How is USENET organized ?

[Mr. Correct]

Hello,

I would like to gain an understanding of how USENET is organized - how it
works. Maybe someone knows a website or a book I can find that answers
questions such as:

Who owns and operates the computers that host usenet?

Are the servers operated by different organizations interconnected? How?

What is the difference between open servers and 'private' servers?

How are new usenet groups created

How is a group moderated? - who does it? How do they get the authority to
moderate?

What can I learn about the history of a post by reading the header?

Does anyone know a reference that answers this kind of questions ?

Thanks. Bill S.

[Dan Cottler]

Post by Mr. Correct
I would like to gain an understanding of how USENET is organized - how it
works. Maybe someone knows a website or a book I can find that answers

There are lot of FAQs about this. Google for 'em.

Post by Mr. Correct
Who owns and operates the computers that host usenet?

Anyone who has the hardware, bandwidth, and patience.

Post by Mr. Correct
Are the servers operated by different organizations interconnected? How?

They're all connected to the Internet. The servers pass articles around
in a fully distributed peer to peer fashion.

Post by Mr. Correct
What is the difference between open servers and 'private' servers?

The admin's whim and business needs.

Newsgroups can be distributed to the whole world, or kept private. Some
servers hold only local private groups. Some hold everything. It all
depends on the admin's resources and intentions.

Post by Mr. Correct
How are new usenet groups created
How is a group moderated? - who does it? How do they get the authority to
moderate?

Ultimately, with a special control message, and an admin's permission
(explicit or automated). But different trees have different policies,
some require votes, some don't.

Post by Mr. Correct
What can I learn about the history of a post by reading the header?

The path thru USENET that that particular copy of the article took to
get to you. In some cases, headers may contain the ip address of the
sender. etc.

- Dan.

[Mr. Correct]

Thanks for the info, Dan. I will be looking into it.

Bill S.

Post by Dan Cottler

Post by Mr. Correct
I would like to gain an understanding of how USENET is organized - how it
works. Maybe someone knows a website or a book I can find that answers

There are lot of FAQs about this. Google for 'em.

Post by Mr. Correct
Who owns and operates the computers that host usenet?

Anyone who has the hardware, bandwidth, and patience.

Post by Mr. Correct
Are the servers operated by different organizations interconnected?

How?

Post by Dan Cottler
They're all connected to the Internet. The servers pass articles around
in a fully distributed peer to peer fashion.

Post by Mr. Correct
What is the difference between open servers and 'private' servers?

The admin's whim and business needs.
Newsgroups can be distributed to the whole world, or kept private. Some
servers hold only local private groups. Some hold everything. It all
depends on the admin's resources and intentions.

Post by Mr. Correct
How are new usenet groups created
How is a group moderated? - who does it? How do they get the authority to
moderate?

Ultimately, with a special control message, and an admin's permission
(explicit or automated). But different trees have different policies,
some require votes, some don't.

Post by Mr. Correct
What can I learn about the history of a post by reading the header?

The path thru USENET that that particular copy of the article took to
get to you. In some cases, headers may contain the ip address of the
sender. etc.
- Dan.
--
- Psychoceramic Emeritus
- South Jersey, USA, Earth