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The Usenet Underground

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The Usenet Underground -~~~~~ _wa~1 HOSE WHO KNOW USENET free flow of ideas and knowledge; the will- group, and within a few days it will propa- generally describe It with enthu- ingness of some site sponsors to bear the gate to every site subscribing to that news- siasm or exasperation - often cost of relaying messages for others; and, group. Or, the poster can put geographic both. It is the motherlode of noncommer- most importantly, the time and effort users limits on distribution (only the San Fran- cial electronic information - a service, donate in putting good stuff online. For in cisco Bay area, just Canada, etc.). spawned by hackers, that has grown to the end it's the content which attracts. In There are currently about 600 newsgroups, Amazonian dimensions in a decade. Still terms of quantity and quality, in most sub- covering everything from backpacking to growing rapidly, Usenet is already indispen- ject areas, Usenet is hard to beat. microbiology, feminism to Fortran. Here sable for academics, researchers and people The vast majority of Usenet sites are in are some particularly interesting, useful, in technical professions, and it's gradually North America, with beachheads in Europe, and/or popular ones: becoming accessible to the general public. Asia and Australia. Begun in 1979-80 as a altJctivsm Discussions among political activists Brief glimpses of Its burgeoning role have user-run service for student programmers alt.bbs About BBS systems & software already appeared in the mass media. Chinese working with UNIX (an operating system alr.sex Postings of a prurient nature students in North America used It to organ, for computers), most of the early sites were comnp.igest Discussion of artificial intelligence ize support for the pro-democracy move- on college campuses, and most of the mes- comp.dcom.telecom "Telecom Digest" (mod- ment back home. Scientists turned to it for sages concerned computing. The volume erated), about telephony hot news about "cold fusion" and new was small enough that the communication comp.newprod Announcements of new com- superconductive materials. The virulent costs went unnoticed in departmental puter products software infection unleashed by Robert phone bills. comp.risks Risks to the public from computers Morris, Jr., made headlines in 1988 by clog- &users Today, the message traffic is so large that Software for the Apple ging it up for a few days. (The untold story comp.sources.mac communications costs and staff time are big Macintosh there is that the antidote was also distri- budget Items, particularly at "backbone" comp.sys.ibm.pc Discussion of IBM personal buted through Usenet. Systems that went sites, where articles and electronic mail computers &compatibles offline to "protect" themselves had a converge for forwarding. No one really comp.virus Computer viruses &system security harder time recovering.) knows what the total cost of Usenet serv- misc.forsale Short postings about items for sale Usenet is an information cooperative. ice is. Each site handles its own financing, mlsc.jobs.offered Announcements of positions available There is no owner, no control center, no and arrangements between sites are nego- misc.headlines.unitex Articles from the UN membership fees. It's not even an organiza- tiated privately. Individual users at most Information Transfer Exchange tion, really. Each Usenet site has someone institutionally sponsored sites pay nothing pubnet.nixpub Usts of public access UNIX/ designated as the administrator, and there is for access. However, the real total cost Usenet sites a "backbone cabal" of senior administrator s must run into millions of dollars per year. rec.bicycles Bicycles, related products and laws who act as Usenet's custodians. But that's Usenet sites today are typically colleges, rec.muslc.gdead Discussion group for (Grate- ful) Dead-heads about it, in terms of human bureaucracy. research centers, high-tech corporations recaru.tv About television programs, past Within that minimal framework, some and public agencies. A growing number of and present 16,000 sites are now linked by phone lines non-institutional dial-in points give or sell sci.enerly The science & technology of energy and data circuits to distribute about 3,000 public access (see list to follow). Computer scl.environment Discussions about the en- articles, announcements, queries, polemics, topics and programming still account for vironment, ecology reports and comments each day on every about 40 percent of the postings. But other scl.nanotech Molecular-scale machines conceivable subject. An estimated 580,000 interests have rapidly expanding support - sci.space Space programs and related research people have regular access to Usenet througlh especially social and political discussions, soc.culturexchina About China and Chinese local site computers - twice as many as science, and recreation. culture soc.singles Single people and their activities two years ago, ten times as many as six How do Usenetters slog through 3,000 ar- talk.olitics.mdest Discussion of Middle years ago. ticles a day? They don't. Articles are posted Eastern events What holds this sprawling subculture to- to "newsgroups,' which are like continually talk.pohti.ms Political discussions and gether is a few basic agreements on message - updated topical magazines that any site can polemics of all kinds heading formats, network addresses and arrange to get. Some newsgroups have talk.poliics.soviet Discussion of Soviet politics, domestic and foreign software compatibility; the "netnews" soft "moderators" (editors) who do all the ware all sites have for managing the deluge posting. Most do not. Anyone on Usenet Anyone can suggest a new newsgroup. But of articles; a shared commitment to the can post an article to a unmoderated news- to be added to the "mainstream distribution 27 GATE FIVEROAD SAUSALITO. CA 94965 1 3 /13 I mechanism," it must gin of at least 100 vo referendum open to discussion period. Th looser for starting mn in the name. This pre native hierarchy" wh as well-sponsored as Not all sites get all n jects are pretty esot! volume (around 50 n newsgroups combine available storage cap; reason most sites ha, after a few weeks. t< Fortunately, some sil certain newsgroups. to order copies thro Each site administrat groups to get. often users there want. Us scribe" to newsgrou regularly; when they grams for article sell subject headings of a in just their chosen i still call up articles from other newsgroups named "nn" may be more suitable for received at the site. Subscriptions are just 401/997-9119 aetcoa Sa Jeon CA beginners. It has fewer commands to learn 412/4311-89 eklektik lltisburg PA an easy way to reduce the time spent scan- and nice "help" menus. 415/332-6106 well Sauslito CA 41i/753-5265 wtf Sm Prm-ece CA ning and rejecting unwanted material. 411n/S-20S4 efall Hayud CA GETTING STARTED 41/1452-0926 IneaptOm ON Here is a list of one day's worth of articles 41t/461-2601 auoft Toatio ON in "sci.energy: a medium-size newsgroup To use Usenet you have to find a convenient. 4161654-1S54 abosett Teroto ON affordable point of access. Even if you aren't S02/9«63S401 disk Louisville XY with consistently good postings. The num- S0312/4-0451 bucket Ponland working or studying at a site-sponsoring in- 503/640-4262 VDX O bering shows the order of arrival at the 3161172-2137 1111mb Lm| slad NY stitution. you may be able to convince a WELL (higher - more recent). Numbering Si /13468033 upolite NY friend who is to capture articles or news- 6021941.2005 1roads&sort3 Pboeixa AZ may vary from site to site. since not all 103/110-1120 abbel-l Nushs NH groups for you on floppy disk. They might 605134S-2735 ol(t)S6 Rapi City SD articles travel the same route. To start madaix MH4sed WI computer di- 601/273-2657 reading any of these, you just type the ar- even let you dial in to their 6121473-229S psts I dMineapolis Mn rectly to download material, or to visit 61531196-71« raider Marfresaboto TN ticle number. "Re:" means a reply to a 616/457-1964 wybbs leuIgll)uises Idha in person to browse once in a while. 61t/444.7006 BCOm CA previous posting: T03/21t.7-97 grofbyibpnt Vies VA Then there are public access sites. The 713/334.1204 ucksit uston IX 564 Re: Office Equipment As Energy Users 71314351-011 Houese IX 565 Fuel cells - your experience! following is extracted from a list maintained 714/142-151 aumxcha Soa Aa CA 714/894-2246 st-oat Inrie CA 566 Re: Outdoor Ughting by Phil Eschalier. The following entries all 1011943-7947n42.sssbt i-4arS Sail Latk City UT 567 Re: "Revolutionary" Solar Cell Technology provide Usenet access for free - though 802/l65-3614 tal Barliltosa VT 919/493S-.71 *woves Durba INC 568 Re: Outdoor Lighting they might not carry all the newsgroups 569 Re: Electric cars? Start with wheelchairs. you want. Keep in mind that some of the The WELL' is a Usenet site. and has at 571 Energy-efficient llightbulbs may be outdated by the information here least three features which recommend it as 572 Re: energy-efficient lightbulbs versions of Es- time you read it. Updated a good choke for access. First, there is an 573 Re: Office Equipment As Energy Users challier's list are posted every couple of 574 Re: Outdoor Lighting online conference devoted to using Usenet weeks in the "pubnet.nixpub" newsgroup. 575 Venting clothes driers - Inside or outside? effectively. When you enter the WELL, 576 Re: Energy satellites useI Public Acces Silt type "g usenet" to get there. It has a 577 Re: Energy-efficient lightbulbs library of basi references, you can ask Telephone Sys- ame Locatio 578 Longer-life lightbulbs - home use questions without feeling stupid, get an- 579 Re: hydro power and solar power are 2011146-2460 New aswcn swers from the staff gurus, and read the NOT CLEAN 2121179-9031 asylI NYCt NY 213/376-5714 pa«l02pnllt42 Redeede B CA answers to others who are elsewhere on 2141247-2367 eadalta Dallas IX Each Usenet site has programs that let 214/741-2130 Dallas *IX the learning curve.
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