# Getting Started With Newsgroups

## Reading Newsgroup Messages

When you open your newsgroup server, you see the list of newsgroups to which you subscribe. The server downloads the headers of new messages in each newsgroup.

To read newsgroups:

1. Click the Newsgroups icon on the component bar.

2. Double-click a newsgroup server to see its newsgroups. If there are no newsgroups, you may need to subscribe.

3. Click a newsgroup to see its contents.

4. Click a message to read it. Click the plus icon to see all the messages in a thread (discussion). The dotted lines show how the messages are connected. You can click any header to display its message. You can start a new thread or post a message in response.

Note: You can specify whether the Messenger or the Message Center window opens when you click the Newsgroups icon. Set your preference in the Window Settings Preferences panel.

Note: Messenger lets you read your messages offline.

## Subscribing to Newsgroups and IMAP Folders

To subscribe to a newsgroup or folders on an IMAP server:

1. Click the Newsgroups icon on the component bar.

2. From the File menu, choose Subscribe.

3. If necessary, click the Server pop-up menu to choose another server. Click Stop to stop the display of a list if it's taking too long. You can also add more news servers.

4. If necessary, open an IMAP folder. Or select a folder and click Expand to see everything in the folder. You can also type a name of a newsgroup to select it.

5. Click in the Subscribe column next to a newsgroup or folder. Or select one or more of them and click Subscribe. You see a checkmark next to each newsgroup and folder to which you subscribe.

6. To select a contiguous group, click the first newsgroup, then Shift-click to select the last one in the group. To select newsgroups anywhere in the list, hold down the Control key and click each newsgroup.

7. Click OK. Your subscription list appears in the Messenger window.

## Searching for a Newsgroup

To search for a newsgroup:

1. Click the Newsgroup icon on the component bar.

2. From the File menu, choose Subscribe, then click the Search tab.

3. Click the pop-up menu at Server to choose an available server.

4. Type a keyword that represents any part of a newsgroup name.

5. Click Search Now to see a list of newsgroups whose names include your keyword.

6. To subscribe to a newsgroup, click Subscribe.

## Listing New Newsgroups

To list and subscribe to any newly added groups on the server:

1. From the File menu, choose Subscribe, then click the New tab.

2. If necessary, click the Server pop-up menu to choose another server.

3. Click Refresh List. If new groups appear, you can subscribe to them.

4. Click Clear List to update the listing since you last displayed this dialog box.

## Removing a Newsgroup

To remove a newsgroup (unsubscribe) from your subscription list:

- Click the newsgroup you want to remove and then press Delete.

## Updating Newsgroups

To open your subscription list and update all subscribed newsgroups:

- Click the Newsgroup icon on the component bar, and then double-click to expand the newsgroup list. Subscribed newsgroups are automatically updated with new messages.

- To update a specific newsgroup at any time, first select it and then click Get Msg.

# Managing Your Newsgroups

## Viewing and Changing Newsgroup Properties

To view or change newsgroup properties:

1. Select the newsgroup.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Newsgroup Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac OS).

Use the items on the General panel of the Newsgroup Properties dialog box to:

- View status information about the selected newsgroup, such as total number of messages and unread messages.

- Specify whether the newsgroup accepts HTML messages.

To immediately download messages:

- Click Download.

Note: When you uncheck the HTML messages checkbox, you cannot post HTML messages to the selected newsgroup or to any groups that contain it. For example, if you uncheck HTML messages for the newsgroup mcom.jellybeans, you cannot post HTML messages to mcom.jellybeans.lime.

Messenger converts to plain text any HTML messages you post to groups that do not accept HTML.

## Setting Download Options for Newsgroups

To set options for downloading messages on a specific newsgroup:

1. Select the newsgroup and then open the Newsgroup Properties panel. Click the Download Settings tab.

2. Check the box to select this newsgroup for downloading when you switch to offline mode.

3. Uncheck the box at "Use default settings from preferences" if you want to ignore them for this specific newsgroup. Then specify which messages to download from the selected group (either unread messages or those with dates within a certain range of days).

4. Click Download Now to immediately download messages using these settings.

Messenger uses default settings in the Newsgroup Servers Preferences panel of the Mail & Newsgroups Preferences dialog box.

## Setting Disk Space Properties for Newsgroups

To keep disk usage at a manageable level when accessing newsgroup messages:

1. Select the newsgroup and then open the Newsgroup Properties panel. Click the Disk Space tab.

2. Choose how you want to handle newsgroup messages when you clean up (compact) folders:
   - Keep messages which have arrived: enter the number of days.

   - Keep all messages: enter the number of days to keep messages.

   - Keep __ newest messages: enter the number of messages.

   - Keep only unread messages: deletes read messages immediately.

3. Click Download Now to download newsgroup messages using these settings.

4. Click More to display the More Disk Space Options dialog box. At "Remove message bodies only older than" type the number of days to keep message bodies.

When you remove message bodies, you still retain the message headers that appear in the message list window. However, you can retrieve the message only when you connect to your newsgroup server and only if the message still resides on your newsgroups server.

# Posting

## Posting Newsgroup Messages

To start new threads (discussions):

1. In the subscription list, select a newsgroup.

2. Click New Msg.

3. Compose your message, and click Send to post it.

## Contributing to Ongoing Discussions

To post a response as part of the discussion:

1. In the message list, select a message to reply to and be sure its contents are displayed.

2. Click Reply and choose "to Newsgroup". To reply to the group and also send a separate email to the individual, click Reply All and choose "to Sender and Group."

3. Compose your message, and click Send to post it.

To reply to an individual but not post a response to the group:

1. In the message list, select a message to reply to and be sure its contents are displayed.

2. Click Reply, then choose "to Sender Only." To reply to the author and to all recipients who received copies of the original message, click Reply All.

3. Compose your message, and click Send to post it.

To redirect a posting to another newsgroup:

- Click Reply and choose "Follow-up To" from the Recipient type pop-up menu. Subsequent responses will be posted to the new newsgroup.

# Setting Up Newsgroups

## Adding a Newsgroup Server

To add a newsgroup server or modify its information:

- From the Edit menu, choose Preferences. Then select Newsgroup Servers from the Mail & Newsgroup Preferences category.

## Changing Newsgroup Server Properties

To view or change properties associated with a newsgroup server:

1. Select the newsgroup server.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Newsgroup Properties or Get Info (Mac OS).

3. Set the following options:

- Always ask me for my user name and password: Messenger prompts you for your user name and password to add an extra level of security. When you set this option, Messenger requires your user name and password when you first access the server.

- Always ask me for my user name and password when necessary: Messenger prompts you if you need to log in before accessing the server (usually required for a secure server connection).

4. Click OK.

# Choosing Items to Read Offline

## Going Offline to Work

To work offline:

- From the File menu, choose Offline, then Work Offline. To go back online, open the File menu and choose Offline, then Work Online.

- Click the Online/Offline connection icon in the bottom left of the Communicator window.

## Preparing to Work Offline

You can work as efficiently offline as you do online by keeping your messages and folders on your local drive up to date with those on the network.

Before you work offline, Messenger can synchronize the folders, newsgroups, and directories you select to be copied locally. When you reconnect to the network, Messenger automatically synchronizes any changes you made when offline: it files or deletes IMAP or POP mail, creates folders, and searches mail (IMAP or POP).

When exiting, Messenger reminds you to synchronize your mail folders, directories, and newsgroups (Windows only).

- Only changes since the last synchronization are downloaded locally.

- You can choose to leave large messages on the server for faster synchronization.

- Messages that you've composed while working offline can be sent as soon as you reconnect.

- You can select which folders you want to synchronize, as long as you've subscribed to them. Note: POP mail users must subscribe to newsgroups or have directories selected before synchronization is possible.

To synchronize your folders for working offline:

1. From the File menu, select Offline, and then choose Synchronize.

You see the Synchronize Offline Items dialog box.

2. Use the dialog box to:

- Specify whether you are downloading mail, newsgroups, or directories.

- Send any unsent messages when you reconnect.

- Have Communicator go offline immediately after synchronizing.

3. Click Select Items in the dialog box to further specify which mail folders, newsgroups, and directories you want to synchronize. If a folder contains subfolders, you must select them as well to download their contents.

Note: You see only the newsgroups and folders you've already subscribed to. To subscribe to a newsgroup or folder, select it using the Subscribe to Newsgroups dialog box. To select a directory for download, use the Offline Settings panel of the Directory Server dialog box.

## Downloading Items for Working Offline

If you're an IMAP mail user, you can immediately download selected or flagged mail and newsgroup messages. If you don't know whether you use IMAP or POP, check your settings in the Mail Servers panel of the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences.

Note: POP mail users can download only newsgroup messages and directory items, not mail messages.

To download selected messages:

1. Select a newsgroup or mail folder to display the message headers.

2. Select the messages you want to download. To select a contiguous group, click the first message, then Shift-click to select the last one in the group. To select messages anywhere in the list, hold down the Control key and click each message.

3. From the File menu, choose Offline, then Get Selected Messages.

To download flagged messages:

1. In the Messenger window, select a newsgroup or mail folder to display the message headers.

2. Click in the flag column of each message you want to download. A flag appears to show it is marked.

3. From the File menu, choose Offline, then Get Flagged Messages.

To select newsgroups, mail folders, and directories for downloading:

1. Go to the Download Preferences panel.

2. Click Select.

3. Click in the Download column next to any item you want to work with offline.

4. Click OK. To limit which newsgroup messages are downloaded, select the options for Newsgroup Messages.

## Updating the Items You Selected for Downloading

To update all your downloaded items at once:

1. From the File menu, choose Offline, then Synchronize.

2. Select the categories for updating (synchronizing). Click Select Items to add or remove folders or directories that you want to update. You see only the newsgroups and folders you've already subscribed to.

3. To go offline immediately after the update, check "Work offline after synchronization."

4. To send messages in your Unsent Messages folder, check "Send Unsent Messages."

5. Click Synchronize. Messenger makes sure that your selected items and those on the servers have the same contents.

Note: If you're a POP mail user, you can download only newsgroup messages and directory entries. If you're an IMAP mail user, you can download entries from all three categories: mail, newsgroups, and directories.

To change download settings for specific newsgroups:

1. Select a newsgroup.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Newsgroup Properties (Get Info on Mac OS) and then click the Download Settings tab.

To be prompted to update all downloaded items before exiting Communicator:

1. Go to the Offline Preferences panel.

2. Check "Prompt me to synchronize my messages." When you exit, you will have a choice of whether you want to update the items selected for downloading.

## Selecting Items for Download

This dialog box displays your mail folders, subscribed newsgroups, and directories. To pick an item for downloading, select it by clicking in the Download column to the left of the item name.

Note: You see only the newsgroups and folders you've already subscribed to. To subscribe to a newsgroup or folder, select it and then choose Subscribe from the File menu.

# Setting Preferences

## Setting Offline Preferences

If you're using a modem connection, you might want to work offline and go online only when you need to connect to the network. This can reduce online time and costs.

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences and click the Offline category.

2. Choose whether you want Messenger always to remember the state in which you last exited the program, or if you want to be prompted each time you start the program.

3. Choose how you want to handle messages in your Unsent Messages folder.

4. Check "Prompt me to synchronize my messages." When you exit, you will have a choice of whether you want to update the items selected for downloading.

5. Click OK.

## Downloading Newsgroups for Offline Reading

(Windows and Mac OS only) To set options for downloading newsgroup messages:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences. Click the Offline category and then select Download.

2. Select one of the following:

- Download Only Unread Messages: downloads messages you haven't yet read.

- Download By Date: downloads messages according to their age. Use the radio buttons and pop-up menu to specify a time period.

3. To specify which messages to download, click Select (Download Items pop-up menu on Mac OS).

4. Click OK, then click OK again to close Preferences.

October 1, 1998

Copyright © 1994-1998 Netscape Communications Corporation.