoother system-based filtering.
Many modern Internet forums also use systems similar to a kill file to allow users to block messages posted by specific other users. These are often called ignorance lists, and adding someone to that list can be used in a similar way to “plonking” Usenet groups. Some older Internet users may also refer to other similar processes on forums or message boards as kill files simply out of habit.
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