Composing and Replying to Messages


You compose and reply to messages in a newsreader exactly as you do in an email program. The only differences are in the message header, because instead of addressing a message to a person, you're addressing it to a newsgroup.

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The only other important difference between sending email and newsgroup messages is the terminology you see applied on buttons and menu items:

  • In email, you click Send to send a message; in a newsreader, it's either Send or Post.

  • In email, you click Reply to reply to a message; in a newsreader, it's either Reply or Respond.

The easiest way to deal with that difference is to start in the right place. For example, when you want to compose a new message (not a reply) and post it to a newsgroup, begin by opening that newsgroup, and then clicking your newsreader's button for composing a new message. (It's New Msg in Netscape Messenger, New Post in Outlook Express.) When the message window opens, you'll see that it's preaddressed to the currently open newsgroup.

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When you first join a newsgroup, it's a good idea to "lurk" for a while before posting. Lurking is the act of reading other people's posts and just "getting the lay of the land" before jumping in head-first.

When replying, open the message to which you want to reply, and then click the Reply (or Respond) button on the message window in which that message appears. In the message window that opens, the message is preaddressed to the appropriate newsgroup, the subject line is correctly phrased to add the reply to the same thread as the original message, and the original message is quoted in the message area (see Figure 7.8). Just add your comments, and edit the quote as necessary.

Figure 7.8. Start a new message or reply while viewing the message list of a newsgroup, and that message is preaddressed to the open newsgroup.

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After completing a new message or reply, send the message by clicking the button or menu item labeled Send or Post.

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When you choose to reply, most newsreaders provide the option of replying to the newsgroup or sending an email reply directly to the author of the message you're replying to. The email option is handy when your reply is really intended only for the author, not the whole group .



Sams Teach Yourself Internet and Web Basics All in One
Sams Teach Yourself Internet and Web Basics All in One
ISBN: 0672325330
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 350
Authors: Ned Snell

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