Newsgroups, like other areas of cyberspace, has its own culture, rules, and established etiquette. So, before you jump in and start contributing you need to be aware of them.
Most people are very forgiving to newcomers, but others are not so lenient. Make one mistake and they jump on you with a diatribe of profanities that would make a steelworker blush. In newsgroup parlance this is called flaming, as in going down in flames.
If you enjoy these shouting matches there are Newsgroups devoted to flame wars where you can dish-out all the abuse you want. Prepare yourself though, to also be on the receiving end if you do. Feelings tend to run high in these Newsgroups.
There are millions of people who contribute to Newsgroups from all over the globe, so some ideas that cross your screen may seem weird and offensive. If some statement or idea offends you don’t take it too personally. Simply ignore it.
Some people will post controversial opinions just to see if they can get a reaction from others. (Flame Bait) If you respond to these articles you’re reacting just the way the author intended.
A Few Simple Newsgroup Guidelines
Know what is being discussed before posting a response. All it takes to follow this rule is to read the group for a few weeks to get a feel for how items are posted before putting in your two cents worth. This is called Lurking.
Try to pick the closest related newsgroup to your subject. Again, you may get flamed from an irate self-proclaimed expert if the group is not appropriate.
Most Newsgroups post a special message called the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Read this file before you ask a question related to the subject of the group. You may find someone has already asked what you wanted and the group has posted an appropriate answer.
Keep in mind that after you send your messages off to the group, everyone who reads the group can read your posting. Think before you send. Keep your messages short and to the point.
Don't post your article to multiple Newsgroups. In Usenet circles this practice is called "Spam" and usually results in hate email with you on the receiving end.
Write in lower case. USING UPPER CASE TO MAKE YOUR ARTICLE STAND OUT IS INTERPRETED AS SHOUTING.
Warnings:
Because of the freewheeling and open nature of Newsgroups, some can be quite offensive to some readers. Most noteworthy are those groups in the alt. hierarchy, (Although that is not the only group, just the most notorious.) or any of the flame categories.
If any of the subjects found in these groups offend you or, you have children and young adults who may access them without your knowledge, it's best to use either the parental controls your online service furnishes or your own control to limit access to these groups.
It is also important to note that most Newsgroups are full of pornography or links to pornography. As most Newsgroups are not moderated, pornography is rife. Even on some Newsgroups it is linked to a page but titled as something else. So if you see some link like www.webhaven.com/recipes it might very well be a pornography site.
The Usenet system at first appears chaotic and massive, but once you understand the basics, it's easy to wade through the junk and get to what you're really looking for.
Some Newsgroups are moderated, meaning someone oversees all the posts that are made and can delete ones that are offensive or don't fit the topic. This helps keep flame wars and troublemakers in check (though moderators rarely exercise their power unless there is a major problem).
Most Newsgroups are self-moderated, meaning it is up to the newsgroup's users to keep things in check