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The basics of Usenet

When to use Usenet

If e-mail is "one-to-one communication", Usenet is "one-to-many communication". You don't speak to a specific person, you speak to a group of people interested into a specific topic. A topic that is (hopefully) somehow related to the topic of group.

A few examples when not to use Usenet:

• Don't use Usenet if you intend to talk about very private matters, unlike you don't mind if they become public. Once you posted something to Usenet, everyone around the world can read it and thus it's not private anymore. Even though it may only stay on Usenet for one or two weeks, some services archive messages for years (maybe for eternity).

• Don't use Usenet if you fear of "losing" your copyright of your story, your picture, your son or your program. Sure, you can't really ever lose your copyright, but once you posted something to Usenet, it will propagate uncontrollable and that's the death of every copyright.

• Don't use Usenet for illegal actions. You aren't really anonymous on Usenet, even though you may hide your name. Your post can be tracked back to your ISP and a court can force your ISP can forced to reveal your identity.

• Don't post to Usenet any contact information if you are afraid of spam. Spammers scan for contact informtion on Usenet and once they found your e-mail address, you will receive spam, that's for sure.

• Never post something to Usenet with the intention to have a certain person read it. Usenet is not reliable and there is no guarantee that this person will ever read your article.

• Never abuse the Usenet for advertisement. It's a medium for discussions and opinions and not for advertising. Most advertisement is seen as spam and spam is fought in any possible way (sometimes even using illegal ways).

Examples when to use Usenet:

• To communicate with a group of people all over the world, who share the same interest as you.

• To spread news about a specific topic a lot faster than any other way.

• To ask questions about topics where you can't find answers yourself.

• To show your own artwork (picture, story, movie, song) to people and giving them the possibility to comment it.

• To find new online friends or supporters for a project.

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