FAQAn FAQ (pronounce the three letters separately) is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions--a collection of basic, general and sometimes advanced information about a given subject. An FAQ is really an FAQ file--a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. The Internet community relies on FAQs to communicate procedures, locations, and other information to individuals new to a service, group or area. FAQs are generally created and maintained by volunteers who have a specific interest in the subject matter. It is always a wise decision to read a FAQ before entering or interacting with a new area or group on the Internet.
Read your FAQs. Read your FAQs. Read your FAQs.
Although FAQs have started to appear in a larger context, their native territory is USENET newsgroups. Most newsgroups have a FAQ which describes the intent of the group, what is and isn't allowed to be posted, where to find more information, and what will happen to repeated abusers of the group. There are similar types of FAQs for most Internet services and Internet service locations. You should take time to locate and read FAQs about Internet services which interest you.
To find an FAQ, check the USENET newsgroups that cover the topic you're interested in. The FAQ writer (or writers) will regularly post new versions of it. Usually, the FAQ will appear under a very obvious name, such as "FAQ: Part 1". In busy newsgroups, on the other hand, the FAQ can get buried under mountains of new material. If that's the case, check the excellent newsgroup news.answers, where all sensible FAQ writers have posted a copy. Or, try the Anonymous FTP site rtfm.mit.edu (in the pub/usenet/news.answers directory), where you'll find a whole collection of FAQs. These FAQs are usually listed according to the newsgroup to which they correspond.