NEWSGROUPS

Usenet comprises probably 100,000 special-interest groups. They are organised into categories – ‘alt’ (alternative discussion groups), ‘comp’ (computer stuff), ‘rec’ (recreation, hobbies), ‘sci’ (sciences), ‘soc’ (socializing, social sciences), ‘talk’ (for debates on a range of subjects), ‘biz’ (business), ‘k12’ (for teachers and students), ‘misc’ (topics that don’t fit anywhere else) – and many more. I ‘subscribe’ to about 20 and regularly visit and post to aus.religion.christian, soc.religion.christian, alt.religion.clergy, and many alt.religion.christian* denominational groups. Others I like – alt.conspiracy, misc.creativity, rec.org.mensa.

The eight busiest binary newsgroups in terms of readership are erotic/pornographic; the next two are games groups. Of the non-binary newsgroups the only religious groups in the top 100 are talk.origins and alt.religion.scientology (34th and 37th). In terms of bytes posted alt.atheism is the top religious group, ahead of alt.origins (52nd and 54th ) (http://www.newsadmin.com/spamreports.htm )

In an average week I might post about 30 messages on such topics as why churches are a boring for young people, ‘atheism and rationality’, biblical literalism, homosexuality, worship-styles, who are the Quakers? American evangelicalism, ‘The most powerful person on earth’, recovery from sexual abuse, etc. etc. Discussion follows – sometimes heated – with maybe up to 40 people or more joining in. Fun!

I also use the ‘Net to trade F.W.Boreham books. I collect him, and sales of Boreham books and memorabilia help run our little ministry’s car.

PRAY FOR THE WORLD: It took me just now (25 September 2002) only four
minutes to send an update on trouble spots around the world (from the Evangelical
Alliance’s Religious Liberty Prayer List) – concerning the severe persecution
of Christians in Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ivory Coast etc. – to alt.religion.christian.baptist/
plymouth.brethren/ episcopal/ methodist/ presbyterian/ lutheran/ roman-catholic/
pentecostal/ charismatic/ adventist/ last-days/ vineyard/ ywam/ jesus-connection
alt.religion.clergy, aus.religion.christian, aus.religion, nz.soc.religion,
alt.religion.christianity, soc.religion.christian.

That’s 19 newsgroups. If the ratio of ‘lurkers’ to ‘posters’ is roughly 10:1 then tens of thousands will read these daily updates. Multiply that by those who read or hear copies of these prayer-points in thousands of pulpits and church bulletins around the world, and the numbers could reach the millions.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE…

It’s fun reading the pithy quotes people use with their ‘signatures’. Here are some I like:

• ‘Be paranoid – they’re out to get you!’
• ‘The fourth law of computing: anything that can go wrong……
• ‘I just met a person who is a nun.’ ‘How do you know she is a nun?’ ‘She
  told me.’ ‘Maybe she was lying.’ ‘Nuns don’t lie.’
• ‘Throw the theologians into the cellar and bring more oysters and hot sauce’
  (Garrison Keillor, The Book of Guys)
• ‘It’s best to read the weather forecast before praying for rain!’ (Mark
  Twain)
• ‘Abou ben Adam’s name led all the rest because the list was compiled alphabetically’
  (Isaac Asimov)
• ‘Never criticize anyone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Then,
  if they don’t like it, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.’
• ‘Imagine if horse-racing had no horses… thousands of people could go
  to the race-track each day and save millions of dollars.’
• ‘Everything can be fixed by driving a nail into it. The only problem is
  finding the right sized nail’
• ‘Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves
  on a rainy Sunday afternoon!’ YOU CAN HELP START A NEWSGROUP!

On 17th June, 1995 I posted this on to the aus.religion newsgroup:

‘Should there be an aus.religion.christian newsgroup?

‘After half-a-year of reading everything posted on aus.religion, I’m wondering whether there shouldn’t be two groups.

‘It’s important to keep aus.religion open for all-comers: too often Christians / Jews / Muslims and other religionists – or non-religionists – are not dialoguing, and this is a good forum for such interaction.

‘But I’m wondering if a group dedicated to Christian in-talk isn’t needed. Atheists or Hare Krishna or Jewish people wouldn’t then have to suffer discussions that have no relevance to them. Also Christians of all persuasions might be more bold to post their questions and responses without fearing they might offend others.

‘Just a thought. Rowland Croucher.

Sequel: October 1995, aus.religion.christian newsgroup is up and running!

alt.religion.christian.clergy

alt.religion.christian.leadership

alt.religion.christian.mission

to name just three!

Before any attempt to start a newsgroup however – or even post to one – it is important to ‘lurk’ for a couple of weeks in the newsgroup of your choice. Get to know the people who post some wisdom, and learn to avoid those who use newsgroups as a forum for ‘ego-trash’. In the aus.religion.christian group, for example, I rarely read anything cross-posted to lots of other groups.

Then if you want to get on top of the whole field, visit such groups as news.announce.newusers, news.answers, news.newusers.questions, news.announce.newsgroups, alt.internet.services etc. Begin your posting by sending a couple to misc.test or alt.test.

As you browse newsgroups, you’ll see some familiar names appear regularly. Steve Winter, for example, is famous for consigning ‘Trinitarians’ to hell. Ninure Saunders is a high-profile Christian lesbian who posts many devotional articles. Barry OGrady is an atheist on the aus.religion.christian site and enjoys ‘taking the mickey’ out of those silly enough to believe in a good God!