Newsgroups, USENET and Privacy

Newsgroups, USENET and Privacy

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Here's a short article on the basics of Newsgroups. You can find much more information on the world wide web. For instance at

http://www.usenet.org.uk/usenet-information.html

People are often confused by newsgroups. Who owns them? Who can read them? Who can post to them? And what on earth is USENET??

And what about Privacy? If I read a message will anyone know? If I post a message will I be identifiable?

1.	What are Newsgroups?

Newsgroups are places on the Internet where people can post messages about particular topics that interest them. Anyone who has access to the newsgroup can read the message, and anyone can post a reply. The reply can be seen by anyone else, who can post a reply, and so on. XanaNews allows you to read these messages and post replies; both to the main USENET newsgroups and also to other Private newsgroups.

Because anyone can read and reply to any message, they're not really like e-mail. And because the messages remain on the server for days or even weeks, they are not 'Instant' like chat rooms, either.

2.	What is USENET?

USENET is a vast group of newsgroup servers from all over the world which share messages between each other. If you post a message in a newsgroup on one server, anyone else that has access to USENET will be able to see your message, and post a reply. And your reply will get shared so that it can be seen by anyone else.

Thousands of Internet Service Providers, and commercial newsgroup hosting services share in this USENET group. So its really not 'owned' by anyone.

3.	What are Private Newsgroups?

By contrast, Private newsgroups exist on private newsgroup servers and do not participate in USENET. Many technical companies provide private newsgroups to their customers, so that they can discuss their products among themselves and with representatives from the company who choose to join in.

The main XanaNews support newsgroups are held on the private forums.talkto.net server, and it is provided free to XanaNews users.

Microsoft host a large private news server at msnews.microsoft.com where Microsoft products can be discussed.

4.	What about Privacy? Can people tell which groups I read?

Broadly speaking, no one can tell. However, your countries' law enforcement agencies may be able to find out by examining your computer, or by asking your ISP for details of messages you download.

5.	Can people tell which groups I post to?

Of course - that's the whole point. Your message is there for all to see.

Messages you post contain your e-mail address. XanaNews allows you to type in what you like for your e-mail address, so some people disguise theirs in various ways - mostly to avoid spammers who often trawl USENET for valid e-mail addresses.

Many news servers automatically attach a special header to each of your messages containing the IP address of the computer you posted from. This 'nntp-posting-host' header can be used to identify which ISP you use, and could allow hackers to connect to your computer if it has not been updated with Microsoft security patches.