USENET is an old network for exchanging text messages between computers. It has tens of thousands of forums or newsgroups, with an organized hierarchy and dedicated topics. USENET operates with a decentralized network of global news servers that share messages with each other to propagate messages around the world. Participants can discuss topics with people in other parts of the world. USENET was the forerunner of web forums where discussion takes place on websites between registered members. To join USENET, you need access to a news server.
USENET, short for user network, is one of the oldest networks served by the Internet. Originally designed at Duke University in 1979 and developed at Duke and North Carolina Universities a year later, its purpose was to exchange text messages between nodes (computers connected to the network). USENET grew to encompass a wide variety of forums or newsgroups numbering in the tens of thousands.
Newsgroups are similar to the bulletin board systems (BBS) of the 1980s. Posts or messages sent to the newsgroup appear in threads in sequential order. A new thread starts when a member starts a new discussion topic. All members can read all threads and participate by adding their own replies or just lurking.
The main difference between USENET and a BBS is that a BBS commonly had a single dedicated server used by people who lived in close proximity. USENET operates with a decentralized network of global news servers that share messages with each other to propagate messages around the world. Participants can then discuss topics with people in other parts of the world.
Newsgroups have an organized hierarchy and each has a dedicated topic. Each newsgroup is named after its topic with a paper available for newcomers to read. The paper spells out the purpose of the newsgroup in a paragraph or two. For more newsgroup rules and statutes there is a FAQ for frequently asked questions.
Some newsgroups are moderated while most are not. A moderator receives each message directly before posting it to the newsgroup. The moderator’s job is to delete posts that do not comply with the bylaws and FAQs. This includes posts that violate USENET etiquette by spamming, inflaming, attacking, berating, or harassing members. Unmoderated groups have no control over the posts that appear to the group and must tolerate or ignore troublemakers and spam.
A USENET newsreader makes it easy to navigate USENET, find newsgroups of interest, and join discussions. Many news readers double as email clients.
Binary newsgroups are for publishing binary files only. Binary files are non-text files, most often programs, graphics, music or multimedia content in compressed formats such as RAR files. Binaries are uploaded by members and available for download to any interested party. Binary newsgroups also have dedicated topics pertaining to the types of binaries uploaded to the group.
USENET was the forerunner of web forums where discussion takes place on websites between registered members. One advantage of USENET newsgroups is that it’s much easier to have an in-depth discussion with multiple participants, since newsreaders automatically quote text from multiple parts in the order the conversation occurred, turning the talk into one differentiated post . This makes it quick and easy to put your answers into context. Web forums, by contrast, are fine for chatting, but quickly become tiresome when quoting more than a level or two deep.
To join USENET, you need access to a news server. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer a free news server with standard Internet access. If an ISP doesn’t provide a news server, USENET newsgroups can be accessed from websites such as Google Groups. Alternatively, you can buy third-party USENET service such as Giganews, SuperNews or Easynews, just to name a few. There are also free public news servers, but many have poor propagation or only allow reading and not publishing. Others have only a small selection of newsgroups available.
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