NetNews

Where else can you find everything from Star Trek fanatics to people sharing recipes for the best apple pie? What else contains pictures of 1940's pinups and nutritional information? Do you like to argue? Do you like to find people you agree with? Then you'll love newsgroups!

NetNews can be found under Discuss in Explore. First you'll see our own newsgroup, moderated by WebTV Networks, and then a rotating list of a few other newsgroups that we've picked out from the thousands of newsgroups that exist. On the left of the screen you'll see "All Groups" for an alphabetical listing of all other newsgroups by pathway and topic.

Newsgroups are made up of articles. These articles (also called posts) are peoples' ideas, conversations, suggestions, rants, and reasonings. You can read what others have posted and the responses to those postings. You're also sure to find spam (Internet junk mail), and people flaming one another. Flames are posts that vehemently, and often rudely, disagree with another person's post. You can join in the fun, take one side in an argument, present another one, or start a new discussion (called a thread) relevant to that newsgroup.

Newsgroups have existed for far longer than the World Wide Web, and seasoned Internet users may be quite jaded about that fact. If you venture out into a newsgroup, you will find plenty of Netitude. You'll also find some subjects you didn't know existed, as well as some you perhaps wish didn't.

Where did all this weirdness come from? From your fellow Earthlings! Remember, humans are a strange and varied species. The best way to navigate your way through NetNews is to look for topics that interest you, and stay away from anything that bothers you . When you do post your opinions, stand your ground! Don't just disagree - rather, show your knowledge about the topic at hand. You'll most likely be both challenged (or flamed), and praised. However, keep in mind that trolling, or deliberately trying to provoke other people by being abrasive, is generally inappropriate.

Not all newsgroups are volatile. There are on-line support groups such as alt.support.depression and alt.support.adoption. However, even with such feel-good names, even some "alt.support" groups are full of people insisting that their relaxation method is superior to all others!

Before you post, please be aware that your email address is posted along with whatever you write. This means that anyone with NetNews anywhere in the world can send a reply directly to your email address! You may also get spammed -- sent a lot of junk email. You may want to set up an account on your terminal specifically for posting to newsgroups.

Please keep in mind that WebTV Networks is your access to the Internet. We are not responsible for the categories of newsgroups, what topics are being discussed, nor what text or pictures individuals choose to post.

And remember, while the Internet was built on diversity of thought, this is not a license to be abusive. Sending people harassing email, unwanted explicit pictures or deliberately annoying people is not acceptable.

Check out this month's WebTV Tips for more info about newsgroups. Also, if you click on "How to," from the Discuss page, you'll get a quick explanation of how to use Discuss.

Now for the fun!

ASCII Art

How about some characters and personalities this month? Remember, look at them sideways!

Acronyms

DUMKUH	Does your Mama Know you're Here?
GIWIST	Gee, I wish I'd said that!
JIC	Just In Case!
L8R	Later!
LDR	Long Distance Relationship (often started on the Internet!)
NIFOC	Naked in Front of Computer