So what is the difference between traditional usenet groups and a discussion forum like this? Here is a short answer:
- Usenet groups are hosted on dedicated servers using NNTP protocol.
- The users need to have a client like Mozilla Thunderbird or Opera mail client to subscribe to usenet groups. Typically, you don't use a browser to participate.
- It is most often a paid service and the newsgroup servers are very busy servers.
- You don't have to see anything but the posts, and you get to keep a local copy by default, it is very light!
- These features make newsgropus(NNTP) an ideal choice for slow dial up connection and highly specific discussions.
The much acclaimed books C FAQs and the C++ FAQs evolved from a compilation of the discussions on usenet groups. And the book C traps and pitfalls also evolved in a similar way!
It is a no-time-waste, absolute-speed, precise use of internet. A small example would suffice to bring out its merit:
I subscribe to some newsgroup at msnews.microsoft.com. Whenever I dial up and start Opera it automatically checks for new posts on the server and downloads only the headers in plain text. At 2 kbps it takes about 30 sec. There are about 200 new posts in all from the six groups I subscribe to, particularly Access and Vista group. Now that the headers are on my computer I can go through them offline, do offline search! When I decide to follow a post it comes instantly because the body is again plain text or simple html- just 2-4 KB in size! It seems to work in real time even in dial up connection. And once I read a topic it is saved for ever on my local computer for future reference! Which is the best part. I get the best user interface from Opera (You may use any other news reader) , I get to interact with the best professionals in the industry, discuss in real time on latest issues, best of all- I get to keep an offline copy of everything! No reloading ever!
There is a lot we can discuss about NNTP and newsgroup. Particularly if you are new to it. Take your time, do some search and give it a try. I am sure you will get hooked to it- definitely so if you are a programmer or use a dial up. If you get through all hurdles and go ahead with subscribing a newsgroup on a server I would recommend you to join any .moderated group initially.
Because of the tremendous bebefit they are to people most newsgroups are paid. In fact there are no free newsgroups in my country India. You may try one of these free newsgroup servers to begin with:
- freetext.usenetserver.com
- news.motzarella.org
- news.cnntp.org
