Site Navigation
--]About Us
  --The Company
 
--]Our Services
  --Dialup Access
--Broadband Access
--Preselect
--Domain Hosting
--How to Join
--Application Forms
--Internet Cafe
 
--]For Members
  --Members Area
--Notices
--Online Help
--Protecting Your PC
--WebMail
--Contact Support
--Online Payment
--Chariot FAQ
 
--]Information
  --Policy Documents
--Security Services
--Broadcasting Act
--Online Content
 
--]Text Preference
 
--Small Text
--Standard Text
--Large Text
 
 
  Newsgroups  @
 

Newsgroups provide a valuable resource of information as well as being a great way of interacting with the rest of the online community. They act as a big online bulletin board, where people can post questions, ideas, information, discussion topics, etc. in a public forum. Other users may then interact with these posts, either publicly or privately, by sending their own replies.

The Alphalink news server provides access to over 50,000 newsgroups on almost every topic. Many groups are computer related, but there are also many devoted to music, genealogy, animals, gardening, cooking and an endless array of other interests. Some newsgroups allow people to ask questions and receive help, while others host ongoing debates.

Setting Up News

Outlook Express 4, 5 or 6

  1. Open Outlook Express as normal
  2. Click the Tools menu and then select Accounts
  3. Click the News tab
  4. If you have any news accounts already configured, you should remove them unless you know you need them. To remove any unwanted accounts, select them one at a time and click Remove. Click Yes when asked if you are sure, then repeat the process for any other unwanted accounts
  5. Click Add, then select News
  6. Enter your name (this can be anything you like, eg. Bill Smith) and click Next
  7. Enter an email address and click Next. We recommend that you do NOT use your real email address to avoid spam
  8. Enter the News server: news.alphalink.com.au and click Next
  9. If you are using Outlook Express 5 or 6, skip to step 12
  10. Enter a friendly name for the news server or just click Next to leave it as news.alphalink.com.au
  11. Choose a connection method (I will establish my Internet connection manually is probably best), then click Next
  12. Click Finish
  13. Click Close
  14. You will be asked if you wish to download newsgroups from the server you added. Click Yes
  15. Outlook Express will now download the list of groups. There are over 50,000 newsgroups, so the list may take about 5 - 10 minutes to download depending on the speed of your connection to Alphalink

Netscape 6, 7 or 8 and Mozilla 1

  1. Open Netscape/Mozilla as normal
  2. Go to the Tools menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups
  3. This will open up the mail/news window. Go to the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings
  4. If you have any news accounts already configured, you should remove them unless you know you need them. To remove any unwanted accounts, select them one at a time and click Remove Account. Click OK when asked if you are sure, then repeat the process for any other unwanted accounts
  5. Click Add Account...
  6. Select Newsgroup account, then click Next
  7. Enter your name (this can be anything you like, eg. Bill Smith)
  8. Enter an email address and click Next. We recommend that you do NOT use your real email address to avoid spam
  9. Enter the Newsgroup server: news.alphalink.com.au and click Next
  10. Enter a friendly name for the news server or just click Next to leave it as news.alphalink.com.au
  11. Click Finish
  12. news.alphalink.com.au will appear down the left-hand side, click on it
  13. Click on Subscribe to newsgroups
  14. Netscape/Mozilla will now download the list of groups. There are over 50,000 newsgroups, so the list may take about 5 - 10 minutes to download depending on the speed of your connection to Alphalink

Thunderbird

  1. Open Thunderbird as normal
  2. Go to the Tools menu and choose Account Settings
  3. If you have any news accounts already configured, you should remove them unless you know you need them. To remove any unwanted accounts, select them one at a time and click Remove Account. Click OK when asked if you are sure, then repeat the process for any other unwanted accounts
  4. Click Add Account...
  5. Select Newsgroup account, then click Next
  6. Enter your name (this can be anything you like, eg. Bill Smith)
  7. Enter an email address and click Next. We recommend that you do NOT use your real email address to avoid spam
  8. Enter the Newsgroup server: news.alphalink.com.au and click Next
  9. Enter a friendly name for the news server or just click Next to leave it as news.alphalink.com.au
  10. Click Finish
  11. news.alphalink.com.au will appear down the left-hand side, click on it
  12. Click on Subscribe to newsgroups
  13. Thunderbird will now download the list of groups. There are over 50,000 newsgroups, so the list may take about 5 - 10 minutes to download depending on the speed of your connection to Alphalink

Netscape 4.5 - 4.8

Please note: Netscape 4.8 or below is not recommended for newsgroup use as they use the same name and email address as your email account, which will probably result in your address getting a lot of spam if you post in any groups. We suggest you use Netscape 6, Mozilla or Outlook Express instead.
  1. Open Netscape as normal
  2. Go to the Tools menu and choose Preferences
  3. Double-click on Mail & Newsgroups
  4. Click on Newsgroup Servers
  5. If you have any news accounts already configured, you should remove them unless you know you need them. To remove any unwanted accounts, select them one at a time and click Delete. Click OK when asked if you are sure, then repeat the process for any other unwanted accounts
  6. Click Add...
  7. Next to Server, type in: news.alphalink.com.au
  8. The other settings here are fine, so leave those and just click OK
  9. Click OK
  10. Now click on the Communicator menu and choose Messenger
  11. Click with the right mouse button on news.alphalink.com.au and choose Subscribe to newsgroups
  12. Netscape will now download the list of groups. There are over 50,000 newsgroups, so the list may take about 5 - 10 minutes to download depending on the speed of your connection to Alphalink

If you have problems setting up your newsgroups, email Technical Support at support@alphalink.com.au.

Once you have set up your news account, you will be able to browse or search through the list of newsgroups and subscribe to any that sound interesting. Subscribing to a newsgroup simply means that you are choosing to view that newsgroup - it does not cost anything, and you may unsubscribe (ie. stop viewing the group) at any time.

Newsgroups may seem a little strange at first, as there are often some language styles that you may not be familiar with, and certain points of netiquette apply. Some newsgroups also have paricular rules about what kinds of posts are allowed. All members are expected to abide by such rules, so please ensure you are familiar with posting rules and guidelines before posting. It is often a good idea to first read through older posts to gain an understanding of how discussions unfold in a particular newsgroup for a few days before making a post to it yourself.

Please note that abusing or harassing other people on newsgroups or by e-mail is a breach of the Terms & Conditions of your account, and may result in your account being suspended. See our Acceptable Use Policy and the Relevant Legislation page for more information. Please, do the right thing and make the Internet an enjoyable place for EVERYONE.
 


© Chariot Pty Ltd, ABN: 31 088 377 860