NEWSGROUP BASICS - Netiquette
General Politeness
- Start by reading the articles in news.announce.newusers
- Before posting
- Sample the headers and read a dozen or more articles to determine
the character of the newsgroup
- Look for a FAQ or a posting on the purpose of the newsgroup
- Practice posting by using one of the test newsgroups such as alt.test
- Do not use ALL CAPS, as this is considered rude
- Post commercial announcement and lengthy commentaries only in appropriate groups
- When posting a request for information, include "REQ:" in heading
- When replying to a post, include only one or two lines from the original
posting, not the whole article
- Post binary attachments only in the newsgroups designated for binaries.
- Do NOT post copyrighted material without the written consent of its owner.
This includes text, images, sound, and software. It also includes
private email you may have received.
- If you want to reply to a specific poster, send them an email instead of
posting to the newsgroup.
- Try to find the answers to your questions by using a search engine
on the Web, before you post your question in a newsgroup.
- Avoid cross-posting. Post only to the newsgroups where your comments
are relevant. Broadcasting to many groups is called SPAM and can
have unpleasant consequences.
- Review what you have written before you post it. Newsgroups are very
public, so consider the effect your words may have.
Do not include your home address or home phone number in your message.
Advertising in newsgroups
- Post only in the biz.* groups or in a group where your advertising is relevant
- Keep it short, preferably under 10 lines
Direct the reader to a source of more detailed information such as your web page or
an email contact
- Create a clear, concise heading
- If you want to post an image, post it as a binary in alt.binaries.pictures or in
alt.binaries.pictures.misc and then post a short message in the group you are interested
in, stating the newsgroup and heading of your binary post
- Always include contact information in the body of your posting
not in the header.
Give a web page, ftp site, postal address, business phone number, or email address.
- Follow the group for a week or two to determine the usual roll-off time Then repost when your article is due to roll-off, but not more often
Read the FAQs in news.announce.newusers, especially:
- What is Usenet
- What is Usenet: a Second Opinion
- A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
- Rules for posting to Usenet
- How to find the right place to post
- Introduction to news.announce
- Introduction to the *.answers newsgroups
- Copyright Myths FAQ: 10 big myths about copyright
- Guidelines on Usenet Newsgroup Names
- Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It
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© Copyright 1996, 1999 Ruth Shanen