Step One: Looking up the server name

The Conference Profiles list contains the name of the NNTP (news) server and the newsgroup names of the conferences that support newsgroups. The news server name appears in the heading of the lists and the newsgroup names appear next to the conference entry.

To look up the news server and newsgroup names, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the board whose newsgroups you want to subscribe to.

2. Click More on the WebBoard menubar. The More Options menu appears.

3. Click Conference Profiles from the menu. The Conference Profiles page appears.

4. Note the news server name that appears in the list heading just before Newsgroups. It looks like a domain name, for example, lss.srcc.edu.

5. Look down the list of conferences for the ones you want to participate in via newsreader. If the conference has an associated newsgroup, its name appears in the Servername Newsgroup column.

Step Two: Adding the WebBoard news server

Newsgroups are distributed by news servers. The well-known public Usenet newsgroups are distributed by different news servers all over the world. News servers can also distribute newsgroups that are not part of Usenet. WebBoard newsgroups are distributed by a news server at the WebBoard site that hosts the conferences you want to participate in via your newsreader.

Before you can subscribe to a newsgroup, your newsreader needs to know where to find the news server that distributes the newsgroup. In Netscape’s Communicator, you add a server. In Outlook Express, you create a new news account. See your newsreader for specific instructions. The newsreader needs at least the following information to connect to the news server:

• the domain name of the computer running the news server (obtained from the Conference Profiles page)

• the port number the computer uses for NNTP (news) communication. WebBoard uses port 119.

• if possible, add the username and password you use when logging into WebBoard via your browser. The server requires authentication when you connect (as described in the next step).

Step Three: Subscribing to newsgroups

Once you have added the WebBoard news server to your newsreader, you can connect to the server and subscribe to mailing lists. When you connect to the news server, you must authenticate yourself. Authentication requires the same username and password that you supply when logging in to the board through your browser.

Note In some newsreaders, you can include your username and password when you add the news server. For example, Outlook Express’s New Account Wizard lets you enter that information. In others, such as Netscape’s Collabra, you are prompted for the information when you connect. On older newsreaders, you may have to include the username and password with the news server URL.

Once you are connected to the WebBoard news server, your newsreader should show you a list of all available newsgroups for that news server. Check the newsgroup names you noted from the Conference Profiles page if you’re not sure which conference a newsgroup goes with. Subscribe to the individual newsgroups using the regular procedure for your newsreader.

Reading and Posting Conference Newsgroup Messages

Reading WebBoard newsgroup messages is no different from reading messages from a Usenet newsgroup. Replying to messages and posting new topic messages to a conference is also just like replying and posting new topics to other newsgroups. When you reply to messages, note the following:

• To post a reply in the conference, be sure to reply to the group.

• To send a private reply to the person who wrote the message, reply to the sender or author.

• To post a new topic message, use a command for creating a new message, not a command for replying.

Attaching Files to Your Message

WebBoard accepts files attached to messages you post through your newsreader if the attached file is sent in MIME format. Most current newsreaders support MIME format. For example, Netscape sends file attachments in MIME format and Outlook Express lets you choose MIME format under Preferences. Many older newsreaders, such as Free Agent, use uuencoding, which WebBoard cannot recognize. WebBoard throws away any attached uuencoded file, but still posts the message.

Attached files are stored in the Upload folder and the filename appears in the message (seen through the browser interface) as a link.

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