Usenet //, urspr. Unix user network, is a world-wide electronic network, which of newsgroup consists and in everyone, which (for example over Internet) has entrance to a new server, to participate can. The participant needs for it a newsreader (also Newsclient called).

Function mode

The function mode of the Usenet is often compared with black boards, as there are it for example also in the supermarket. This similarity shows however only one partial aspect of the Usenet, since communication runs over black boards usually only into a direction (simplex, and/or unidirectionally). Or more simply expressed: since only the inquiry, thus the notice, over which black board taken place and which is mostly not stuck answer likewise again on the black board, how this (in a general manner) is usual in the Usenet.

A more suitable comparison, and therefore agitates also the Usenet language, is the Zeitungswesen:

• Someone writes an article (news, article) for the newspaper (newsgroup).
• A reader refers to this article and writes a reader letter (follow UP), which it sends to the newspaper.
• By the publication this reader letter becomes for his part an article, to which now further readers can refer, thus develops thus communication in both directions (duplex and/or bi-directional).

Usenet differs however in the fact that it does not have editorship, which meets a preselection of the articles or reader letters which can be published. Exception are relative those few moderated newsgroup, whose moderators are bound to majority resolutions however generally democratically selected and.

Advantages Usenet are the speed and the high number of participants. Within fewer hours topics enormous discussion trees (so-called Threads) can develop to controversies. By its often redundant distribution on zigtausende new servers in many different states that is also rather insensitive Usenet to censorship.

Comparison with similar means of communication

Comparison with mailing lists

Newsgroup has a similar function as a mailing list. Usually both newsgroup and a mailing list are dedicated to a certain topic. It is not necessary that readers of a message are exactly on-line if them are sent away. Many participants write its message off-line and convey them later to the server. Because the use of mailing lists and newsgroup is very similar, there are gateways, which copy messages in a certain mailing list into certain newsgroup in individual cases even (and/or in reverse).

Although the use of mailing list and newsgroup is relatively similar, the two systems differ in technical regard. A mailing list depends on a certain server, which administers the users and receives Mails and further-skillfully to all subscribers. Usenet against it is organized decentralized, many groups is dozens or hundreds of servers available, which makes the system insensitively to the loss of individual servers. In addition there is usually no central user administration, it in the Usenet can thus nobody control, who has entrance to certain newsgroup.

Comparison with Web forums

Web forums offer a very similar communication way as Usenet. However the programs (software), necessary for the access, differ: At a Web forum its author or administrator gives the appearance and the functions to the message for message representation and - treatment central forwards, the representation takes place in the Browser. However the newsreader determines the representation and arrangement of the individual Usenet message (Postings).

Thus there are different possibilities messages to represent and select depending upon assigned newsreader, e.g. Message after topics sorts hierarchically to arrange, so that one the discussion process, which message to which preceding message refers, by indention to recognize directly can (Thread opinion) or certain participants or discussions fade out.

Further differences to Web forums are that one usually only one new server contacted, in order to fetch and/or publish around own messages all messages from all subscribed newsgroup, since all new servers exchange the message among themselves and that all messages are usually purely text-based, thus no diagrams or honors are desired, although appendices or HTML messages are technically quite possible.

Also those relatively long existence Usenet constitutes an important difference: Its own Usenet culture has itself developed with long tradition in the course of the time, which brought own Umgangsformen and its own language out. The development of its own culture in Web forums is to be also seen, but orients itself these first of all at young power pack takers, who possess their own language and likewise own Umgangsformen maintain. An exchange under these cultures finds only very limited instead of. These different cultures seem to be causal for some conflict between Usenet and Web forum lovers.

While censorship is usually accomplished at Web forums by central authorities, the technical possibility for the decentralized censorship is given in the Usenet by foreign cancel. The responsibility, which censorship-authorized Web forum users have, is not required by Usenet participants however, since that has Usenet rather the right status of a global communication platform as a locatable Web operational readiness level.

Umgangsformen

The special kind of communication between several humans over text messages leads to specific problems. The netiquette is a collection from recommendations to handling with one another, which developed over the years and of many participants as meaningful are judged.

Contrary to the Chat one can expect a few seconds in the Usenet not after answer, because the message must be passed on first from server to server. In addition many participants read the contributions off-lines, i.e., they download themselves the new contributions in the groups of in or several times subscribed by them on the day on the local non removable disk, write their answers then to off-lines and send these back collected to their server. This is among other things also a reason, why most participants react allergisch to excessive repeating of the same contents. Also dispatching an article to several groups (Crossposting) should be economically used. Multipostings (the same article dispatched under different Message IDs several times) are unwanted and so excessive repeated advertisement that this becomes Spam.

Which may be gepostet, is fixed in most newsgroup in the respective Charter. Urgently to recommend likewise reading is the FAQ newsgroup, in which questions frequently placed are answered. Who asks a frequently asked question again, must often count on clay/tone in the answers. It is advisable additionally to read only once a number of existing articles before one writes somewhat. One gets such a feeling for the climate of the group.

Since many Usenet discussions resemble each other, different law of nature-similar regularities were formulated as Usenet Laws.

Hierarchies

In order to arrange Usenet clear, it is divided into individual newsgroup (see also: FORKS). Those are groups, in which only a certain topic one discusses. For example over non removable disks, motion picture films or politics. Newsgroup are tree-like arranged according to topics, which reflects itself also in its names. Groups with common name prefix belong to the same hierarchy.

Thus for example the German-language hierarchy de exists. Leisure topics are settled in this hierarchy under de.rec (rec as short form of recreation, English for spare time). All groups, which have plays as topic, are again arranged under de.rec.spiele. De.rec.spiele.brett+karten so existed then among other things the newsgroup, which is occupied only with board and packs of cards.

Many groups have as last name part misc (for English miscellaneous, different). These are meant as groups of collecting for topics, which do not have an own group within a Subhierarchie. Thus into de.rec.spiele.misc all plays are treated, which are not in one of the other groups of plays of the Subhierarchie de.rec.spiele topic.

Hierarchies have usually a community, which applies to all contained groups (exceptions are for example old or free). With de is the German language which can be used. In addition hierarchies exist

• for certain countries, regions or cities (for example CH for Switzerland, North-Rhine/Westphalia for North Rhine-Westphalia or muc for Munich),
• to a group of topics such as science (sci),
• for a company, organization or a project (Microsoft, gnu, eclipse) or
• to certain universities and research establishments.

Some hierarchies are world-wide discoverable on many servers, others are reduced to a certain new server. One speaks also of public and private hierarchies, whereby also with private hierarchies often everyone can participate, only the further spread of the articles further on other servers is reduced or completely unwanted. Reason for the restriction are among other things the avoidance of Spam or the desire in archives such as Google Groups to be taken up.

For beginner (Newbies) the groups of the Subhierarchie are recommendable de.newusers, in which regularly current FAQs is gepostet and experienced users questions to answer.

Articles in category "Usenet"

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Related Websites

We found here 5 related websites.

• Google Groups
  Google's Usenet discussion archive. Entries date back to the early days of Usenet.


• Premium Usenet and Newsgroup Access: Unrestricted Access ...
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• Usenet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Usenet is one of the oldest computer network communications systems still in widespread ... Unmoderated newsgroups form the majority of USENET newsgroups, ...


• Usenet References
  Collection of FAQs and other introductory documents about Usenet. Somewhat dated but still very useful.


• What is Usenet
  But the passage of years has changed Usenet's character. ... Usenet is not an advertising medium. Because of Usenet's roots in academia, and because Usenet ...