Usenet is a distributed bulletin board system that is not limited in scope to the network of networks we call the Internet. Many on- line services, BBSs and other computing sites have newsfeeds without the benefits of FTP, Telnet, or other functions associated with the Internet.

With over 15,000 newsgroups, Usenet may be the largest body of collective reasoning in the world. Almost every reasonable question gets an answer, unless those questions are asked frequently, at which point they'd be contained in this document.

This document exists as both a reference point and a bandwidth- saver, in that it saves the old timers from hearing questions they have answered a thousand times before...

For an excellent (and decidedly non-technical) primer on newsgroups, and the 'Net itself, check out "The Internet for Dummies" by John R. Levine and Carol Baroudi (Available from IDG Books). It's a lot of fun, pretty informative, and I don't get a nickel for saying so.

And nowadays, you can't swing a dead cat in a bookstore without hitting some sort of Internet book, so do everyone a favor, and flip through one before hitting that send key.

According to the Netnews Moderator Handbook:

Usenet is an anarchic society of people talking about things that interest them. In most societies, the best communication is achieved by speaking and acting in a civil and polite manner. This is not always the case in Usenet.

However, things run more smoothly when people are civil and "play by the rules." There is a counterproductive argument which reasons "This is cyberspace... there are no rules, so fuck you for trying to foist these upon me." This argument is highly counterproductive and does nothing except piss people off.

I am of the belief that netiquette exists because people before us have discovered what works well, and after all, if it ain't broke... But people will always do what they want when they have no fear... we only hope they do what's "right."

Sure, it sounds "square," but playing nice gets so much more done.

It's simple. Just start reading. Read for a couple weeks. This is called "lurking." Feel the place out. Find out what people talk about, see who's who. Every Usenet group has experts... take the time to figure out who these people are. Find a FAQ for the group and read it. Maybe the question you need answered has been answered before. After all this time, you'll make your first post, and you'll be nervous, and if you're lucky someone will answer it. Then you'll make a second, then a third... then you'll know an answer to someone else's question and *presto!* you're a productive member of a Usenet group.

Time was, this section would dissect the reasons why old timers hated posters from America On-Line (AOL.COM). Now, it seems almost quaint as we are faced with webtv.net :-). But here goes:

America OnLine does not seem to hold a special place in anyone's (except maybe Steve Case and its subscribers') heart. Since the PC explosion, people who have no prior computer experience have been flocking to this magical place called "Internet." However, some shrewd entrepreneurs realized that the 'Net operates on a strange language called UNIX... and novices (read paying customers) are intimidated and go away.

This difficultly has long kept the Internet a haven for techno- savvy college students and researchers. A hip club where computer knowledge was a prerequisite for getting in the door. However, a pretty face is being slapped on the Internet, and now all the dreaded "visitors from New Jersey" are arriving by the busload via some place called "America OnLine"

The problems began when people who had no prior computer experience started treading all over "hallowed ground" -- speaking loudly and being obnoxious.

As it happened, many AOLers -- drunk with the notion of "surfing the net" -- haven't taken the time to read this document (or others like it) or pay attention to the "Tips of the Day" that the AOL staff posts before you can enter the newsgroup area. (If you're from AOL, pat yourself on the back for checking this out...)

With a quick click of the OK button, many AOLers just join the fray and make fools of themselves.. almost begging net.denizens to hate them. Now, you may not be this way, but your predecessors were, so AOL (along with many other on-line services) has gotten a pretty bad name.

A reader adds this figure:

And since everyone wants to talk about SEX, our groups often are the first ones to get killed. Hey, that's enough to piss anybody off. :-)

His advice:

A newbie is a person who is new to the 'Net. It is not bad in and of itself, I mean, you have to be new before you can be old, right? However, there are some things you can do to make being new not so bad. While some people use the term as a epithet, most people use it to describe someone new.

For instance, take the time to lurk around a group (read things for a week or so, but don't post to get the feel for what is going on). Catch the scene, then post.

It's kinda like being a freshman again. In a few years you'll rule the school, but at first, you'll feel pimply and awkward. Fortunately, things happen much faster here. You'll be an old-timer in a matter of months.

You'll probably see reference to this document, and you'd get it and read all about us, and feel good knowing what you're in for. If you don't see a reference to this document, then this sentence is quite rather a paradox, isn't it?

A few things will help you on your way down the Usenet highway.

Here are some things mentioned in the document Request For Comment 1855 that you may find helpful:

• In NetNews parlance, "Posting" refers to posting a new article to a group, or responding to a post someone else has posted. "Cross-Posting" refers to posting a message to more than one group. If you introduce Cross-Posting to a group, or if you direct "Followup-To:" in the header of your posting, warn readers! Readers will usually assume that the message was posted to a specific group and that followups will go to that group. Headers change this behavior.

• Read all of a discussion in progress (we call this a thread) before posting replies. Avoid posting "Me Too" messages, where content is limited to agreement with previous posts. Content of a follow-up post should exceed quoted content.

• Send mail when an answer to a question is for one person only. Remember that News has global distribution and the whole world probably is NOT interested in a personal response. However, don't hesitate to post when something will be of general interest to the Newsgroup participants.

• Check the "Distribution" section of the header, but don't depend on it. Due to the complex method by which News is delivered, Distribution headers are unreliable. But, if you are posting something which will be of interest to a limited number or readers, use a distribution line that attempts to limit the distribution of your article to those people. For example, set the Distribution to be "nj" if you are posting an article that will be of interest only to New Jersey readers.

• If you feel an article will be of interest to more than one Newsgroup, be sure to CROSSPOST the article rather than individually post it to those groups. In general, probably only five-to-six groups will have similar enough interests to warrant this.

• Consider using Reference sources (Computer Manuals, Newspapers, help files) before posting a question. Asking a Newsgroup where answers are readily available elsewhere generates grumpy "RTFM" (read the fine manual - although a more vulgar meaning of the word beginning with "f" is usually implied) messages.

• Although there are Newsgroups which welcome advertising, in general it is considered nothing less than criminal to advertise off-topic products. Sending an advertisement to each and every group will pretty much guarantee your loss of connectivity.

• If you discover an error in your post, cancel it as soon as possible.

• DO NOT attempt to cancel any articles but your own. Contact your administrator if you don't know how to cancel your post, or if some other post, such as a chain letter, needs canceling.

• If you've posted something and don't see it immediately, don't assume it's failed and re-post it.

• Forging of news articles is generally censured. You can protect yourself from forgeries by using software which generates a manipulation detection "fingerprint", such as PGP (in the US).

• Expect a slight delay in seeing your post when posting to a moderated group. The moderator may change your subject line to have your post conform to a particular thread.

• Don't get involved in flame wars. Neither post nor respond to incendiary material.

Here are some pointers gleaned from David Harris, author of the (most excellent) freeware e-mail system, Pegasus Mail (available at http://www.pegasus.usa.com) who has graciously allowed me to use this material of his.

He retains his copyright, and I make no claims on it at all. It's his. All his. Except the funny parts. They're mine. (I'll mark them with a :-) so you remember to laugh)

Every message needs a subject. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing messages in your newsreader as having "No subject" as a subject. So, title your messages, and make them mean something!

• ALWAYS include a subject line in your message. Almost all newsreaders present you with the subject line when you browse the group, and it's often the only clue the recipient has about the contents when filing and searching for messages.
• Make the subject line meaningful. For example, sending a message with the subject WHO'S THIS or DIRTY MOVIES is practically as unhelpful as having no subject at all.
• If you are replying to a message but are changing the subject of the conversation, change the subject too - or better still, start a new message altogether. The subject is usually the easiest way to follow the thread of a conversation, so changing the conversation without changing the subject can be confusing and can make filing difficult.

• YOUR POSTS SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE THIS. THIS IS NOT THE WAY A POST SHOULD LOOK. IF YOU MAKE A POST THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, YOU WILL PROBABLY GET FLAMED.

  CAPS LOCK is the Usenet equivalent of shouting. People don't like people who shout all the time in real-life, and the same holds true here. Don't type your message in all UPPERCASE -- it's extremely difficult to read (although a short stretch of uppercase may serve to emphasize a point heavily). Try to break your message into logical paragraphs and restrict your sentences to sensible lengths.

• Use correct grammar and spelling. Electronic mail is all about communication - poorly worded and misspelt messages are hard to read and potentially confusing. Just because electronic mail is fast does not mean that it should be slipshod, yet the worst language-mashing I have ever seen has been done in e-mail messages. If your words are important enough to write, then they're also important enough to write properly.

• Avoid public "flames" - messages sent in anger. Messages sent in the heat of the moment generally only exacerbate the situation and are usually regretted later. Settle down and think about it for a while before starting a flame war. (Try going and making yourself a cup of coffee - it's amazing how much you can cool down even in that short a time, besides which a cup of good coffee is a great soother).

  If you need to vent some frustration, do it in e-mail. No one wants to read about your petty arguments. If you must argue in public, do it in the newsgroup designed for arguments: alt.flame

Communication is pretty dull if only one person does all the talking. So, we interact with each other. And, like all forms of social communications, there are some rules regarding replies.

• Try to match your message length to the tenor of the conversation: if you are only making a quick query, then keep it short and to the point.

• Include only the MINIMUM you need from the original message. One of the most annoying things you can encounter in e-mail is to have your original 5-page message quoted back at you in its entirety, with the words "Me too" added at the bottom. Quote back only the smallest amount you need to make your context clear. You will be hated and flamed if you do not follow this simple rule.

• Use some kind of visual indication to distinguish between text quoted from the original message and your new text - this makes the reply much easier to follow. ">" is a traditional marker for quoted text, but you can use anything provided its purpose is clear and you use it consistently.

• Don't reply to flames. Occasionally people will try to provoke some response by posting something like PORNO SUCKS or YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. Smile and let it pass. These people crave a reaction. When they don't get one, it is amazing how fast they disappear.

There is also something that has appeared recently called a "troll." A troll is a post designed to elicit mega-messages and cripple a group. The troll message is generally an innocent message plagued with inaccuracies. "Sophia Loren was in Sophie's Choice" would be a good troll. The people would point our, no she wasn't Meryl Streep was. Then the trollers would shoot back that Meryl Streep wasn't in Sophie's Choice, she was in Star Wars... and the group gets tied in knots trying to straighten out a thread that has become so twisted, it is best left to die.

Always use a signature if you can: make sure it identifies who you are and includes alternative means of contacting you (name and e- mail are usual). In many systems, particularly where mail passes through gateways, your signature may be the only means by which the recipient can even tell who you are.

Keep your signature short - four to seven lines is a handy rule of thumb for maximum signature length. Unnecessarily long signatures waste bandwidth (especially when distributed to lists) and can be annoying.

Always preface your signature with two dashes "--" This tells certain software packages that whatever follows is a signature and can be ignored when following up, etc.

Some gateways trim .sigs down to three lines, so don't be surprised if you're forty line message gets chopped by the time it gets to Phoenix... or if your newsreader refuses to post your message because your .sig is too long

Some mailers (and newsreaders) allow you to add random strings to your signature: this is well and good and can add character if done carefully.

You should consider the following basic rules though:

• Keep it short. The length of your quote adds to the length of your signature. A 5,000 word excerpt from Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" used as a signature will not win you many friends.
• Definitions of "offensive" vary widely: avoid quotes which might offend people on the grounds of religion, race, politics or sexuality.
• Try to avoid topical or local quotes, since they may be meaningless to recipients in other towns, countries or cultures.
• Variable signatures are usually best if they're amusing; polemical outbursts on politics or other such topics will turn most people off, but a one-liner that brings a smile can make someone's day

We were taught to be nice to people when we were young, and we all too often forget when we are old. In RAME, the more vicious or useless or flamey material will be rejected out of hand.

But, just in case, Here are some reminders from Emily Post -- OK, OK, its David Harris again...

• If you're asking for something, don't forget to say "Please." Similarly, if someone does something for you, it never hurts to say "Thank You." While this might sound trivial, or even insulting, it's astonishing how many people who are perfectly polite in everyday life seem to forget their manners on the 'Net.
• Don't expect an immediate answer. Just because you don't get an answer from someone in ten minutes does not mean that he or she is ignoring you, and is no cause for offense. Electronic mail is all about dealing with your communications when you are able to do so. Plus, it may take a day or two for your message to be heard around the world.
• Always remember that there is no such thing as a secure mail system. It is unwise to send very personal or sensitive information by e-mail unless you encrypt it using a reliable encryptor. Remember the recipient - you are not the only person who could be embarrassed if a delicate message falls into the wrong hands.

Bullet points courtesy of David Harris. All rights reserved.

Since there are so many groups in the Usenet hierarchy, some readers get upset when topics irrelevant to the subject at hand are posted to the group. Sometimes these messages are intentionally placed in the newsgroup to generate a flame war. Other times they are posted as a means of drumming up business for a commercial venture... if they don't have to do with sex movies, they are inappropriate.

RAME moderation does a pretty good job at stopping this stuff before it hits the group. Occasionally an article may sneak thru either by accident or by forgery. You can do the moderation team some help by forwarding any offending article WITH HEADERS to [email protected]

Any message posted to more than 20 groups is spam. Most spams are off- topic commercials. Please ignore spam or send e-mail to the poster and/or to the system administrator from which the spam was posted but do not post a public reply. If you cannot resist the urge to post a public reply, which will annoy as many readers as did the original post, please at least remove phone numbers and addresses so you don't give more publicity to the original post to which you are objecting. Many spams will be cancelled but your reply with quoted material will not be, insuring that the offensive ad remains longer than it otherwise would have.

Though spam takes more system resources (diskspace) and is hated by system administrators for that reason, velveeta or inappropriate crossposting is more disruptive to newsgroups. Particularly, the posting of provocative messages to diverse or antagonistic newsgroups (e.g. alt.cat.lovers and alt.animal.haters) tends to provoke flame wars and argumentative threads that seem to go on forever. Try to ignore velveeta and inappropriate crossposts. If you respond to a crossposted message, pay attention to the groups in which it is posted and remove those in which you do not wish your reply to appear. If you don't you may find yourself flamed from a group you never heard of before.

Thanks to George Shaffer for this section.

Something's wrong. But what? Could it be your newsfeed is down? Or maybe you're doing something wrong. So, you post message to alt.sex.movies or rec.arts.movies.erotica saying TEST - PLEASE IGNORE. And you get flamed or rejected. Why?

alt.test is a newsgroup dedicated to test messages. As alt.sex.movies is dedicated to discussing porn flicks, and alt.flame is dedicated to flame wars -- alt.test is dedicated to making sure your mailer works. rec.arts.movies.erotica is a moderated group, the fact that you got a rejection notice should tell you all is well.

People don't want to see your test postings in their newsgroups, and this goes for any newsgroup, not just asm. So post to alt.test. And use a wacky re: line, or you'll never find your post.

If you are connected to the net through a college or other large organization, you probably have more than one of these people running around. They are system administrators, and they take care of your network, and know how everything works.

Seek them out. Make friends. Bring them cookies or Fritos, and they will help you out. You don't have to be embarrassed asking for help, and you don't have to say you're looking for info on porn stars. Tell them you're trying to post to rec.music.beatles, and they'll think you're just a music fan, instead of thinking you're some sort of deranged deviant who keeps a raincoat close at hand (not accurate, but it's what they'll think...)

So, make friends with your SysAdmin and watch your net troubles go down the drain!

And remember to say "Thank You" and "Please" a lot. And don't forget the cookies.

Then you probably are accessing the net though a BBS, local provider or large online service. These people have tech support help at your disposal. America OnLine, Compuserve, Prodigy and Delphi have special forums for people who are having problems, as well as having people at one end of the phone to give you a hand as you need it. Use these resources. BBSs are a potluck arrangement, so I can't comment on how their support is handled.