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anyone know about newsgroups?

beantolebeantole Member Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2004 in General Discussion
In 1994 when I first got online I somehow stumbled across some posting boards that I thought were called "newsgroups." They were boards covering every suject imaginable and the responses to each subject numbered in the hundreds or even thousands. Too large for me, so I left and never went back. It seems to me it was linked up to my email area somehow. Anyone know if these very very large discussion boards (they are not live chat) still exist and how one can find them? Thanks

Bruce
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Comments

  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,742 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    yes, they do... in most cases you can use outlook express and set up to connect to the (news) nntp server. Most of the time your ISP will give you a login/pass required for it (sometimes it is your normal info) but you'll have to connect to their news server (typically port 119).

    If you want to elaborate on what your ISP is I'll try to find the info on how to connect.
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yup. They are part of the old text forum system, sort of an offshoot of the old BBS days when forums were called bulletin boards and computers didn't have browsers, they had text readers. Long strings of topics, and long strings of messages inside. They are intimidating because of the number of boards in existence. When you first use any News client to look at them, like Outlook Express for example, you first ask it to download all the subjects. That takes a while, or used to on slow modems. Once you have the "table of contents" for newsgroups, things get easier. You look for topics of interest (the list is alphabetical) and then click links to read messages posted on the bulletin boards. Pictures can be loaded, as well as links which force you into web sites, so you have to use a little caution. Some of the threads have been hijacked by advertisers who have very bad manners. I imagine viruses could be transmitted too, if you don't have virus protection. But if you stay with the more serious topics you should be okay. Everybody uses them, from regular joes to scientists, engineers, librarians...

    T. Jefferson: "[When doing Constitutional interpretation], let us [go] back to the time when [it] was adopted. [Rather than] invent a meaning [let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

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  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,742 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not to mention that you can find just about any type file you want on newsgroups from full programs to porn pics.

    There's also newsgroup programs that pull all the binaries from them (files). I used to use NewsBinPro.
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
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  • beantolebeantole Member Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, thanks for the replies and information. You know, they sound very interesting but i have to look at how much time I have...........
    I barely have time to post here. I think all of what I have read here about Newsgroups makes them a good source of information for someone with more time than I have but i am disappointed that I apparently cannot access them on a regular browser without some work or modification. Thanks for thr information, I'm going to copy and save this thread and ponder it.

    Bruce
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