Newsgroups, often called Usenet, are a collection of discussion groups and news. It is estimated that over 6000 newsgroups are available on the Internet today.

Each newsgroup operates as a bulletin board devoted to a specific topic. Topics range from biking, space, computer, to books by specific authors. If you have an interest in a specific topic, there is probably a newsgroup a newsgroup for it.

The advantage of newsgroups over a mailing list is that the messages are posted to one central location. This keeps you mailbox free from a large quantity of messages. Some newsgroups, like mailing lists, have a moderator.

Over time most newsgroups have developed a set of rules for sending messages to newsgroups called netiquette. Most netiquette encourages courteous and polite interaction.