Internet Newsgroups | Excel 2007 Power Programming with VBA (Mr. Spreadsheets Bookshelf)

Usenet is an Internet service that provides access to several thousand special interest groups and enables you to communicate with people who share common interests. A newsgroup works like a public bulletin board. You can post a message or questions, and (usually) others reply to your message.

Thousands of newsgroups cover virtually every topic you can think of (and many that you haven't thought of). Typically, questions posed on a newsgroup are answered within 24 hours - assuming , of course, that you ask the questions in a manner that makes others want to reply.

Accessing newsgroups by using a newsreader

You can use newsreader software to access the Usenet newsgroups. Many such programs are available, but you probably already have one installed: Microsoft Outlook Express, which is installed with Internet Explorer.

Microsoft maintains an extensive list of newsgroups, including quite a few devoted to Excel. If your Internet service provider doesn't carry the Microsoft newsgroups, you can access them directly from Microsoft's news server. (In fact, that's the preferred method.) You need to configure your newsreader software (not your Web browser) to access Microsoft's news server at this address:

http://www.msnews.microsoft.com

Accessing newsgroups by using a Web browser

As an alternative to using newsreader software, you can read and post to the Microsoft newsgroups directly from your Web browser. This option is often significantly slower than using standard newsgroup software and is best suited for situations in which newsgroup access is prohibited by network policies.

Access thousands of newsgroups at Google Groups:

http://www.groups.google.com
Access the Microsoft newsgroups (including Excel newsgroups) from this URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx

Table A-1 lists the most popular English-language Excel newsgroups found on Microsoft's news server (and also available at Google Groups).

Table A-1: THE http://www.microsoft.com EXCEL-RELATED NEWSGROUPS
Open table as spreadsheet
Newsgroup	Topic
`microsoft.public.excel`	General Excel topics
`microsoft.public.excel.charting`	Building charts with Excel
`microsoft.public.excel.interopoledde`	OLE, DDE, and other cross-application issues
`microsoft.public.excel.macintosh`	Excel issues on the Macintosh operating system
`microsoft.public.excel.misc`	General topics that don't fit one of the other categories
`microsoft.public.excel.newusers`	Help for newcomers to Excel
`microsoft.public.excel.printing`	Printing with Excel
`microsoft.public.excel.programming`	Programming Excel with VBA macros
`microsoft.public.excel.templates`	Spreadsheet Solutions templates and other XLT files
`microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions`	Worksheet functions

Searching newsgroups

The fastest way to find a quick answer to a question is to search past newsgroup postings. Often, searching past newsgroup postings is an excellent alternative to posting a question to the newsgroup because you can get the answer immediately. Unless your question is very obscure, there's an excellent chance that your question has already been asked and answered. The best source for searching newsgroup postings is Google Groups:

http://www.groups.google.com

How does searching work? Suppose that you have a problem identifying unique values in a range of cells . You can perform a search using the following keywords: Excel , Range , and Unique . The Google search engine probably will find dozens of newsgroup postings that deal with these topics.

If the number of results is too large, refine your search by adding search terms. Sifting through the messages may take a while, but you have an excellent chance of finding an answer to your question. In fact, I estimate that at least 90 percent of the questions posted in the Excel newsgroups can be answered by searching Google.

Tips for Posting to a Newsgroup

If you're new to online newsgroups, here are some pointers:

Conduct a search first to make sure that your question has not already been answered.
Make the subject line descriptive. Postings with a subject line like "Help me!" and "Another Question" are less likely to be answered than postings with a more specific subject, such as "Sizing a Chart's Plot Area."
Specify the Excel version that you use. In many cases, the answer to your question depends on your version of Excel.
For best results, ask only one question per message.
Make your question as specific as possible.
Keep your question brief and to the point but provide enough information so that someone can answer it adequately.
Indicate what you've done to try to answer your own question.
Post in the appropriate newsgroup, and don't cross-post to other groups unless the question applies to multiple groups.
Don't type in all uppercase or all lowercase; check your grammar and spelling.
Don't include a file attachment.
Avoid posting in HTML format. Plain text is the preferred format.
If you request an e-mail reply in addition to a newsgroup reply, don't use an antispam e-mail address that requires the responder to modify your address. Why cause extra work for someone doing you a favor?