USENET: SOME SUGGESTED PLACES TO VISIT

by DAN DREIBELBIS

Hopefully by now, after reading about NEWsie and the other Internet 
clients available for the Atari, you've now managed to get yourself an ISP 
account, got your STiNG configuration together to hook up, and configured 
your various clients so that you can get up and going. Now the question is 
- where do I want to go? Where can I find information? What do I do when I 
get there?

Over the next couple of months I hope to have together a number of 
articles on the best places to see and go while on the Internet, with tips 
on survival before jumping into the frey.

This month we'll start with USENET - a service provided by every ISP. 
USENET is a grouping of literally tens of thousands of different forums on 
any and every topic under the sun, whether it be about computers, hobbies, 
food, recreation, art, music, etc. If you already use the TAF or any other 
BBS, you're probably already familiar with how the message boards are set 
up in a variety of forums of specific topics. Now multiply that by several 
thousandfold, and you get an idea of the wide variety of topics that exist 
in USENET - and the thing is, it grows bigger and bigger, with new 
newsgroups added very day.

Okay, so we're up and configured, now let's go and do some reading...

SOME SUGGESTED FORUMS TO TRY OUT:

comp.sys.atari.st - probably the best area for information on the state of 
the 16 and 32-bit platforms on USENET, this forum enjoys traffic of at 
least 50-75 new messages daily from around the world, particularly from 
North America, the UK and Europe. Every day there'll be announcements on 
new software and hardware developments, queries about the current state of 
projects and magazines, questions asking for advice on configuring and 
fixing, and often with detailed answers back. The amazing thing about this 
forum is the tight-knit bond amongst many of the respondents - the only 
time their dander gets up is when someone comes on asking for "warez" 
(pirated software) or someone thinks it funny to post MCIBTYC (My Computer 
Is Better Than Your Computer) drivel regarding how superior their Mac or 
PC is compared to our "dinky little game machines". These occurences are 
somewhat rare, though, as comp.sys.atari.st is a chartered newsgroup 
(which means that, although unmoderated, there is a code of conduct that 
it is expected that all posters have to live by, and that violation of 
such, when reported to the offending parties' ISPs, is suitable grounds 
for dismissal as a violation of their users' agreements).

Don't be afraid to ask any questions, as this forum heartily welcomes just 
about all "newbies" as part of an ever-growing community of orphans in a 
storm.

comp.sys.atari.advocacy - here be dragons <big grin. This is an 
unchartered, unmoderated newsgroup where those passionate about their 
Atari computers can slug it out with those other platform users about why 
their systems are superior to others. Not as many people in this forum, 
although those who do post are pretty regular, and sometimes good for a 
laugh or two about how some people really ought to get a life and go 
outside away from the computer more.

comp.sys.atari.8-bit - forums for the original Atari computers; it's 
amazing just how long some people hang on to this particular platform, 
which shows you just how good the original one was in the first place! 
Info on where to find software and parts, announcements on new products, 
swap meets, etc.

comp.sys.mac.advocacy - here be bigger dragons - be very careful, as thou 
art crunchy and taste good with mustard. Seriously, if you want to see a 
serious slugfest between people who really need to get a life, check this 
forum out: it consists of Mac and PC users slugging it out comparing their 
systems, saying why the other guys's systems are junk, and hurling insults 
at each other. The frightening thing is that this newsgroup averages 500 
new messages per day! Interestingly, though, you do find some diamonds 
among the slag, and this forum gives perhaps a truer situation about the 
state of Apple Computer and their users.

alt.tv.simpsons - perhaps one of the most interesting newsgroups to read 
due to the dedication of fans of The Simpsons, the long-running Fox 
animated comedy. These guys are amazing in the amount of detail in 
chronicalling and critiquing every new episode, to the point of taping the 
episode and freeze-framing to find all sorts of wackiness planted by the 
writers and the animators; you can also find FAQs (text files of 
Frequently Asked Questions complete with answers) on a regular basis. 
There's also ongoing debate on whether the show has kept up its quality 
over the years. It's been revealed that both the writers and the series' 
creator, Matt Groening, keep tabs on this newsgroup to find out what the 
fans think: they've even made mention of things that have been posted on 
the newsgroup on the show itself! Those of you in the UK may want to check 
out the similar uk.media.tv.simpsons . alt.guitar - for all guitar 
enthusiasts and players, a forum for talking about players, equipment and 
technique. This averages about 250 new posts per day, with posters from 
all over the world. As well as many semi-pro, pro and amateur players, 
you'll also get the occasional post from a world-famous player about 
what's going on with the tour or the upcoming record....

alt.folklore.urban - an interesting newsgroup in which the posters discuss 
the origins, proliferation and transmutation of Urban Legends (basically, 
stories about people or things that supposedly happened despite the fact 
that any collaborating evidence comes from friends of your sister's 
hairdresser's niece - some examples are poodles cooked in microwaves, 
kiddy show hosts using foul language when they think the microphone is 
off, vanishing hitchhikers, spiders in beehive hairdos, the legend of the 
Hookman....). Like alt.tv.simpsons, these guys produce a FAQ of current 
urban legends, telling which ones are real, which ones aren't, and which 
ones are still in need of research. Just remember not to post emoticons 
(the little smileys and other related ASCII figures sometimes found in 
online messages), as their denizens generally frown upon such frippery - 
on the other hand, they welcome all those who may be able to shed light 
upon the origins of particular urban legends.

alt.fan.pratchett - for readers and fans of Terry Pratchett's DISCWORLD 
series of novels (a rollicking collection of fantasy tales written to take 
the mickey out of the pretensions this genre of writing produces). You'll 
find here announcements of of new hardback and softbound releases, 
upcoming game software and movie and play projects, etc. What's really 
neat is that Pterry (as his fans affectionately call him) regularly posts 
to answer any newsgroup questions about his projects. You may even 
occasionally run into a wag WHO POSTS HIS MESSAGES IN ALL CAPITALS (you'll 
have to read a Pratchett book to get this joke).

Anyway, I hope that this article gives you a taster of what there is out 
there on the Internet in regards to USENET and will make you curious to 
try it out. Just remember that USENET perusal can be seriously addictive 
and that you may find you've spent hours reading various threads.....

//////////////////////Daniel L. Dreibelbis//////////////////////
ST/TT/Falcon/8-bit Vice President, Toronto Atari Federation (TAF)
 Thorn in the side of all net.twits
  email: dreibel@idirect.com
///////////////"And yet, the Fuji Lives!"  ///////////////////