| Article |
A Usenet message |
| Binary File |
A message that is specially encoded to
permit a non-text file to be distributed using Usenet. These are found in
alt.binaries.* |
| Breidbart index |
A calculation that attempts to identify messages that
are cancelable by Cancelbots and other third party cancelers, due to (almost) identical
messages being posted to too many groups or too many times. |
| Cabal |
The mythical group of powerful News Administrators who
control Usenet and its power structure (There is no Cabal) |
| Cancel |
The process of telling Usenet to "unsend" a
message. Given the way that Usenet works, the effectiveness of a cancel varies
widely. |
| CancelBot |
A CancelBot is a computer program that watches Usenet
in real time, looking for articles that violate the rules of Usenet. When the
articles are spotted, a third party cancel is issued. |
| CancelMoose(tm) |
The proponent of NoCeM.
Also one of the pioneers in CancelBots |
| Cross-Posting |
Sending a message to more than one group at a
time. This is usually done by putting a comma after the first group name, and adding
more groups.
If the additional groups are closely related to the topic of the message, this might be
appropriate, but generally it is a bad idea. |
| Expire |
The process of removing messages from a news server
when they have exceeded the retention time. |
| Flame |
An article whose purpose is to humiliate the target of
the flame. One of the tools used to enforce Netiquette. |
| Followup |
The public reply to an article. Followups should
always have a subject beginning with Re: and the original topic. Frequently
changing the topic for no reason is one of the traits of a net.kook |
| Godwin's Law |
"As a USENET discussion grows longer, the
probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one." There is
a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and whoever
mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress. Godwin's Law
thus guarantees the existence of an upper bound on thread length in those groups. |
| Headers |
The first portion of an article (normally hidden by
your newsreader) that identifies important characteristics of the message. In
(Free)Agent, press H to see the headers. |
| Ignoring a Thread |
A feature of a good newsreader that allows you to
ignore all future followups to an existing Subject: Once a thread devolves
into a personality conflict or wanders off-topic, you may want to ignore the rest of the
thread until it goes away. Press I in (free)Agent |
| Kill Filter |
A feature in many news readers that discards / ignores
messages based on the name of the sender, the subject, or other rules. Agent
contains Kill Filters, Free Agent does not |
| Looser |
Gen-X for Loser. Frequently seen in flames
attempted by newbies |
| net.kook |
They come in many varieties. Some oppose the
Cabal. Some just have to push the limits of Netiquette until folks are forced to
push back. |
| net.lawyer |
A person who posts legal opinions to Usenet, but has no
provable professional credentials.
They often have very innovative legal theories. |
| Netiquette |
The generally accepted rules of conduct for the
Internet - mostly applies to posting to Usenet. |
| NewsAdmin |
Your local delegate in the Cabal (There is no
Cabal). Normally can be reached at news@yourisp.net. If you want a newsfroup
that isn't currently carried, your NewsAdmin is the person to contact. If you post a
Make Money Fast chain letter to news.admin net-abuse.usenet, your news admin will be
writing you a letter. |
| Newbie |
Someone who has newly arrived on the the shores of the
Internet, and is unskilled in its ways. |
| Newsfroup |
An accidental typo made by someone back in the ancient
era. If you want people to think you're either an old-timer or a net.kook,
deliberately spell newsgroup with an f. |
| NoCeM |
The second generation of de-Spammers.
Cancelbots have become less "effective" over time, because:
- There isn't complete agreement when or if third party
cancels are ever appropriate
(that pesky Censorship concept)
- The sheer volume of cancels has become more of a problem
than the messages being canceled
- Cancelbots leave a clear record of their work.
NoCeM is based on the
"Out of Sight, out of Mind" principle. NoCeM doesn't cancel
messages, it just hides them so we don't C eM.
It's an interesting semantic technical distinction. |
| *Plonk* |
The sound made when someone's name is added to a kill
filter. |
| Post |
Sending a message into Usenet for distribution around
the world. |
| Retention Period |
How long in days (sometimes hours) a message is kept on
a news server before it is deleted to make room for new incoming messages. Most
servers retain messages based on the time the message arrived at the news server - some
keep messages based on the time the message was sent. |
| RFC |
Request For Comments. The set of technical rules
that define the proper operation of the Internet. Throw in "The RFCs say you're
wrong" to win an argument.
(Unless the other person may have actually have read the RFCs). |
| Spam Hippo |
A widely used system for removing "SPAM" from
your Usenet feed. Hopefully, your definition of 'unwanted' matches that of the operators
of the Spam Hippo. |
| Third Party Cancel |
An attempt to cancel a message by some entity other
than the original sender or his Internet Provider's news administrator. Many News
Admins refuse to honor third party cancels. |
| Thread |
An initial article, and all of the followups. |
| Troll |
A person who deliberately posts Troll Posts |
| Troll Post |
A message that has the intent of starting a
never-ending thread of pointless messages. Religion, sexual orientation,
politics and ethnicity are common topics. Combining more than one of the above
increases the effectiveness.
Cross-posting to popular newsgroups ensures a never-ending supply of newbies who will
perpetuate the thread. |
| Warez |
Illegal copies of unlicensed software.
Frequently contain viruses, Trojan Horses, backdoors, and other nice surprises. |
