Microsoft KB Archive/174138

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Frequently Asked Questions About Newsgroups on MSN

Q174138

The information in this article applies to:

The Microsoft Network versions 2.0, 2.5
Microsoft Internet Mail and News version 1.0 for Windows 95

SUMMARY

This article lists frequently asked questions about newsgroups on MSN, The Microsoft Network.

MORE INFORMATION

The frequently asked questions are arranged in the following sections:

Bulletin Boards
Forums
Newsgroups
Reading and Posting Messages
Internet News

Bulletin Boards

Q. What is a bulletin board?

A. A bulletin board is an area where MSN members can post questions and view posted answers from the bulletin board's manager. A member can also read questions and answers posted by other members. Each bulletin board is organized by topic. MSN bulletin boards are newsgroups that hold MSN content. These bulletin boards are stored on the MSNNews server.

Q. How do I view MSN bulletin board content?

A. In MSN Program Viewer, click any link to a bulletin board. For example, the Communicate Home Page has links to bulletin boards.

Q. Who can exclude me from a forum chat or bulletin board?

A. Exclusion from forum chats and bulletin boards is at the discretion of the individual forum manager.

Forums

Q. What are forums?

A. Forums are public meeting areas where MSN members can discuss ideas, gather information, or find out what other people have to say. Each MSN forum is centered around a specific subject, theme, or hobby. There are about 80 special-interest forums on MSN.

Q. How do I find a forum on MSN?

A. To find a forum, click MSN Forums on the Communicate home page, and then click the forum you want to view.

Q. Who do I contact if I have a problem in a forum?

A. If you have a problem, contact the forum manager for that forum.

Q. How do I contact a forum manager?

A. To contact a forum manager, follow these steps:

1. In the forum, click Information.
2. Send e-mail with your question to the listed forum manager.
Q. How do I apply to become a forum assistant, host, or manager?

A. If you would like to become a forum assistant or host, apply to the forum manager of the forum that you want to assist or host. If you would like to become a forum manager, e-mail your resume and proposal to: Content_Provider. Include a list of your interests and hobbies.

Newsgroups

Q. What is a newsgroup?

A. A newsgroup is a public bulletin board where Internet users can post, read, and reply to messages that anyone can see. An Internet newsgroup can contain hundreds or thousands of articles posted each day from all over the world. These newsgroups originate outside of MSN, and we have no control over the names of the newsgroups or the content of any newsgroup messages. MSN carries newsgroups as part of the service to members, but we do not monitor or claim any responsibility for what is contained in these groups.

Q. How do I subscribe to a newsgroup?

A. To subscribe to a newsgroup, follow these steps:

1. In the Newsgroups box, click the Newsgroups icon.
2. If a News Servers list is displayed, click one of the servers to select it.
3. Scroll down the newsgroup list. Click one of the newsgroups to select it.
4. Click Subscribe.
Q. How do I cancel my subscription to a newsgroup?

A. To cancel a subscription, on the News menu, click Unsubscribe from this Newsgroup.

Q. How do I view Internet newsgroups?

A. Throughout MSN, there are links to bulletin boards and newsgroups. Click the Communicate page for access to many of them.

To access newsgroups, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Internet News.
2. Click Newsgroups.
Q. Why are newsgroup messages no longer posted when I return to a newsgroup?

A. Actually, those messages are usually still there. The default in Internet News is set to eliminate messages that you have already read. To change this or to check for messages that you have read before, click All Messages on the View menu. In a minute or two the messages reappear.

Q. Is there an extra charge for subscribing to a newsgroup?

A. There is no extra charge for subscribing to a newsgroup. The term "subscribe" means that your newsgroup reader will keep track of the messages you have read and downloaded from visit to visit. You can subscribe and unsubscribe at any time with no additional charge.

Q. Why am I unable to find an Internet newsgroup that I believe should be there?

A. MSN tries to keep its feed as current as possible, but occasionally we do miss a new group or fall behind. If you send an e-mail message to newsmaster@msn.com, we may be able to get the group up more quickly.

Q. How do I read newsgroup messages offline?

A. Once you download the newsgroup message you want to read, you can disconnect from your Internet service provider (ISP) and read the message offline. To download messages in a newsgroup, follow these steps:

1. In the message list, click the message you want to download. To select more than one message for downloading, hold down the CTRL key while clicking each message.
2. On the Off-line menu, click Mark Message For Download.
3. On the Off-line menu, click Post And Download.
4. Click File, and then click Disconnect.
Q. Why am I unable to access a newsgroup that appears in the newsgroup list?

A. You may not be able to access the newsgroup because it has been removed from the server. You can determine this by resetting the newsgroup list. If the title of the newsgroup no longer appears in the list, it has been removed.

To reset the newsgroup list, use the following steps:

1. Click Internet Community (Culture/Newsgroups) located on the Communicate page in MSN.
2. Click Internet News Groups.
3. Double-click Try Newsgroups Now!
4. Click Newsgroups.
5. In the News Servers box, click the Newsgroup icon of the newsgroup you usually access.
6. Click Reset List.
7. Look in the list of Newsgroups to see if your newsgroup is still listed. If not, the newsgroup has been removed from the server. If it is still listed, try to access it again.

Reading and Posting Messages

Q. How do I post a new message to a newsgroup?

A. To post a new message to a newsgroup, use the following steps:
1. On the News menu, click New Message To Newsgroup.
2. In the Newsgroups box, type the names of any other newsgroups you want to post the message to, separating each name with a semicolon (;).
3. Type the subject of your message. Internet News does not post messages without a subject.
4. Type your message.
5. On the File menu, click Post Message.
Q. How do I post a reply to a newsgroup message?

A. To post a reply to a message, use the following steps:
1. Click the message you want to reply to in the list of messages.
2. On the News menu, click Reply To Group.
3. In the Newsgroups box, type the names of any other newsgroups on the same server you want to post the reply to, separating each name with a semicolon (;).
4. Type the subject of your message. Internet News does not post messages without a subject.
5. Type your message.
6. On the File menu, click Post Message.
Q. How do I post a reply to the author of a newsgroup message?

A. To post a reply to the author of a newsgroup message, use the following steps:
1. Click the message you want to reply to in the list of messages.
2. On the News menu, click Reply to Author.
3. In the Newsgroups box, type the names of any other newsgroups on the same server you want to post the reply to, separating each name with a semicolon (;).
4. Type the subject of your message. Internet News does not post messages without a subject.
5. Type your message.
6. On the File menu, click Post Message.
Q. How do I reply by mail to the author of a newsgroup message and other recipients?

A. To reply to a newsgroup message by mail, use the following steps:
1. Click the message you want to reply to in the list of messages.
2. On the News menu, click Reply To Author. To send the message to other individuals, type the e-mail name of each recipient you want to send the message to in the To or Cc boxes, separating each name with a semicolon (;).
3. Type your message.
4. On the File menu, click Send Message.
Q. How do I view messages that I have posted?

A. In the Newsgroups box, click Posted Messages.
Q. Is it possible to post a message to multiple newsgroups?

A. You can post a message to multiple newsgroups that are on the same news server.
Q. What are my options for posting replies to a newsgroup?

A. To view the options in Internet News, use the following steps:
1. On the News menu, click Options.
2. On the Send tab, you see the following options:
  - When posting, save a copy in the 'Posted Messages' folder
  - When selecting, automatically select entire word
  - Include original message in reply
  - Break apart messages larger than ___ KB
Q. How do I align a paragraph?

A. To align a paragraph, use the following steps:
1. Click the paragraph you want to format.
2. On the Format menu, click Paragraph.
3. Click the alignment you want, and then click OK.
Q. How Do I Change the Font Type, Style, or Size?

A. To change the font, use the following steps:
1. Click to select the text you want to format.
2. On the Format menu, click Font.
3. Click the font type, style, or size you prefer.
Q. How do I use HTML formatting in outgoing messages?

A. To configure outgoing messages to use HTML, use the following steps:
1. On the News menu, click Options.
2. On the Send tab, click HTML.
3. Click OK.
  
  NOTE: If the recipient's mail or news program does not read HTML formatting, the message appears as plain text with an HTML file attached. The recipient can view the attached file with HTML formatting by opening it in any Web browser.
Q. How do I check for valid e-mail names and address book contacts?

A. With a news message open, click Check Names on the News menu. If a name matches an address book entry or is in the correct format for an e-mail name (name@company), then it is a valid e-mail name, and is underlined. Note that this does not mean the e-mail name actually exists. If the e-mail name is not valid, then the name and some possible matches are displayed.
Q. How do I use the spelling checker with a newsgroup message?

A. To check the spelling in one newsgroup message, use method 1. To configure Internet News to check the spelling in all messages that you send, use method 2.

Method 1
1. On the File menu, click New Message.
2. Type your message, click Check Spelling on the News menu.
Method 2
1. On the News menu, click Options.
2. On the Spelling tab, click the Always Check Spelling Before Sending box.
  
  NOTE: If you do not have Microsoft Office 95/97 installed on your computer, the Check Spelling command is not available. Internet News uses the spelling checker provided with Office 95/97.
Q. How do I configure messages to be marked as read after previewing them?

A. To mark previewed messages as read, use the following steps:
1. On the News menu, click Options.
2. On the Read tab, click the "Message is read after being previewed for x second(s)" check box.
Q. How do I mark a read message as unread?

A. To mark a message as unread, use the following steps:
1. In the list of messages, click the first message in the thread.
2. On the Edit menu, click Mark As Unread.
Q. How do I mark an individual message as read?

A. To mark an individual message as read, use the following steps:
1. In the list of messages, click the first message in the thread.
2. On the Edit menu, click Mark As Read.
Q. How do I expand or collapse all of the threads in the list of messages?

A. To expand or collapse all of the threads in the list of messages, use the following steps:
1. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
2. On the View menu, click Expand or Collapse.
Q. How do I decode messages?

A. To decode messages, use the following steps:
1. In the list of messages, click the message you want to decode.
2. On the News menu, click Combine And Decode.
3. In the Decode Order list, put the messages into the correct order. Note that the correct order can vary depending on the program used to post the message. For example, the list of messages may contain the values 1/x, 2/x, and 3/x, in the subject lines of a three part message.
4. Click OK.
Q. When I Try to Reply to a message, why do I Receive the message: "One or More Newsgroup Names Could Not Be Verified. Do You Want To Post This Message Anyway?"

A. If you receive this error message, it may be because the newsgroup name has been deleted or changed. You can correct this by resetting the Msnnews.msn.com list.

To reset the Msnnews.msn.com list, follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click Internet News.
2. When you see the Sign-In screen, click Cancel.
3. Click Newsgroups.
4. Click the Msnnews.msn.com icon located in the News Servers box.
5. Click Reset List.
6. When you see the Sign-In screen, click OK.

Internet News

Q. What is Internet News?

A. Internet News is a program you can use to view both MSN bulletin boards and Internet newsgroups. Within this program, both Internet newsgroups and MSN bulletin boards are referred to as newsgroups.

Q. How do I uninstall Internet Mail and News?

A. To uninstall Internet News and Mail, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab.
4. In the list of installed programs, click Internet Mail And News.
5. Click Add/Remove.
Q. What are the paper clips in the newsgroup messages, and how do I open attachments?

A. Paper clips are symbols for file attachments. To view an attachment, click the paper clip icon. It displays the file type as well as the size. To open the attachment, click the file, move the mouse pointer onto the file, and open it when you are prompted.

Q. How do I clean up the news files stored on my computer?

A. Internet News stores information about newsgroups and messages in files kept locally on your computer. This reduces the amount of traffic (and connection time) necessary to browse through newsgroups and messages. To clear out these files, use the following steps:

1. On the File menu of the Newsgroups box, click Clean Up Files, and then click Delete.
2. When you are prompted if you are sure you want to delete all your newsgroup files, click Yes.
3. Click Close.
Q. What is a thread?

A. A thread is an original message and any posted replies. Threads are sorted and grouped according to the original title. For example, a thread that starts with a message titled "Please do not post binaries in this newsgroup" includes all of the replies titled "RE: Please do not post binaries in this newsgroup."

If you reply to a message and change the title, you start a new thread. For example, posting a reply titled "Let's end this thread: Please do not post binaries in this newsgroup" starts a new thread.

Q. How do I view messages by thread?

A. To view messages by thread, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, point to Sort By.
2. Click Group Messages By Thread.

You can also expand or collapse individual threads by clicking the plus (+) or minus (-) sign next to the original message, or by clicking the message and then clicking Expand or Collapse on the View menu.

Q. What is SPAM? How do I avoid becoming a SPAMMER?

A. By definition, SPAM is posting the same or a very similar article to 20 or more newsgroups. This is based entirely on quantity, not content. You might post the cure for cancer to 20 newsgroups, and it would still be SPAM.

In addition, some e-mail items are determined by Internet consensus to be SPAM, even if someone posts the message only once. This is simply because similar articles already have been posted thousands of times. Items in this category include pyramid scams, MLM schemes, 1-900 advertisements, and chain letters. Sending unsolicited e-mail, especially commercially related e-mail, normally is classified as SPAM.

MSN does not tolerate SPAM sent by its members. If you send SPAM, you may receive a warning letter from the MSN Postmaster or MSN Management in a minor case. In a more serious case, MSN may terminate your account.

To avoid becoming a SPAMMER, do not send SPAM.

For additional information please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q131810 Internet Newsgroups Shown as Bulletin Board Type

Q137107 Questions and Answers About Newsgroups on The MS Network

Q160984 Setting Up MS Internet News to Work with MSN

Additional query words: 2.00 2.50 1.00 msn inetnewsw95

Keywords : kbmsn
Issue type : kbinfo
Technology : kbMSNSearch kbIMNSearch kbMSN200 kbMSN250 kbIMN100Win95