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E-mail and Website are not the only tools for business
promotion - Learn how to network with people who matter
Newsgroup is a web-based interactive forum for groups
of like minded people to share information and learn from each other.
Possibly the greatest networking tool ever invented, Newsgroups
have no geographic border and virtually cover every subject under
the sun. Anyone can select a newsgroup (from thousands !), join
the discussion going on, start a new one, ask for advice or simply
listens to others experiences/views/observations.
The origin of newsgroup is Usenet - a world-wide
distributed discussion system. It consists of a set of "newsgroups"
with names that are classified hierarchically by subject. "Articles"
or "messages" are "posted" to these newsgroups for broadcasting
to other interconnected computer systems via a wide variety of networks.
Members of Newsgroups then download these postings from their servers
using News feature of their web-browser. For example, a VSNL subscriber
can download Usenet news by configuring his/her browser (Netscape/Internet
Explorer etc.) accordingly. However, this process has become redundant
now, as can be seen later.
While there was incredibly valuable information available
in the discussions taking place on newsgroups, finding that information
was really tough. In 1995, Deja News was created to provide a user-friendly
interface to Usenet. Deja began archiving and indexing messages
so they could be searched and sorted, turning an ephemeral and unmanageable
resource into a reference tool that was fairly easy to use. Deja
became extremely popular with Net users.
In February' 2001 - Google Inc acquired Deja.com's
Usenet Discussion Service. Since then, Deja has undergone great
transformation. Google now offers a way to post messages on Usenet
through Google Groups. Google has also made available full Usenet
archive formerly maintained by Deja.com. Together, these upgrades
provide you with complete access to Usenet data since 1995 and the
ability to add your own comments to the more than 650 million messages
already posted.
Newsgroups can be an effective way to get the word
out about your product or service or receive feedback. You can easily
find out what is being said about you and your product. Here is
some basic information to get you started along with some tips to
keep your campaign rolling.
Newsgroups and Mailing Lists
Newsgroups disseminates information in a one-to-many
form. Anybody can start a newsgroup (it is still free !) or join
an existing one. When a member "posts" message to a newsgroup, the
message gets distributed all over the world to different news servers.
People who belong to the group can respond to these postings, or
just read it and other people's replies. Many newsgroups have hundreds
of regular contributors, and thousands of regular readers. Earlier,
newsgroups could be accessed through news reader feature of Web
browser. However, Google has now removed this somewhat archaic feature
and made all newsgroups accessible like any web-page. Please visit
http://groups.google.com/googlegroups/deja_announcement.html
Mailing lists are made up of groups of people who
exchange email about a subject that interests them. These are not
one-to-one mails - but one-to-many where each mail is sent to all
members of the group. Similarly, each response is also sent to all
members. Once you join a mailing list, be prepared to get lots of
mail in your mailbox. Alternatively, you might want to read the
list in "digest" format, where several days worth of mail are sent
in a single file that you can review at your leisure. Yahoo's eGroup
is a notable example in this regard.
Though both Usenet and Mailing Lists take advantage
of one to many communication - there are few subtle differences.
Usenet is a cooperative network of computers that have agreed to
distribute 'netnews'. You might think of Usenet as broadcasting,
and Mailing Lists as narrowcasting. You can access any newsgroup
readily, however to access the information on and participate in
a mailing list, you need to subscribe.
Usenet or Mailing Lists - which one to choose ? Actually,
they are no better or worse. Some people do not like to get lots
of e-mail and Usenet obviously becomes their ideal choice. On the
other hand, you may be just starting to explore the Internet, and
e-mail may be one of the areas where you feel sufficiently confident.
Or you may dislike surfing and feel comfortable reading and responding
to e-mails. However, if your area of interest is very narrow - you
opt for whatever is available.
Newsgroups and Mailing lists, could be two types
- free or moderated. In a free newsgroup/list, each posting is sent
to all members of the group unedited. This results in a large number
of posting/e-mails originating everyday in your mailbox, many of
which may be of little interest.
In a moderated list on the other hand, each mail/posting
is scrutinized and edited by the moderator who sends a digest of
selected postings with his/her comment in many cases. It's a pleasure
to join such groups/lists, especially when moderated by an outstanding
person.
A Web site is not the only way to promote your business
online. Many small business owners have found great success marketing
their products and services through the "discussion" features of
the Internet - newsgroups and mailing lists. There are literally
thousands of groups and lists available to you, covering every conceivable
subject. The benefit is that they allow you to reach a highly targeted
group of individuals whose interests you already know and share.
This lets you network with like-minded individuals; prospect for
customers; share your expertise; and increase the visibility of
your company.
Newsgroups and mailing lists are excellent learning
opportunity for everyone aspiring to become a successful Net entrepreneur.
Moreover, you get a chance to network with outstanding people in
your field and share their knowledge and experience.
Be aware that newsgroups and mailing lists are like
little communities. To market your business effectively through
these forums, you need to understand how they operate and what type
of behavior is acceptable. You need to keep in mind that Newsgroup/Mailing
List are not advertising platforms but forum for discussion and
sharing information.
In next issues, we shall discuss how to find right
Newsgroups and Mailing Lists, acceptable behaviour and tips on how
to post in Newsgroups
Related Links:
Source: FAIDA
- Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad
Vol II, Issue 13; August 29' 2001
Author :
Dr. Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in various
capacities like Research and Information Analysis, Market Development,
MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before starting his e-commerce
venture in 1997. The views expressed in this columns are of
his own. He may be reached at amit@infobanc.com
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