Foolproof Access Guide to Newsgroups
Go straight to the Newsgroup Links
Updated on : 10-30-1998
日本語はここをクリック : Japanese
Here's what you do first : Netscape Options
(1)Designating News Server

Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "Mail and News Preferences." Go to "Servers" page. You'll see "News" at the bottom. It says "News (NNTP) Server :" and there's a blank space to the right. Put in the name of your news server here. Look it up in the manual supplied by your Internet Service Provider. It should be something like "news.dtinet.or.jp" or "newssvd02.meshnet.or.jp." Make sure you put in the right one for you.

(2)MIME Compliant

Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "Mail and News Preferences." Go to "Composition" page. Find "MIME Copliant." Click the radio button that precedes it.

(3)Choose "Netscape" for "Gif Image" and "JPEG Image"

Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "General Preferences." Go to "Helpers" page. Assign "Netscape" to handle "Gif Image" and "JPEG Image". To do that you push "Edit" button and then check the radio button that precedes "Navigator".

Fully Automatic Foolproof Access !
All you have to do is click on any of the newsgroups listed below.
Click on any of the newsgroups listed below. Netscape News Window will open automatically to the newsgroup of your choice. If this doesn't work, follow the steps listed further down. Should you find it impossible to access certain newsgroups, then your internet service provider does not subscribe to them. Switch over to some other more liberal-minded internet service provider at once.
  • alt.binaries.pictures.bluebird
    • Still no luck ? Try the following.
    Foolproof Access Guide to Newsgroups
    Netscape Navigator (2.0 or higher) only
    I use a Macintosh. The set-up procedure may be slightly different for a Windows machine.
    Step 1
    Netscape Options
    Designating News Server
    Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "Mail and News Preferences." Go to "Servers" page. You'll see "News" at the bottom. It says "News (NNTD) Server :" and there's a blank space to the right. Put in the name of your news server here. Look it up in the manual supplied by your Internet Service Provider. It should be something like "news.dtinet.or.jp" or "newssvd02.meshnet.or.jp." Make sure you put in the right one for you.
    Step 2
    Netscape Options
    MIME Compliant
    Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "Mail and News Preferences." Go to "Composition" page. Find "MIME Copliant." Click the radio button that precedes it.
    Step 3
    Netscape Options
    Plug-ins and Helper Applications
    Pull down "Options" from the Menu Bar. Click on "General Preferences." Go to "Helpers" page. You see a long list, which is divided into two parts, that is, "Description" and "Handled By". Using "Edit" button you choose an appropriate plug-in, application, or Netscape itself for each item. Sometimes a certain application or a specific plug-in is recommended or requested for the item. For various "Images", that is, "Gif Image" "JPEG Image" and so on, simply choose "Netscape."
    Step 4
    Choosing Newsgroup List
    Choose any of the Newsgroup Lists that you are interested from the table given below. Then click on it.
    Step 5
    Lists of Newsgroups
    1 Newsgroup Index
    2 alt
    3 alt.binaries hierarchy
    4 alt.binaries.pictures hierarchy
    5 alt.sex Hierarchy
    6 bionet
    7 bit
    8 biz
    9 comp
    10 eunet
    11 gnu
    12 humanities
    13 k12
    14 misc
    15 news
    16 rec
    17 sci
    18 soc
    19 talk
    20 uk
    21 vmuksnet
    22 Other
    Step 6
    Getting there
    Go over the list and pick the newsgroup you want to check out. Click on it. Sometimes what you just clicked on is subdivided. Keep clicking till you get to where you want to be. Wait for all the messages to be loaded. When it's done, click on the dot that precedes the name of the newsgroup displayed under "News Server." This will add a blue check mark to it and now you have successfully subscribed to this newsgroup. Netscape will remember it, too. Take a look at all the titles displayed in the righthand side window. Click on any of them. That's all there is to it.
    Step 7
    Revisits
    Pull down "Window" from the Menu Bar. Click on "Netscape News." All the newsgroups that you've subscribed to will appear under "News Servers". Choose the newsgroup you want to check out by clicking on its name.
    Note that not all of the newsgroups are necessarily accessible. Some news servers (translated : your Internet Service Provider) may not let you gain access to certain newsgroups. It's none of their %*@# business, I should say. Switch over to some other Internet Service Provider.
    You are stuck with an ISP that does not subscribe to newsgroups. OK, here's what you may want to try. Make use of what's called "public news servers".