Newsgroups

[Anasazi]

What are the bonuses to newsgroups?

What are the downsides to using newsgroups?

I'm using Xnews right now. Any opinions on what would be good to use?

[Bullfrog]

Bonuses:
* A wider variety of information, files and just general mayhem.
* Things are put into different subjects so you only have to look at the groups that mean something to you.
* IMO...it's one of the fastest ways to download something as compared to p2p.
* You can post something that you are looking for and folks actually respond.
* You can post things anynomously without being hounded by folks like the RIAA.
Again unlike p2p which is like a damn flea-market full of crap.

Downsides:
* A lot of spam in the alt.binaries groups that can really be a pain to go through.
* You have to understand how to use newsgroups and decoding. The programs have gotten better but it can sometimes be a pain.
* Information in a newsgroup doesn't stay for long periods of time in your ISP newgroup servers.
* If you are missing a single file the entire download can be useless.

I am sure there are more + / - but those are what comes to mind.

I also use nothing but Xnews, I haven't found anything that works better. Plus it's hard to beat something that is free. But you can get away with almost any newsreader and be good to go.

[Anasazi]

Is anything I look at or download logged by my ISP at all?

Can I decode multiple things at once? Like say if I was trying to get a lot of files that go together.

[Bullfrog]

Is anything I look at or download logged by my ISP at all?

Can I decode multiple things at once? Like say if I was trying to get a lot of files that go together.

While I am sure there is IP logging, most of it take place for 'bandwidth usage' and not what was actually downloaded / uploaded. Most follow a 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' kind of policy. Because no one really owns a newsgroup or the serivce, you can't hold a ISP responsible. Unlike P2P which comes from specific company's providing the service.

Yes you can decode multiple things at once but that is mostly a function of the program that you use to download material. Grabit is a great program for sucking down large numbers of files using multiple streams. But it's interface is kind of cluncky and hard to use at times. Xnews does it about as well as any reader that I have found.

The real expert on Newsgroup stuff is Deadlamb....he has it down to a science. It's almost freaky what he finds and downloads from newsgroups.

[Anasazi]

Cool Thanks!

[Punl<]

What are the bonuses to newsgroups?

What are the downsides to using newsgroups?

I'm using Xnews right now. Any opinions on what would be good to use?

I am totally new to the news group thing. Where do I start?

[Donnie_Doritos]

Some tutorials here (http://www.newzbin.com/document/user/tutorial/)

Heres (http://www.slyck.com/ng.php) the one that I read to get started one, its pretty good

[fishmonger]

Thanks for the link Donnie. I used newgroups a ton in college, and then dropped off after then. I used to use Newsbin, but that program has gone to shit, and I never took the time to figure out any of the other clients. Rock on.

[Punl<]

Some tutorials here (http://www.newzbin.com/document/user/tutorial/)

Heres (http://www.slyck.com/ng.php) the one that I read to get started one, its pretty good

I jut got around to seeing this. Dont know how I missed it. Thanks much, I am off to check it out now.