What is Usenet?

What Are Newsgroups?

A newsgroup is a category-based archive in Usenet. Newsgroups come in two types: text and binary. Text newsgroups work like large online forums (text only); binary files like images aren't allowed there.

Some newsgroups are moderated and some are not. Moderators remove SPAM and off-topic posts so only valuable discussion happens; non-moderated groups have no oversight. At Fast Usenet we offer over 120,000+ newsgroups. Use our newsgroup search tool to see if we carry the one you're looking for.

Text and Binary Files

Usenet was originally text-only. Binary files like images, audio, and video couldn't be shared. That changed in the late 1990s with 8-bit value encoding using ASCII, letting users encode and transfer data files. Thanks to the efficiency of NNTP (network news transfer protocol), Usenet is excellent for transferring data. Over the years encoding evolved from ASCII 8-bit to yEnc, which is about 30% more efficient.

Newsgroup Names and Organization

With over 120,000+ newsgroups, they need organization. There are 9 hierarchies: 8 under strict control that must follow guidelines, plus the alt.* hierarchy which isn't subject to the "big 8" naming standards:

• comp.* - computer & technology discussion (comp.mail.sendmail, comp.os.linux)
• humanities.* - fine arts, literature, and philosophy (humanities.philosophy.objectivism)
• misc.* - miscellaneous topics (misc.business.marketing)
• news.* - discussions and announcements about news (news.admin.peering)
• rec.* - recreation and entertainment (rec.models.rockets)
• sci.* - science related discussions (sci.geo.geology)
• soc.* - social discussions (soc.college.admissions, soc.culture.ireland)
• talk.* - controversial topics (talk.politics)
• alt.* - not restricted to any specific subject or type (alt.linux.redhat)

For more, click a hierarchy name above or visit our Newsgroup Hierarchies (Categories) section.

Privacy and Security

People want their privacy and security protected online. That's a problem with modern social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that log your activity and share your data with advertisers. Usenet does not work that way, and has been developed to use SSL (secure socket layer) technology.

SSL on Usenet works like the HTTPS connection in your web browser. A 256-bit SSL connection keeps your connection private so no one can capture your data mid-stream (a man-in-the-middle attack). Even if your ISP or a third party intercepted it, the data would be encrypted. Fast Usenet has used SSL for over a decade. Learn more in our Usenet SSL Security section.

Freedom of Speech & Exchanging of Ideas

Usenet has always been about inter-human communication among a large group of users. In its simplest form it represents democracy: the right to share almost anything from a computer. Most of the material is contributed by the same people who actively read Usenet, so the audience itself chooses what's presented and debated.

Early Usenet users shared a passion to discuss a broad range of topics, from science and technology to philosophy, literature, and politics. People meet in newsgroups to voice opinions, ask for advice, and interact with others who share their interests. That trend continues, while Usenet's functionality has grown tremendously into a worldwide, unrestricted forum where many sides of an issue come into view.

Usenet Compared to Modern Internet Forums

Usenet resembles modern Internet forums, but unlike them, Usenet posts sync across providers all over the world. A post to a regular forum appears only on that single website. With Usenet, your post is transferred between providers that have a peering relationship.

Post a message to Fast Usenet and it appears on thousands of Usenet systems worldwide. That's what makes Usenet a great communication tool. You aren't limited to one web service; your questions, comments, and ideas are seen by people accessing the newsgroups everywhere.

How Do You Access Usenet? Using a Newsreader

Usenet can be accessed via the command line for tech-savvy users, but for everyone else there are newsreaders, software applications that make Usenet easier to use and provide a visual interface. For example, we offer GrabIt, which lets you browse the newsgroup list, subscribe and post, and includes a global search feature for newsgroup content.

There are three categories of newsreaders: text-only, binary-only, and both. Mozilla Thunderbird handles text; SABnzbd and NZBGet handle binaries; GrabIt does both. We've created tutorials for the most popular newsreaders on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Usenet Data Storage - Retention

Retention is the amount of time a provider stores files, and it varies greatly depending on how much hardware a provider has. If one day of newsgroup storage is 10TB, then 10 days is 100TB, and 3,000 days is 30,000TB (30PB). That's a lot of storage! Providers must invest heavily in storage infrastructure to offer higher retention. Learn more on our Usenet retention page.

Usenet Today

Usenet connects tens of thousands of sites around the world, from large data centers to small home servers, with retention ranging from a few days to thousands. Usenet is a community, and to keep it strong, the community must stay strong too.

Fast Usenet continues the legacy of the Usenet network today. We continually update our equipment so your experience stays superb, bringing the network home to you and making it easy to use, even for newcomers.