newsgroup

   A Usenet e-mail discussion group devoted to a single topic. Subscribers to a newsgroup post articles that can be read by all the other subscribers.

   Newsgroup names fit into a formal structure in which each component of the name is separated from the next by a period. The leftmost portion of the name represents the category of the newsgroup, and the name gets more specific from left to right.

   The major top-level newsgroup categories are:

   • alt

   Newsgroups outside the main structure outlined below

   • comp

   Computer science and related topics, including information about operating systems and hardware, as well as more advanced topics such as graphics and robotics

   • misc

   Anything that does not fit into any of the other categories

   • news

   Information on Usenet and newsgroups

   • rec

   Recreational activities, such as hobbies, the arts, movies, and books

   • sci

   Discussion groups on scientific topics, including math, physics, and biology

   • soc

   Groups that address social and cultural issues

   • talk

   Groups that concentrate on controversial subjects

   Private newsgroups are often available on corporate intranets, where organization, structure, and subject matter are decided by the system administrator.

   See also newsreader; Usenet.