Understanding the Usenet Service

The Usenet service is one of the older technologies used on the Internet. It has endured because, though it was useful and efficient from the start, it has expanded in its features and power as the years have passed.

It is also among those services which are not-commonly used by beginner-level users, even though it provides a much easier way to exchange information, files and to simply socialize than do many other Internet formats. This service may or may not be included by one's ISP but is available from many third-party companies.

The Usenet service is based around, first and foremost, newsgroups. These groups cover a host of interests, from computers to science to political debate. The discussions take place via "articles" posted in response to one another much as is the case where online forums are concerned.

One of the principal differences between newsgroups and online discussion forums is that it is easier to subscribe to the various newsgroups than it is to most discussion forums. One simply downloads the desired articles from any given newsgroup and hops into the discussion at any time. There are moderated forums that have some restrictions on participation and these will generally require that one contact the group moderator to subscribe.

The Usenet service also allows the capacity for users to share files between one another. In practice, this method is more private and secure than it is on other systems such as bitorrent and direct P2P connections.

There are secure newsgroup servers that even allow for files to be downloaded via SSL which ensures that the information is encrypted in transit. This security feature affords a great deal more peace of mind on the part of users who share files via this service.

The Usenet service is accessed through a software product called a newsreader which allows the user to subscribe to, update and download files to and from the various groups in which they have an interest. Different newsreaders will offer different levels of functionality in this regard.

Some of them are very advanced and appear as sort of a combination of a forum browser, an Internet browser and an email client. Some email clients, in fact, have a newsreader functionality built-in to them though this will generally be somewhat limited compared to other readers which are specific to the task of reading articles and downloading files.

The Usenet service is something of a mystery to many Internet users, even the very advanced ones. For those who are a bit burnt-out on the regular Internet experience, using these services can once again infuse the online world with the sense of learning and exploring it had at its advent.

The users of these systems tend to be intelligent, technically-savvy and very conversational. Jumping into the conversation taking place on any given newsgroup will likely land the new user many new online friends in short order. Sharing some files, of course, will also make a new user popular with the old pros.