5.2.2) How do I communicate with other people on the Internet?
Description
This article is from the Yolo County FAQ, by David F. Prenatt, Jr. with numerous contributions by others.
5.2.2) How do I communicate with other people on the Internet?
Communication between individuals on the Internet usually takes place
through the institutions of e-mail and the USENET newsgroups. These
are the most straightforward and easy to use Internet applications.
Live time conversations also take place with the Internet Relay Chat
(IRC); the World Wide Web provides access to multimedia communication.
I hesitate to mention the highly intrusive Internet communication
software "talk/ytalk," but for those of you who want more information
on how to interrupt people with a talk request, contact David T.
Witkowski (<mailto:dtwitkowski@ucdavis.edu >; readers with a web
browser may visit David T. Witkowski's Ytalk Primer on the World Wide
Web (<http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~witkowsk/ytalk.html >).
5.2.2.1) Are there any rules for using e-mail and the USENET newsgroups.
In most instances, yes. Most ISPs impose regulations for e-mail and
the USENET. There are also informal rules of conduct that are
enforced by the Internet community (fondly referred to as
"netiquette"). For further information on official regulations on e-
mail and the USENET, contact your ISP. As for netiquette, use your
own good judgment.
5.2.2.2) What is the difference between e-mail and the USENET newsgroups?
The primary difference between e-mail and the USENET is privacy.
However, neither e-mail or the USENET are confidential. An e-mail
message is directed to a particular individual or group of
individuals; a USENET article is directed to anyone who has access to
the newsgroup where the article is posted. If you want to conduct
confidential communications over the Internet, check out an encryption
program such as PGP ("Pretty Good Privacy").
PGP has a public domain version that is available free of charge
to anyone who is using it for non-commercial purposes. It has
thwarted virtually every attempt that people have made to crack it.
What makes PGP unique is that the key that encrypts your mail (i.e.,
your "public key") is distinct and separate from the key that
unscrambles it (i.e., your "private key"). Unless you tell someone
your private PGP key or someone guesses it (which could take thousands
of years of computer time) or discovers it by eavesdropping, no one
can read your PGP encrypted mail.
5.2.2.2.1) How do I use e-mail?
The most straightforward and easy way to use e-mail is by using a
program called "pine" (pine is an acronym for "pine is nearly elm"--
elm was an e-mail program that preceded pine). To use pine, type in
"pine" (without the quotes) at the Unix prompt. The pine application
is menu-driven, so just follow the instructions that you see on the
screen. [Note: Not all ISPs support the pine application.]
5.2.2.2.2) How do I use the USENET newsgroups?
The most straightforward and easy way to use the USENET newsgroups is
by using a program called "tin." To use tin, type in "tin" (without
the quotes) at the Unix prompt. The tin program is menu-driven, so
just follow the instructions. [Note: Not all ISPs support the tin
application.]
5.2.2.2.2.1) How many USENET newsgroups are there?
There are several thousand USENET newsgroups (more than anyone could
ever hope to read), and there are more being created every day. Thus,
you should decide which newsgroups you want to read.
5.2.2.2.2.2) How do I figure out which newsgroups I want to read?
The USENET newsgroups are organized into a heirarchy that includes
regional and other domains. You can use this hierarchy to select-out
thousands of newsgroups that do not interest you. With tin, use the
"yank" command (with the "y" key), the "search" command (with the "/"
key), and the "subscribe" command (with the "s" key). After you've
subscribed to the named groups that you want, simply yank out the
rest. The "unsubscribe" command (the "u" key) will eliminate unwanted
groups. For more information, use the online help in tin (^g).
5.2.2.2.2.3) What regional domains are available from the Yolo County
USENET?
No discernible population of Internet users currently exists to define
the exact boundaries of the Yolo County USENET. However, the
newsgroups in the yolo.* regional domain seem to be the logical
foundation of the Yolo County USENET. I have also received numerous
inquiries about the yolo.* newsgroups from readers of the sac.*
newsgroups. The geographic area of both these regional domains are
logically subordinate to the geographic area of the ca.* domain.
5.2.2.2.2.4) What newsgroups are available on the yolo.* USENET domain?
The yolo.* USENET domain is comprised of the following newsgroups
(which should be self-explanatory):
* yolo.general (<news:yolo.general >).
* yolo.life (<news:yolo.life >).
* yolo.news (<news:yolo.news >).
* yolo.news.admin (<news:yolo.news.admin >).
* yolo.test (<news:yolo.test >).
The yolo.* newsgroups are available to the general public courtesy of
the mother.com news server (<newsrc://news.mother.com >) thanks to the
efforts of Steve Wormley at mother.com computer services.
5.2.2.3) How do I use the IRC?
To use the IRC, type in "irc" (without the quotes) at the Unix prompt.
There is online help available for the IRC and many of the people whom
you meet on the IRC will be willing to answer many of your questions.
You will also find a FAQ on the IRC on the news.answers USENET
newsgroup (<news:news.answers >). [Note: Many ISPs do not support
the IRC. It is a resource hog.]
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