Chapter 6
Discussion lists and newsgroups

Overview
One of the undoubted strengths of the Internet is the ease by which we can communicate with friends and colleagues throughout the world. As discussed in Chapter 3 if you know someone's e-mail address you can be assured that the mail will reach that recipient, typically within a few minutes of being sent.

In addition to this one-to-one communication, the Internet also provides the opportunity to communicate on a one-to-many basis through the use of online discussion forums. Here, people with a common interest - such as a particular medical condition, a hobby, or a work-related topic - come together, via e-mail, to share experiences and seek advice.

In this chapter we look at the two forms of online discussion - discussion lists and newsgroups - and discuss how you can find online forums that pertain to your specific interests. In addition to this we give some practical advice on how you join (and leave) discussion forums and discuss some of the issues you need to consider before you mail your first set of questions and comments.

Key topics covered in this chapter