Usenet for AOL users

Usenet Free
Usenet (Unix USErs' NETwork)

a board for public network
messages. The messages are sent by people who have posting access to
Usenet, and they are divided into different groups (called newsgroups)
by some hierarchy, according to their subject, [C.2].
The messages themselves are sometimes, loosely called `news messages'.
For example: comp.mail.elm is a newsgroup which contains messages
related to a mail program called Elm. It is part of the `comp'
(computation) hierarchy. comp.binaries.ibm.pc is a newsgroup dedicated
to transmission of binaries (programs in this case) for IBM PC, and as
you can guess, is part of the same `comp' hierarchy.
comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d is dedicated for discussions on those binaries;
rec.music.alternative is a newsgroup dedicated to messages related to
alternative music, and as you already guessed is part of the `rec'
(recreation) hierarchy, [C.3].
Each message looks quite like a regular e-mail message, (small
differences in the header).

Formally, the Usenet is a network, different from the Internet.
It is called a logical network as it has a structure but physically
its data is propagated from one location to another via various
different networks, such as the Internet, BBSs and others.
Practically, the Internet adopted Usenet, and browsing Usenet news is
made within the Internet via Internet protocols, (see A.13 and A.14).
Still, one may have access to Usenet without having access to the
Internet.

The Usenet does not belong to anyone.

Usenet Access Guide


Most of the Internet service providers (ISP's) or Internet Access
Providers (IAP's) provide a Usenet access.
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