Welcome to Newsgroups 101! The purpose of this course is to provide instruction for using Usenet newsgroups. This course is broken down into four major parts focusing on using newsreaders to access newsgroups; CompuServe Classic, third-party clients, and web newsreaders. Each part is focused on different methods of accessing newsgroups and is written for Windows 95/98 platform.
If you haven't done so already, it is suggested that you read the Internet 101 Usenet lesson to become familiar with the concept of Usenet newsgroups.
CompuServe Classic Newsreader
The CompuServe Classic newsreader is available for any CompuServe members using CompuServe access software (WinCIM 1.x, 2.x, CompuServe 2.x, CompuServe 3.x, or CompuServe 4.x). This newsreader is extremely basic, but it does the job if you're interested in basic reading and posting of newsgroup articles. To access the CompuServe Classic newsreader, you will need to use one of the CompuServe access programs listed above. Click here for detailed information about using the CompuServe Classic newsreader.
Third-Party Newsreader Clients
Third-party newsreaders abound on the Internet. They are clients (software programs) developed by various people and companies which allow access to newsgroups independent of your access provider. Some are free, some are shareware, and others require you to purchase them before you can try them. They can be easy to use or hard. They can be powerful or next to useless. The focus of this part of the Newsgroups 101 course will be on using Forte's Free Agent, Microsoft's Outlook Express, and Netscape's Collabra. All of these clients are free. If you don't have any of these products and want to use a third-party newsreader client, don't worry. There are download links for on each product's instruction page.
The setup instructions for these products assume that you're a CompuServe Classic member and dialing into a CompuServe access phone number (node). If you are not a CompuServe Classic member or are unable to access the CompuServe news server, these instructions will still be useful to you for setting up and using these clients.
Click on whichever product you want to use for detailed instructions:
Forte's Free Agent | Microsoft's Outlook Express
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