ABSTRACT
Both email discussion groups and Usenet newsgroups allow for group communication. The primary difference is that you must first subscribe to or join an email discussion group, whereas anyone with a newsreader-such as the ones included with Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer-can browse and interact with a newsgroup. Both email discussion groups and Usenet newsgroups give you valuable resources when searching for information on specific topics or seeking answers to questions. Here are a few reasons that these resources are so helpful:
The group itself. The articles or messages posted to discussion groups and newsgroups are sometimes read by thousands or millions of people throughout the world. Replying to messages, giving help, and supplying accurate information when possible are part of Internet culture. Although it's unreasonable to expect group members to do your research for you, the group can be very helpful. The discussions-the messages or articles-are often archived and can be searched and retrieved. The collections of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and periodic postings on a specific topic are usually compiled and updated by volunteers.
