Newsgroups and Forums
Where email is one-to-one communication, newsgroups and forums provide the opportunity for one person to communicate with many people, by posting messages for all to see.
Newsgroups and forums are electronic gathering places for people with similar interests. Within a forum users post messages (called articles) about a variety of topics; other users read these articles and, when so inclined, respond. The result is a kind of on-going, freeform discussion, in which dozens of users may participate.
In many ways, a forum is like an old-fashioned town meeting. Anyone can attend, and anyone can speak his or her mind. At times things can get a bit disorganized, and it's not uncommon for several people to talk about different things at the same time. But, all in all, a lot of interesting opinions are expressed for all to read.
You can find newsgroups and forums organized around a variety of topics. For example, Netscape Netcenter has a Web programmer forum and a celebrity watcher forum-something for everyone!
Newsgroups can be found on that part of the Internet called Usenet, and require the use of a separate newsreader program. Forums are found on individual Web sites-such as Netscape Netcenter-and can be accessed with any Web browser. Figure 1.2 shows you one of the Netscape Community Forums, available on the Netscape Netcenter Web site.
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Usenet Usenet is a network that operates within the overall confines of the Internet and acts like a public billboard. Its purpose is to broadcast messages to and from users with similar interests, using special interest forums called newsgroups. There are more than 20,000 active Usenet newsgroups, which can be accessed with special software programs called newsreaders. Netscape Messenger is one of the most popular newsreader programs. |
