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`News groups
`
`Newsgroups
`
`Tremendous amounts of information about virtually any topic imaginable can be found by
`reading internet newsgroups. Here:. you can subscribe to whichever topics interest you and join
`together in discussion with other people around the world who share those same interests,
`bulletin-board style. Messages are posted and responded to in a highly informal, yet productive
`manner.
`For this seminar, we will be using Newswatcber for macintosh-based computers, and Free Au
`for windows machines--or you can just use Netscape like this: news:baryard.law.cyber. Both are
`available from here by clicking on the appropriate names or by copying them off of the law
`school library machines. Installation is very straightforward, but we will nevertheless discuss it
`during office hours.
`
`While the newsreaders are easy to manage and understan.cL the newsgroup system, better known
`as Usenet, is extremely complex. As with all complex systems, an adequate description is tough
`to come by. Here is one good attempt.
`
`What is U senet?
`
`Archive-name: what-is-usenet/part1
`Original-from: chip@tct.com (Chip Salzenberg)
`Comment: edited until 5/93 by spa~cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford)
`Last-change: 3 Nov 1994 by netannounce@deshaw.com (Mark Moraes)
`Changes-posted-to: news.misc,news.admin.misc,news.answers
`
`AN APPROXIMATE DESCRIPTION
`
`Usenet is a world-wide distributed conferencing and discussion system.
`It
`is available on a wide variety of computer systems and networks~ but
`the bulk of modern Usenet is transported over either the Internet or
`UUCP.
`
`WHY IS USENET SO HARD TO DEFINE?
`
`The first thing to understand about Usenet is that it is widely
`misunderstood. Every day on Usenet 1 the "blind men and the elephant"
`In my opinion1 more flame wars
`phenomenon is evident1 in spades.
`arise because of a lack of understanding of the nature of Usenet than
`from any other source. And consider that such flame wars arise 1 of
`necessity1 among people who are on Usenet. Imagine~ then, how poorly
`understood Usenet must be by those outsidel
`
`Any essay on the nature of Usenet cannot ignore the erroneous
`impressions held by many Usenet users. Therefore~ this article will
`treat falsehoods first. Keep reading for truth.
`(Beauty, alas 1 is
`not relevant to Usenet.)
`
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`News groups
`
`WHAT USENET IS NOT
`
`1. Usenet is not an organization.
`
`No person or group has authority over Usenet as a whole. No one
`controls who gets a news feed, which articles are propagated
`where, who can post articles, or anything else. There is no
`"Usenet Incorporated,n nor is there a "Usenet User's Group."
`You're on your own.
`
`Granted, there are various activities organized by means of Usenet
`newsgroups. The newsgroup creation process is one such
`activity. But it would be a mistake to equate Usenet with the
`organized activities it makes possible. If they were to stop
`tomorrow, Usenet would go on without them.
`
`2. Usenet is not a democracy.
`
`Since there is no person or group in charge of Usenet as a whole
`-- i.e. there is no Usenet "government" -- it follows that Usenet
`cannot be a democracy, autocracy, or any other kind of "-acy."
`(But see "The Camel's Nose?" below.)
`
`3. Usenet is not fair.
`
`After all, who shall decide what's fair? For that matter, if
`someone is behaving unfairly, who's going to stop him? Neither
`you nor I, that's certain.
`
`4. Usenet is not a right.
`
`Some people misunderstand their local right of "freedom of speech"
`to mean that they have a legal right to use others' computers to
`say what they wish in whatever way they wish, and the owners of
`said computers have no right to stop them.
`
`Those people are wrong. Freedom of speech also means freedom not
`to speak. If I choose not to use my computer to aid your speech,
`that is my right. Freedom of the press belongs to those who own
`one.
`s. Usenet is not a public utility.
`
`Some Usenet sites are publicly funded or subsidized. Most of
`them, by plain count, are not. There is no government monopoly
`on Usenet, and little or no government control.
`
`6. Usenet is not an academic network.
`
`It is no surprise that many Usenet sites are universities,
`research labs or other academic institutions. Usenet originated
`with a link between two universities, and the exchange of ideas
`and information is what such institutions are all about. But the
`passage of years has changed Usenet's character. Today, by plain
`count, most Usenet sites are commercial entities.
`
`7. Usenet is not an advertising medium.
`
`Because of Usenet's roots in academia, and because Usenet depends
`so heavily on cooperation (sometimes among competitors), custom
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`Newsgroups
`dictates that advertising be kept to a minimum. It is tolerated
`if it is infrequent, informative, and low-hype.
`
`The "comp.newprod" newsgroup is NOT an exception to this rule:
`product announcements are screened by a moderator in an attempt to
`keep the hype-to-information ratio in check.
`
`If you ~st engage in flackery for your ca-pany, use the •biz"
`hierarchy, which is explicitly "adverti sing-allowed", and which
`(like all of Usenet) is carried only by those sites that want it.
`
`8. Usenet is not the Internet.
`
`The Internet is a wide-ranging network, parts of which are
`subsidized by various governments. It carries many kinds of
`traffic, of which Usenet is only one. And the Internet is only
`one of the various networks carrying Usenet traffic .
`
`9. Usenet is not a UUCP network.
`
`UUCP is a protocol (actually a "protocol suite, " but that's a
`technical quibble) for sending data over point-to-point
`connections, typically using dialup modems. Sites use UUCP to
`carry many kinds of traffic, of which Usenet is only one. And
`UUCP is only one of the various transports carrying Usenet
`traffic.
`
`10. Usenet is not a United States network.
`
`It is true that Usenet originated in the United States, and the
`f astest growth in Usenet sites has been there . Nowadays, however,
`Usenet extends worldwide.
`The heaviest concentrations of Usenet sites outside the u.s. seem
`to be in Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan.
`
`Keep Usenet's worldwide nature in mind when you post articles.
`Even those who can read your language may have a culture wildly
`different from yours. When your words are read, they might not
`mean what you think they mean.
`
`11. Usenet is not a UNIX network.
`
`Don't assume that everyone is using "rn" on a UNIX machine. Among
`the systems used to read and post to Usenet are Vaxen running VMS,
`IBM mainframes, Amigas, Macintoshes and MS-DOS PCs.
`
`12. Usenet is not an ASCII network.
`
`The A in ASCII stands for •AIIerican". Sites in other countries
`often use character sets better suited to their language(s) of
`choice; such are typically, though not always, supersets of ASCII.
`Even in the United States, ASCII is not universally used: IBM
`mainframes use (shudder) EBCDIC.
`Ignore non-ASCII sites if you
`like, but they exist.
`
`13. Usenet is not software.
`
`There are dozens of software packages used at various sites to
`transport and read Usenet articles. So no one program or package
`can be called "the Usenet software."
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`News groups
`
`Software designed to support Usenet traffic can be (and is) used
`for other kinds of communication~ usually without risk of mixing
`the two. Such private communication networks are typically kept
`distinct from Usenet by the invention of newsgroup names different
`from the universally-recognized ones.
`
`Well, enough negativity.
`
`WHAT USENET IS
`
`Usenet is the set of people who exchange articles tagged with one or more
`
`universally-recognized labels, called "newsgroups" (or "groups" for
`short).
`There is often confusion about the precise set of newsgroups that
`constitute
`Usenet; one commonly accepted definition is that it consists of
`news groups
`listed in the pel"iodic postings "List of Active Newsgroups, Part*",
`posted
`frequently to news.lists and other newsgroups.
`
`(Note that the term "newsgroup" is correct, while "area," "base~"
`"board,"
`"bboard," "conference," "round table.," "SIG,", "echo", "room",
`"usergroup".,
`etc. are incorrect. If you want to be understood., be accurate.)
`
`DIVERSITY
`
`If the above definition of Usenet sounds vague, that's because it is.
`
`It is almost impossible to generalize over all Usenet sites in any
`non-trivial way. Usenet encompasses government agencies, large
`universities., high schools, businesses of all sizes, home computers of
`all descriptions, etc, etc.
`
`(In response to the above paragraphs, it has been written that there
`is nothing vague about a network that carries megabytes of traffic per
`day.
`I agree. But at the fringes of Usenet, traffic is not so heavy.
`In the shadowy world of news-mail gateways and mailing lists, the line
`between Usenet and not-Usenet becomes very hard to draw.)
`
`CONTROL
`
`Every administrator controls his own site. No one has any real
`control over any site but his own.
`
`The administrator gets her power from the owner of the system she
`administers. As long as her job performance pleases the owner, she
`can do whatever she pleases, up to and including cutting off Usenet
`entirely. Them's the breaks.
`
`Sites are not entirely without influence on their neighbors, however.
`There is a vague notion of "upstream" and "downstream" related to the
`direction of high-volume news flow. To the extent that "upstream"
`sites decide what traffic they will carry for their "downstream"
`neighbors, those "upstream" sites have some influence on their
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`Newsgroups
`neighbors ' participation in Usenet. But such influence is usually
`easy to circumvent; and heavy-handed manipulation typically results in
`a backlash of resentment.
`
`PERIODIC POSTINGS
`
`To help hold Usenet together, various articles (including this one)
`are periodically posted in newsgroups in the •news" hierarchy. These
`articles are provided as a public service by various volunteers.
`They are few but valuable. Learn them well.
`
`Among the periodic postings are lists of active newsgroups, both
`"standard" (for lack of a better term) and "alternative." These
`lists, maintained by David Lawrence, reflect his personal view of
`Usenet, and as such are not "official" in any sense of the word.
`However, if you're looking for a description of subjects discussed on
`Usenet, or if you're starting up a new Usenet site, David's lists are
`an eminently reasonable place to start.
`
`PROPAGATION
`
`In the old days, when UUCP over long-distance dialup lines was the
`dominant means of article transmission, a few well-connected sites had
`real influence in determining which newsgroups would be carried where.
`Those sites called themselves "the backbone."
`
`But things have changed. Nowadays, even the s•allest Internet site
`has connectivity the likes of which the backbone admin of yesteryear
`In addition, in the u.s., the advent of cheaper
`could only dream.
`long-distance calls and high-speed modems has made long-distance
`Usenet feeds thinkable for smaller companies.
`
`There is only one pre-eminent site for UUCP transport of Usenet in the
`u.s., namely UUNET. But UUNET isn't a player in the propagation wars,
`because it never refuses any traffic. UUNET charges by the minute,
`after all; and besides, to refuse based on content might jeopardize
`its legal status as an enhanced service provider.
`
`In Europe, different cost
`All of the above applies to the U.S.
`structures favored the creation of strictly controlled hierarchical
`organizations with central registries. This is all very unlike the
`traditional mode of u.s. sites (pick a name, get the software, get a
`feed, you're on). Europe's "benign monopolies," long uncontested, now
`face competition from looser organizations patterned after the u.s.
`model.
`
`NEWSGROUP CREATION
`
`The document that describes the current procedure for creating a new
`newsgroup is entitled "How To Create A New Newsgroup."
`Its common
`name, however, is "the guidelines."
`
`If you follow the guidelines, it is probable that your group will be
`created and will be widely propagated.
`
`HOWEVER: Because of the nature of Usenet, there is no way for any user
`to enforce the results of a newsgroup vote (or any other decision, for
`that matter). Therefore, for your new newsgroup to be propagated
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`widely, you must not only follow the letter of the guidelines; you
`must also follow its spirit. And you must not allow even a whiff of
`shady dealings or dirty tricks to mar the vote.
`In other words, don't
`tick off system administrators; they will get their revenge.
`
`So, you may ask: How is a new user supposed to know anything about the
`"spirit• of the guidelines? Obviously, he can't. This fact leads
`inexorably to the following reca.mendation:
`
`>> If you are a new user, don't try to create a new newsgroup. <<
`
`If you have a good newsgroup idea, then read the "news.groups"
`newsgroup for a while (six months, at least) to find out how things
`work.
`If you're too impatient to wait six months, then you really
`need to learn; read "news.groups" for a year instead. If you just
`can't wait, find a Usenet old hand to help you with the
`request for discussion.
`(All votes are run by neutral third-party
`Usenet Volunteer Votetakers).
`
`Ignore it at your
`Readers may think this advice unnecessarily strict.
`peril. It is embarrassing to speak before learning. It is foolish to
`jump into a society you don't understand with your mouth open. And it
`is futile to try to force your will on people who can tune you out
`with the press of a key.
`
`THE CAMEL'S NOSE?
`
`As was observed above in •What Usenet Is Not, " Usenet as a whole is
`not a democracy. However, there is exactly one feature of Usenet that
`has a form of democracy: newsgroup creation.
`
`A new newsgroup is unlikely to be widely propagated unless its sponsor
`follows the newsgroup creation guidelines; and the current guidelines
`require a new newsgroup to pass an open vote.
`
`There are those who consider the newsgroup creation process to be a
`remarkably powerful form of democracy, since without any coercion, its
`decisions are almost always carried out.
`In their view, the
`democratic aspect of newsgroup creation is the precursor to an
`organized and democratic Usenet Of The Future.
`
`On the other hand, some consider the democratic aspect of the
`newsgroup creation process a sham and a fraud, since there is no power
`of enforcement behind its decisions, and since t here appears little
`likelihood that any such power of enforcement will ever be given it.
`For them, the appearance of democracy is only a tool used to keep
`proponents of flawed newsgroup proposals fro. ca.plaining about their
`losses .
`
`So, i s Usenet on its way to full democracy? Or will property rights
`and mist rust of central authority win the day? Beats me.
`
`IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY •••
`
`Property rights being what they are, there is no higher authority on
`Usenet than the people who own the machines on which Usenet traffic is
`carried. If the owner of the machine you use says, "We will not carry
`alt.sex on this machine," and you are not happy with that order, you
`have no Usenet recourse. What can we outsiders do, after all?
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`News groups
`
`That doesn't mean you are without options. Depending on the nature of
`your site1 you may have some internal political recourse. Or you might
`find external pressure helpful. OrJ with a minimal investmentJ you can
`get a feed of your own from somewhere else. Computers capable of taking
`Usenet feeds are down in the $500 range now, UNIX-capable boxes are going
`
`for under $2000 and there are several freely-redistributable UNIX-like
`operating systems (NetBSDJ FreeBSD1 386BSD and Linux from ftp sites all
`around the world, complete with source code and all the software needed
`to run a Usenet site) and at least two commercial UNIX or UNIX-like
`systems in the $100 price range.
`
`No matter whatJ thoughJ appealing to "Usenet" won't help. Even if
`those who read such an appeal are sympathetic to your cause1 they will
`almost certainly have even less influence at your site than you do.
`
`By the same token, if you don't like what some user at another site is
`doing, only the administrator and owner of that site have any
`authority to do anything about it. Persuade them that the user in
`question is a problem for them, and they might do something -- if they
`feel like itJ that is.
`
`If the user in question is the administrator or owner of the site from
`which she posts, forget it; you can't win. If you can, arrange for
`your newsreading software to ignore articles from her; and chalk one
`up to experience.
`
`WORDS TO LIVE BY #1:
`USENET AS SOCIETY
`
`Those who have never tried electronic communication may not be aware
`of what a 0 SOcial skilln really is. One social skill that must be
`learned~ is that other people have points of view that are not only
`different, but *threatening*, to your own.
`In turn, your opinions may
`be threatening to others. There is nothing wrong with this. Your
`beliefs need not be hidden behind a facade, as happens with
`face-to-face conversation. Not everybody in the world is a bosom
`buddy, but you can still have a meaningful conversation with them.
`The person who cannot do this lacks in social skills.
`
`-- Nick Szabo
`
`WORDS TO LIVE BY #2:
`USENET AS ANARCHY
`
`Anarchy means having to put up with things that really piss you off.
`
`-- Unknown
`
`[Main] [Internet] J:IRC} [MUD/MOO] [Links]
`
`http://cyber.law.harvard.edutlawofcyberspace/news2.html
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