Accessing Newsgroups

Usenet newsgroups feature free global discussions of many thousands of subjects. Two classes of newsgroups ranked under sci.* (science) and bionet.* (biology) offer nonstop discussion of biomedical topics, some limited to specialists, others open to the lay public. Descriptions and evaluations of top newsgroups for Beagle readers follow. Select the newsgroup name to navigate to the current discussions in that group, where you may read or participate. Or use Deja News, a newsgroup search engine, to find a specific topic.

Deja News is a powerful World Wide Web search engine to Usenet newsgroups. It archives postings from over 15,000 newsgroups since March 1995. You may search by keyword, author, newsgroup, date, and more, and search for what newsgroups might exist on a given topic, and further filter the retrieved postings for selected topics.

Deja News pulls entire discussion threads, and allows posting directly to those newsgroups. You can read the most recent messages in any set of newsgroups, and bookmark the page storing the newsgroups you are interested in.

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Synopses of the top Bionet and Sci groups for biomedical researchers are listed below, with links to current discussions.

bionet.announce bionet.biology.computational bionet.cellbiol bionet.genome.chromosome bionet.immunology bionet.jobs.offered bionet.microbiology bionet.molbio.genbank bionet.molbio.gene-linkage bionet.molbio.genome-program bionet.neuroscience

bionet.software bionet.virology bionet.women-in-bio sci.bio.evolution sci.bio.microbiology sci.chem sci.med sci.med.aids sci.med.immunology sci.med.informatics sci.med.obgyn

bionet.announce - Announcements of symposia, special courses, and data releases relevant to biological sciences. A very low- traffic, moderated newsgroup.

bionet.biology.computational - Computers, software and mathematical tools in biology, mostly molecular biology. A very low-traffic, moderated newsgroup. Searches for programs and announcements for conferences or courses on technology and programming are common.

bionet.cellbiol - Cell biology. A medium-traffic newsgroup with discussions ranging all over the field. Job postings and ads mix with discussions of techniques and equipment limitations. Basic cell biology questions are also asked and answered.

bionet.genome.chromosome - Chromosome sequencing and mapping. A very low-traffic newsgroup, now mostly spam.

bionet.immunology - Immunology. A high-traffic newsgroup with a wide range of posters. Questions about specific elements of the immune system are common, as are requests for superior lab techniques. Lay questions are also answered. Ads for lab equipment and software sometimes appear.

bionet.jobs.offered - Job openings. A mid-traffic, moderated newsgroup consisting for placement solely in biological sciences or professional- level jobs that support such work (such as for computer/systems programming/support). Jobs are posted for both nonprofit and for-profit sectors.

bionet.microbiology - Microbiology. A high-traffic newsgroup consisting mostly of requests for techniques of detection, measurement, and identification of microorganisms. There are many basic microbiology questions and quite a few ads for equipment or services.

bionet.molbio.genbank - Though ostensibly concerned with information about the GenBank Nucleic Acid Database, questions about nucleic acid data still surface and are usually promptly answered. A very low-traffic newsgroup, mostly ads and spam.

bionet.molbio.gene-linkage - Gene-linkage analysis, though a very-low traffic newsgroup that is now mostly spam. Requests for good gene-linkage software and tools are common.

bionet.molbio.genome-program - Human Genome Project discussion. A very-low-traffic, moderated newsgroup, it also occasionally addresses other genome sequencing projects.

bionet.neuroscience - Neuroscience. A high-traffic newsgroup with a high percentage of lay questions. Discussions range from alpha waves and plant consciousness to the evolution of the brain and nervous system. Discussions veer quickly off topic and into shouting when they stray into areas such as free will.

bionet.software - Software for biology. A mid-traffic newsgroup, the conversations range from basic questions (e.g., converting from Mac to PC files) to queries on software more specifically used for scientific purposes (curve fitting, gel analysis, etc.) There is some basic software advertising spam, but not an overwhelming amount.

bionet.virology - Virology. A very low-traffic, moderated newsgroup. Questions are about infectious viral diseases and their infection patterns, treatments, and identification.

bionet.women-in-bio - A low-traffic newsgroup dominated by ads and spam. Calls have begun to turn it into a moderated group. Discussion of issues facing women in science are the staple of the group when it is on topic.

sci.bio.microbiology - Evolution and evolutionary theory. This moderated group is low traffic (around 50 active threads at any time.) Evolutionary psychology and sociobiology are also discussed. Debates on definitions and processes of evolution are popular.

sci.bio.microbiology - Microbiology. A low-traffic (10-50 active threads) newsgroup that tends to stay on topic despite the lack of a moderator. Discussions often concern how to grow and identify bacterial cell cultures. Bacterial genetics is also a popular subject.

sci.chem - Chemistry. Unmoderated with high traffic (over 200 active threads at any time). Threads consist mostly of basic questions about reactants, databases, and the chemistry of household items. There is a fair amount of shouting and spam, and a core of regular posters dominates discussion.

sci.med - Medicine and its related products and regulations. A very high-traffic (300 or more threads active at once) newsgroup, it is umoderated and has lots of spam and noise. Serious threads often focus on diagnoses and treatments, and searches for more information on a given disease. Homeopathic and other alternative medicines are another common topic.

sci.med.aids - AIDS. This moderated group has low traffic (some 50 active threads) and relatively little noise. Threads of conversation mostly concern information about the latest drugs and treatments. The subject of risk behaviors is also common.

sci.med.immunology - Pathogens and their effects. Debates about vaccines and their safety are common, usually degenerating into mutual accusations. Immunization methods and the threat of emerging diseases are also common. There is a fair amount of spam advertising as well. This is a low-traffic (25-50 active threads) newsgroup when not in the midst of a vaccination debate.

sci.med.informatics - Computer applications in medical care. A low traffic (10-50 active threads) newsgroup with many ads for medical software. The rest is mostly concerned with the usefulness of this software and privacy issues in the storage and transmission of medical records.

sci.med.obgyn - OB/GYN. A low-traffic (10-50 threads), moderated newsgroup. Discussions often focus on the use of midwives and other nontraditional medical personnel in aiding birth. Abnormalities in menstruation and pregnancy are also common subjects.

BioMedNet discussion groups cover a wide range of topics in biology and medicine. Participation is limited to members of BioMedNet (including HMS Beagle subscribers).

If you've never accessed Usenet before, have a look at the following:

• Using WWW to Read Usenet News page
• A Guide to the Tin News Reader
• An Introduction to Usenet News and the trn Newsreader
• Accessing Usenet Newsgroups With Netscape
• How To Set Up Netscape Mail and News.
• Getting Started: Internet Explorer News.

If you're not familiar with Usenet jargon, have a look at our Usenet Glossary.