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1.0 About this FAQ·1.1 Who runs this FAQ?
·1.2 Why is there a FAQ on usenet?
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I somitho  run this FAQ, and may be reached through the message feature here.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 14:06:55 |
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This FAQ is here to, inform users of what usenet is; usenet offerings; and how you can use usenet.
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by somitho |
2.0 What is usenet?·2.1 Creation
·2.2 How does usenet work?
·2.3 Who owns usenet?
·2.3a Cabal
·2.3b Usenet moderation
·2.4 What is a newsgroup?
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Usenet was created in 1979 by two Duke University graduate students; Tom Truscott, and Jim Ellis; as a way for schools and users to have a mail / news posting system without the expense of ARPANET.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 14:14:07 |
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In the most simple way to explain it, users use a "reader" to connect to a usenet server. They can then select a "newsgroup" which comes up similar to an email and read the article. Attachments come in binary form, and can be anything from a simple photo to a full movie.
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by somitho |
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No one person or group of people actually own usenet. To explore the rumors of the so-called cabal, please google search "usenet cabal"; and see 2.3a "Usenet Cabal".
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by somitho |
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The "Cabal" as it is called was a group of administrators who put order and control during the chaos on usenet during most of the 1980's and early 1990's. This Cabal no longer exists and should not be speculated on. Should you wish to find information regarding the Usenet Cabal of the 1980's or the current rumors of a cabal conspiracy please use Google or refer to this Wikipedia article.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 14:37:19 |
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While no one owns usenet, a very small amount of newsgroups are moderated. These newsgroups have charters which everyone, including the moderators, must follow. After a post is made to the newsgroup, it gets emailed to the moderators who will review it and determine if it follows charter guidelines. If it doesn't violate the guidelines, it will then be posted to the newsgroup.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 14:44:36 |
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A newsgroup is a discussion group within one of the hierarchies on usenet (alt, sci, free, comp, etc..). When looking at a newsgroup on most newsreaders, the posts generally look like an email inbox and posts when opened look very similar to emails.
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by somitho |
3.0 News Readers·3.1 Windows news readers
·3.2 Mac news readers
·3.3 *nix news readers
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In no particular order of preference these are a few of the news readers available for the windows operating system.
- Forte Agent
- NewsBin
- NewsLeecher
- Turnpike
- GrabIT
- MesNews
- Outlook/Outlook Express
- NewsMan Pro
- Xnews
- Opera M2
- XanaNews
- XPN
If you have a news reader you would like included here, please send me an IM.
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by somitho |
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As above with the Windows news readers, here are a few assorted Mac news readers. Should you wish to have a newsreader not included in this list added, please send me an IM.
- Unison
- Opera M2
- OSXNews
- Xnntp
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 14:53:36 |
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As with the Mac, and Windows news readers here are a few of the unix/linux. If you find a news reader that I have not included here, and would like it included please drop me an IM.
- TIN
- Mozilla Thunderbird
- Turnpike (Runs under wine)
- KLibido
- KNode
- Knews
- PAN
- Arachne
- Sylpheed
- XPN
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by somitho |
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The providers listed here are only a small handfull of the usenet providers you could use. All of them provide paid services, and generally have binary retention of 30 days or more.
- Easynews
- Giganews
- Newshosting
- SuperNews
- UsenetServer
I also recommend checking out this page on slyck for further information regarding other providers and pricing.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 15:49:12 |
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Your ISP may provide you a news feed, you can check the forums here for information regarding usenet servers your ISP uses.
I am seeking information to put together a list of servers for use here. If you could drop me an IM with details on your ISP's usenet server/alias and how to access it I would be happy to include it.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 15:09:56 |
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Google Groups is a service provided by Google (Formerly known as Deja News) for users to access newsgroups. It only provides text access and does NOT provide binary access; at this time. Users may post from any e-mail address, or the Google Account/Gmail. See Google Groups for further information.
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by somitho |
7.0 Other guides and resources·7.1 Other resources.
·7.2 SSL access to your newsgroup provider.
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Slyck Slyck is a website which is widely respected among the usenet community as providing accurate and detailed information.
UsenetJunkieUsenet Junkie is similarly recognized by the community, such as Slyck.
Usenet PortalSimilar to the above two, for resources.
If you would like another guide/resource published feel free to drop me an IM.
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by somitho
last modified: 2006-12-10 15:35:48 |
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There is a work around allowing SSL encryption download from the newsgroups if you use Grabit as your client which does not have SSL yet. I have tested it and it works.
Below are instructions for installing and configuring Stunnel for Windows. OSX and Linux users should visit »www.stunnel.org/faq for instructions on how to compile and configure Stunnel.
Stunnel setup (Windows)
Download the latest Windows Binaries from »www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html and install the program.
After installing, go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Install Service". You should receive confirmation that the service is installed.
Next, go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Edit stunnel.conf" Stunnel.conf is a plaintext file with all of Stunnel's options. Make these changes:
Find the line ";client = yes" and remove the semicolon ; . A semicolon at the start of a line causes it to be ignored, which you want to override. Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:
[nntp]
accept = 119
connect = secure.usenetserver.com:563
The service name in [brackets] can be anything. The "accept =" field is the port your Usenet client connects to, generally 119. The "connect =" field is the IP/domain and port of the secure server you are forwarding traffic to.
Save these changes and close stunnel.conf.
Go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Service Start" or "Run Stunnel". The program's icon should appear in the taskbar.
News Client Setup
These steps are not particular to any news client and should be simple changes in most clients.
Change the server address in the client settings to "127.0.0.1" or "localhost".
Make sure the client is set to connect to the same port used in the "accept =" field in stunnel.conf. This will almost always be port 119.
Save these changes. Test settings by updating headers or downloading an article. When you hover your mouse over the Stunnel icon, it should display "x session(s) active" where x is the number of connections you have configured in your client.
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by Plasticman edited by somitho
last modified: 2008-02-22 04:40:51 |
