A HIGHLY INFORMATIVE ONLINE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE ARTIST AND THE ART LOVER

If you like this site then Recommend It!

 

ART TALKS


The Art of Networking: Section Five - Newsgroups
by Rebecca Kemp

A newsgroup is a discussion about a single topic, somewhat like a forum. It's not done in real time, like chat rooms are. It's set up more like your e-mail where a topic subject is "threaded" (listed) in sequential order.

Newsgroups are provided to you through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and must be configured in your browser like you would configure your e-mail. If your ISP's e-mail configuration is mail.ispaddress.com then usually the address for receiving newsgroup information is news.ispaddress.com. You will need to check with your ISP for the exact address.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of newsgroups in existence. Your ISP may not have access to all of them, but they usually have access to a couple thousand or so. A good place to search of newsgroups is at http://www.liszt.com/news/. You can search for a topic of interest and then you just click on the newsgroup link. If your ISP provides this newsgroup, your browser will open up your newsgroup page and let you view the discussions taking place there. If your ISP doesn't provide the newsgroup, you will get a message something like this:

News Error!

News host responded: No such group

That doesn't mean the newsgroup doesn't exist, it just means your ISP doesn't provide it.

Newsgroups can be heaven or they can be hell, and you are the one to decide how that goes. I'm going to do my best to make sure you don't end up in hell when using newsgroups.

There are very important "nettiquet" rules when it comes to using a newsgroup. Make sure you post is relevant to the subject of the newsgroup. Don't ever, ever, ever "spam", even if it's on the same topic of the newsgroup! Spam is an unsolicited mail or posting, usually advertising a product, service or what-have-you. The people who use and post to newsgroups are hyper sensitive to spam and can be downright mean and nasty. Some can even trace where the spam came from and send what's called a "bomb" to your computer. This bomb can infect your computer with viruses and other nasties. They can also send you "flames" which are very hurtful and mean e-mails. Trust me, they sting. You should also beware of people called "trolls". Trolls are people that haunt a certain newsgroup with nothing good to say about anyone and like to pick fights with other participants. They're discussions are on topic, but they just like to be mean in general. Don't get involved with them. You'll figure out quickly who they are.

Ok, so now I've probably scared you so silly that you'll never use a newsgroup, but not so fast! Now that you know what not to do, the next part is what you should do. The first thing you should so is read some of the discussions taking place there. This way you'll get a good feel for the newsgroup and the kind of things that accepted and not accepted there. If you feel you have something to contribute to a conversation, feel free to post something. Don't advertise your site, but a signature file is usually ok. (A signature file is a small piece of text attached to the end of e-mails that usually contain your site information.) If you can, participate in a few conversations. Let the people who have been using that newsgroup for a while get to know you. If you can't participate in a particular discussion, feel free to introduce yourself and don't be shy to ask what the "rules" are in the group. Every newsgroup tends to have their own set of taboos, so it's best just to ask what's cool and what's not from the very beginning.

Once you have established some recognition and trust among the other members of the group (and this could take days to weeks or even months), you can then get away with some posts about your web site, like announcements, news and other specials. It's at this point where a newsgroup turns into gold for you in the way of site visitors. The people there want to know what you have to say and are interested in your goings on. They've now become a captive audience. As long as you continue to follow nettiquet rules and occasionally participate in a discussion or two from time to time, everyone there is usually pretty cool with your announcements.

 
This article was reprinted with permission from Rebecca Kemp.

Please visit her sites at:


 
Not receiving our free Newsletter and Updates? Then don't miss out - sign up now!  All we need is your e-mail address and we'll keep you posted to all the latest events, articles, forum topics, live chats and more!  This will be the beginning of your participation in all the exciting interchanges of creative ideas taking place here on The Artistic Forum.  We respect your privacy and will only send you e-mail pertaining to the Artistic Forum and our sister web sites: Winstanley-Roark Fine Art, Masterfulart Free Online Postcards, and Devon's Page.  We do not sell or share our e-mail database with outside web sites or mailing lists.

NOTE: If you'd like, please e-mail us  your ideas or submit an article for upcoming featured articles.  We will review all suggestions and select pertinent topics related to any of the written, visual or performing fine arts.  Please include your name and email address along with your suggested topic.  Thank you!

Previous  ART TALKS Current ART TALKS

LINKS  
  • KIDS ART CORNER
  • KIDS SEND IN YOUR WORK
  • RECOMMEND THIS SITE
  • SEND A FREE DIGITAL POSTCARD
  • JOIN OUR BANNER EXCHANGE
  • FINE ARTS LINK PAGE
  • SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK
  • CONTACT US OR MAKE A SUGGESTION
  • SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
    •

    FREE NEWSLETTER & UPDATES

    KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE FINE ARTS
     
       Search this site                 powered by FreeFind
      Site Map    What's New    Search

    Please visit our Sponsors who help support the fine arts by supporting The Artistic Forum!

    Copyrighted @ January 1, 1999 The Artistic Forum. All rights reserved. Reproductions in whole or part in any form or medium without express written permission of The Artistic Forum and or its parent Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts is prohibited.  Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts, Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts logo, The Artistic Forum  and The Artistic Forum logo, The Artistic Forum Web site, Masterfulart Digital Postcards, Masterfulart Digital Postcards logo, and all related titles are copyrighted & owned by  the Artistic Forum and WRFAWeb Designs.
    User Agreement, Disclaimers, Submission, Copyright Information, Privacy Policy.
    This page is updated monthly and is created by WRFA Web Designs  
    courtesy of Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts.