
   This archive, NTINFO, contains three articles about Usenet from
the newsgroup news.announce.newusers:

WTIS_NET.TXT  --  What is Usenet?
WHIS_NT2.TXT  --  A response to "What is Usenet?" with more info. 
NETGUIDE.TXT  --  A Guide to working with the Usenet Community.

   These three articles describe Usenet to those who are interested in
the "Hidden Network."  To actually gain access to Usenet and other
Internet features see the NIXPUB long or short listing.
   NIXPUB is a monthly updated list of computer systems and bulletin
boards that provide a public access to UNIX, Usenet and the Internet.
   For more information about setting up your ST/TT as a direct Usenet
and Internet email site via one of the many implementations of TCP/IP
or UUCP for the Atari, see the NTCNCT archive.  Setting up a direct
connection to the Internet is VERY complex and not for the faint of
heart.  If all you want is to read the Newsgroups on the Usenet, I
suggest you access one of the systems in the NIXPUB list or find a
local University or College that will give you an account with access.

   The Usenet Newsgroups probably cover more topics than all of the
commercial networks put together.  There are groups for discussing
everything from technical things like Atari computers, computer
security and the latest UNIX to non-technical things like college
folklore, politics, boomerangs, and alternative and industrial music
and, of course, everything in between.  
   Newsgroups are loosely divided into a hierarchy based on subject. 
For example, one of the Atari newsgroups, comp.sys.atari.st, and other
computer related subjects are in the 'comp.*' hierarchy. Newsgroups
about recreational activities are in the 'rec.*' hierarchy, those about
science are in the 'sci.*' hierarchy, etc. About 12 meg of Usenet
messages traverse various networks every day and Usenet is growing
larger all the time.  And since no one person or group control it,
Usenet is basically a distributed anarchy.

   Once you gain access to Usenet newsgroups I *highly* suggest that
you read the articles in the news.announce.newusers group and some on
news.newusers.questions before you start to post to the newsgroups. 
The three articles in this archive won't be enough information for
everybody, but they should give most a good start to what Usenet is
about. 

   Good luck and happy netting!

Joachim Vance
Compuserve: 71071,3222
Genie:      JVANCE1
Internet:   jvance@bonnie.ics.uci.edu
