• Recommend:
• 0 Comments

Need Newsgroup Recommendations? Here Are the FAQs.

Stay on top of Usenet--we tell you which newsgroups are hot, and give you tips for getting the most out of them.

By Scott Fields, TipWorld, edited by Paul Heltzel   

Can%squott Get There From Here?
To find a newsgroup that doesn%squott show up on your network%squots list, try using one of the popular search engines, Deja News or Alta Vista (see links at right). Both sites let you search for keywords within groups, or for groups themselves.

On Sale Now
Next time you%squotre shopping for used computer equipment, what could be more logical than using your computer to locate a good buy? Just cruise one of the many misc.forsale.computers newsgroups.

Will Work for Jolt Cola
Looking for a computer-related job? Check out the comp.jobs newsgroups. In particular, be sure to stop by the comp.jobs.offered newsgroup.

Keep Tabs on Your ISP
Before you change your Internet service provider, sign up with a new ISP, or upgrade your service, you should first stop by a relevant newsgroup. For example, a MindSpring user who plans to upgrade to ISDN service should first visit mindspring.users.isdn. If your ISP doesn%squott list newsgroups for the competition, try searching for them with Deja News (see link at right).

Just the FAQs
You%squotll notice that many newsgroups list FAQ articles or threads. A FAQ is a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. It%squots always proper etiquette to read a group%squots FAQ before posting your own question--in fact, if you ask a question that is answered in the FAQ, the newsgroup members will tell you so in no uncertain terms! (Don%squott forget, your newsreader application probably has a Find function that will search a newsgroup for its FAQ articles.)

For more Internet Newsgroup tips delivered directly to your in-box, click the TipWorld link to your right.