|
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. |
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