Ever heard of Usenet? The term is safely come to you before. But What is Usenet and what exactly can you do with it? We are the matter gone to the bottom and tell you more about the network that already exists for many, many years and give tips on how you can use it.
Do you have the ever asked you? What is Usenet?" (Picture: pixabay / Editorial)
Contents
The question at the beginning: What is Usenet?
Short, the Usenet can be described as a giant, worldwide discussion platform. It is an independent, locally built network basically. The service is independent per se from the World Wide Web and there is virtually next to their own. Also it exists already longer than the WWW as we know – namely since 1979. You gain access via newsreader. Simplified access also gives the client UseNeXT. You will receive this as Tangysoft Usenet client UseNeXT download from us.
Usenet discussion forms are displayed in plain text form. These so-called newsgroups are open to everyone. Built the whole is similar to many users better-known Web forums. In theory, anyone can create a new thread and even new newsgroups, the amount of data is growing daily. In this thread other users can then respond. Reading can be newsgroup posts in a newsreader. Say: A user writes a “News” or “Article” in a “newsgroup”, everyone respond with a “follow-up” to respond to the others again and the previous user – a two-way communication occurs.
So: What is Usenet? Basically “only” a decentralized network that will distribute the posts. the data is stored on the news servers. That makes it so to speak unassailable well – censorship and server break-ins can not harm the service due to the decentralized structure.
About newsreader Your access to Usenet receive and can become active. (Picture: UseNeXT)
Usenet is huge to sift through it is a newsreader needed. can be in principle also be found without special Usenet search engine issues. Such a search engine makes it all but simple.
In general, the content in individual newsgroups are divided by topics, so that a selection can be made here once before. The newsgroups are organized like a tree. The name prefixes for this sound to the layman initially intimidating, but can be reduced quickly close to the theme:
- old. – “alternative” of, discussion on any subject that would otherwise be nothing explicitly match
- comp. – of “computer”, discussion on computer topics
- humanities. – Culture and Humanities
- misc. -. Of “miscellaneous”, different subjects, like old, but not so large
- news. – everything related to the Usenet itself
- rec. – from “recreational”, Recreation and Arts
- sci. – of “science”, Science and Technology
- soc. – from “social” social issues
- talk. – Discussions around the Usenet and also religion and politics
Decentralized network – but not above the law
What is Usenet? Although Usenet is based on written form, it can be exchanged in so-called binary groups as well as files. Rights violations are still not tolerated and it is possible to remove content that violates the copyright or other rights, again from Usenet.
Nevertheless, the Usenet is often used to share illegal files on the newsgroups. but actually it meant as pure information network. Therefore, the use of Usenet is generally legal. Punishable makes your you only if your files up invites – and now also when your invites them down.
Moreover appears that what is posted on Usenet, unfiltered, in most cases. So you might encounter opinions that do not coincide with yours. Over the years, however, a netiquette has developed, to which at least the wholesale, the user holds – but can vary greatly from region to region.
Fun Fact for last: The term “LOL” – Laughing out loud – fell for the first time in a newsgroup on Usenet – and in June 1990. Since March 2011, the term even in the Oxford English Dictionary.