| To connect to a news server
(that's the virtual room described in the
Introduction), one needs just two steps. The description
below uses Outlook Express. If you use another program, the
dialogs and menu items will be different. But, the information
you need to provide should be organized in a fashion similar to
what's described below.
An important note. When Outlook
Express runs for the first time, it may
display a dialog box indicating that it is not the default mail
program and asking if it should become the default mail program for
your computer. If you are already using another program, such
as Outlook (part of the Office suite) or Eudora, it is important
that you click NO.
| First, one must decide how to
identify oneself on the news server. Second, one
must identify which news server to connect to. In
Outlook Express, a wizard guides us through the process. |
| To get started, in Outlook
Express, select the menu item
Tools | Accounts... |
Click Add►
and select News...
The wizard that the program starts
will ask for personal identification (first 2 dialog
screens) and then ask for the name of the news server
(screen 3). |
| In the first screen, enter your
name. Click Next >.
In the second screen, enter your email address.
Remember that one doesn't have to
enter a real name or email address. Depending on
how averse one is to spam, this could be a real or a
false name and address. My preference is to use a
real name with an address that I can 'throw away.'
The Bigfoot address I use is one that I can stop using
if the spam reaches an unacceptable level. One
could similarly use a Hotmail or a Yahoo! address.
I had expected to throw away the
ng_poster@bigfoot.com address a few months after it was
originally created. However, I get more spam
through my web site addresses than through this one.
Consequently, I have continued with ng_poster for over
three years now!
Click Next >
to get to the third screen. |
| Now, we need to tell the program
which news server we wish to connect to (which virtual
room we wish to enter). Type in the name of the
news server. For Microsoft sponsored newsgroups,
use msnews.microsoft.com.
Leave the 'My news server requires me to log on' box
unchecked. An Internet
Service Provider (ISP) also has its own newsgroup
server. Other companies, such as Corel, have their
own server. For example, to connect to Corel's
server, use cnews.corel.com
Click Next >
to get to the last screen of the wizard. There,
click the Finish button |
|
Next...Identify the bulletin board
(i.e., subscribe to a newsgroup) |
|
