www.BlackViper.com: How to Use Newsgroups Guide Page 1


Introduction to Newsgroup Access

"Usenet" or Newsgroup access has been around since the beginning of the internet. Usenet was created to facilitate a central point of contact for discussion on a wide range of topics.

Many web sites employ several different techniques for feedback and discussion about content. Tons of "news" sites use forums for posting the latest and greatest content and allow their viewers to provide feedback. From using complicated forums to the basic PHP scripting that is required, anything can and will happen. Forums can come in many different flavors, including "basic" read and post to fancy boards with per user stats and custom "avatars" or icons. Most, if not all mail clients also can read and post usenet articles with little hassle.

As of this writing, I use Outlook Express 6, but most "newer" E-Mail clients have the same or similar type of features. In reality, the E-Mail or News client you chose could be much better than OE in many respects. I would love to use a more "feature rich" E-Mail client, but, sometimes I am rather hard set in my ways.

You also need to note two very important things:

  • I DO NOT EVER display the "Preview Pane." This is a HUGE security issue.
    • In OE 6, select View --> Layout --> Layout Tab --> uncheck "Show preview pane."
  • I DO NOT view "HTML stationary" (or any other inlined images) as the sender intended. I view ALL E-Mail and Newsgroups as "plain text." This also reduces the chance of executing "malicious" HTML spam and makes for easier reading of high volumes of E-Mail and Newsgroups from many different people.
    • In OE 6, select Tools --> Options --> Read Tab --> check "Read all messages in plain text."
Tools --> Accounts
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1) Shall we begin? (Image 1.1)

In Outlook Express 6.0, choose Tools --> Accounts...

or you may select Set up a Newsgroups account... from the message pane.

 
Internet Accounts
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2) Internet Accounts. (Image 1.2)

By default, all currently active accounts are displayed. Select the Add > button and then News...
Internet Connection Wizard: Your Name.
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3) Internet Connection Wizard: Your Name. (Image 1.3)

Here, you have the opportunity to adjust what your "display name" will be. This will appear in the From field for all of your messages.

After choosing your name, select Next.
Internet Connection Wizard: Your E-Mail Address
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4) Internet Connection Wizard: Your E-Mail Address. (Image 1.4)

A dialog box requesting your E-Mail address is now displayed.

To access newsgroups, use a "valid" E-Mail address in your newsgroup posting. This is not to attract SPAM of any kind, it is to allow the readers of your content to contact you directly without the "public" reading the discussion. If you are worried about posting your E-Mail as "myemail@mydomain.com," instead, post it "human readable" like:

  • myemail AT mydomain.com
  • myemail@mydomainDOTcom
  • myemail AT mydomain DOT com
  • myemail@REMOVEmydomain.com
  • myemail@NOSPAMmydomain.com

After entering your E-Mail address, select Next.
Internet Connection Wizard: Your News Server
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5) Internet Connection Wizard: Your News Server. (Image 1.5)

In the "News (NNTP) server" box, place news.myisp.com in the field, where "myisp.com" is the News server that your ISP has offered you. Depending on your ISP's settings, you may need to leave the My news server requires me to log on check box empty. Contact your ISP for details.

Other public newsgroup servers will have different settings.

After entering your News server, select Next.
Internet Connection Wizard: Finish
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6) Internet Connection Wizard: Finish. (Image 1.6)

Select Finish to conclude the Internet Connection Wizard.
Download Group Listing
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7) Download Group Listing. (Image 1.7)

A dialog box asking if you wish to download all available newsgroups from the newly added account will be displayed. Notice on the left hand side a new section is included in the left pane named "news.myisp.com."

Choose Yes to see all of the newsgroups that are currently available for access on the server.
Newsgroup Subscriptions
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8) Newsgroup Subscriptions. (Image 1.8)

All available newsgroups will be displayed.

Select one by highlighting it and then choose the Subscribe button. This will allow you to download all messages from the selected newsgroup to your computer for viewing and reply to posted messages.

You can add and subtract Newsgroups at any time.

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