Newsgroups
What are newsgroups?
Newsgroups are one of the oldest methods of online group communication, actually
predating the Web as we know it today. Newsgroups are accessed by a newreader application, similar
an e-mail application. Especially with more technical users, they are still very widely used. A key
advantage to newsreaders is that messages can be automatically stored on your laptop or PC similar
to your Inbox. This means that newsgroups may be read offline, not connected to the Web.
Many companies have their own news servers dedicated to supporting their products.
In addition to these privately-run news servers, there is also a worldwide network
of servers carrying a huge range of public newsgroups, collectively known as Usenet.
Usenet newsgroups cover just about every topic imaginable, from hobbies, sport, science
and technology to general chat.
How do I access newsgroups?
To access a newsgroup, you need a newsreader program and access to a news server.
Windows PCs come pre-installed with Outlook Express, which is a newsreader in addition
to being an e-mail program. Newer Windows Mail and many other newsreader programs are available.
When you connect to a news server, your newsreader will start off by downloading
a list of available newsgroups. You can then select which of these you are interested
in, and "subscribe" to them. The newsgroups you select will then be displayed as
a list of folders, and clicking on one of those folders will show a list of the
messages that have been posted to that newsgroup.
Newsgroup support in MPNews
MPNews fully supports the protocol that describes how newsgroups work, known as
NNTP. This means that each forum you create within MPNews can be read and posted
to from standard newsreader programs such as Outlook Express.
By providing newsreader access to your forums, you can normally keep up-to-date
with the latest messages and communicate with other people must faster and more
effectively than when using a standard web forum. Although web forums are more
familiar to many non-technical users, newsgroups offer a speed and simplicity
that appeals to many.