History 48Q Winter, 2006/2007SOUTH AFRICA: CONTESTED TRANSITIONSUsing Class Newsgroups at Stanford1. What are newsgroups? Newsgroups are electronic bulletin boards where messages can beposted via email or other electronic tools such as Netscape, to permit exchange ofinformation and discussion on a particular subject.2. How do they work? Items are posted to a newsgroup just like e-mail messages. Thedifference is that newsgroup postings are not delivered to anyone’s electronic mail account,but instead can be read by anyone with a newsreader (software that allows newsgroups to beaccessed for reading and posting).3. What are newsreaders and how do I use them? Newsreader software is available in manyforms. The most commonly used software for accessing newsgroups at Stanford is Netscape,which in addition to being a world wide web browser also includes a newsreader as well asemail software. Internet Explorer can also read newsgroups; in recent versions it does so byinvoking Outlook or Outlook Express. Anyone with a Leland account at Stanford can alsouse either the trn or tin newsreaders by entering one or the other of those commands fromthe logon prompt. Many find the tin program more user-friendly, while others like thefeatures of trn. Additionally it is possible to read and post to newsgroups from within thePine email program (type “pine” at the Leland logon prompt). There are other possibilities.4. How do I read and post to newsgroups? Detailed procedures depend on the newsreadersoftware you are using (see below for guides for Netscape and Internet Explorer). The basicsteps are similar:a. Make sure your newsreader knows who you are (login name; actual name; emailaddress).b. Tell the newsreader where to look for Stanford newsgroups: nntp.stanford.edu.c. Download the list of Sanford newsgroupsd. In that list, find the course in which you are interested (in the form su.class.XXX).e. Subscribe to that course newsgroup so that the newsreader regularly checks for newmessages to that newsgroup.f. Read messages and post to the newsgroup. Note that you can post messages to thenewsgroup using ordinary email.5. How do I work with newsgroups within Netscape? (What follows is a somewhat genericexplanation, since the exact details have varied among the different versions of Netscape.The specific details are from Netscape v4.7.) Screen 1 below is the main newsgroup windowin Netscape v4.7.To start:From the Netscape menu (top bar), under Communicator choose Newsgroups. (In earlierversions, the initial menu choice was Windows and the option was Netscape News.)If you get an “Error: you have no permission to talk” message, go toEdit.Options.Preferences and choose Newsgroup Servers. (In earlier versions, the route wasOptions.Mail and News Preferences.Server.) Make sure that the news server is designatedas “nntp.stanford.edu” rather than simply “news” or anything else. You should also checkIdentity to be sure that your own name and email account are listed there, rather thanHistory 48Q (Winter, 2006/2007): Using Class Newsgroups at Stanford / Page 2someone else’s. That matters because whoever is listed in this area will appear as the authorof whatever postings are sent to a newsgroup.Listing newsgroups:The left-hand pane of the Netscape Newsgroup window will show the newsgroup server(s)you have specified and the newsgroups to which you have subscribed. If the newsgroup youwant is not listed, then you will have to subscribe to it. How this is done varies slightlydepending on which version of Netscape you have, and whether it is on a Macintosh or PC.Adding and subscribing to a newsgroup:Right click on the newsgroup server (nntp.stanford.edu). (In earlier versions, the path wasFile.Add Newsgroup.) Select “Subscribe to newsgroups.” That will open a window that listsavailable newsgroups [Screen 2 below]. Follow the trail to “su and then to “su.class” andthen to “history48q.” (Usually, for Stanford courses, the needed newsgroup begins with“su.class” followed by the course number: “su.class.history48q” [without the quotationmarks]. Selecting the newsgroup should add it to the list of newsgroups displayed.That will display the newsgroup, but there is another important step. You must subscribe tothe displayed newsgroup that you have added in order for it to appear on the list each timeNetscape Newsgroups is checked and for Netscape to update the contents. On the Mac, youneed to click in the column to the right of the newsgroup name that has a colored checkmark at the top. When you see a check mark appear in this column beside the newly-addednewsgroup, that group is subscribed . . . but only on the computer you are using at the time.In Netscape v4.7, when you highlight the newsgroup you seek, Subscribe is an option to theright of the newsgroup list. In other versions of Netscape for Windows, the process is similarto that for the Mac, while in still others, a right-button mouse click on the newsgroup namewill cause a short menu to appear, which will include a Subscribe option that you can thenclick.Posting to a newsgroup:The simplest way to post to a newsgroup is to send ordinary email addressed to thenewsgroup (that is, the name of the newsgroup followed by its server):[email protected] can also post from within the newsreader software. In Netscape 4.7, Ctrl-R permits youto respond to the message you are reading. Right-clicking on the highlighted message leadsto a long list of options, including responding to the newsgroup, responding to whoeverposted the message you are reading, and more. Alternatively, you can simply select NewMsg or Reply, which will then open a window that enables you to post a message.Once you have sent your message, it may appear instantly, or it may take longer. If you donot see it for a while, be patient! Many people repeat messages, thinking the first try hasfailed, with the result that the same message is posted repeatedly, much to everyone’sfrustration. Also, note that once a message has been posted to a newsgroup, normally itcannot be deleted. Be sure you put what you wanted there! Note, too, that while Stanfordclass newsgroups are restricted to the Stanford community, you should regard them aspublic as you consider what to post.Threading Replies:One advantage of newsgroups over email is that discussions can be threaded. Threadingsimply means that replies to a message can be made to appear alongside the original.