Guides
Conducting Electronic Research
Newsgroups, Discussion Forums, Chat Rooms and Email List Searches
Newsgroups, Discussion Forums, Chat Rooms and Email List Searches
Newsgroups and Discussion Forums, Email Lists and Chat Rooms are similar to Blogs in that they support ongoing, Web-based conversations ranging from adult education to immigration reform, from pickling eggs to making violins. They are among the oldest forms of communication on the Internet and bring together individuals who share common interests or belong to a particular community.
Different from Blogs, these types of venues generally require permission from the server before joining the conversation. Some contain detailed analyses of issues and events by contributors who range from interested members of the general public to recognized experts in their specific fields: science, religion, the arts, sports and business to name a few.
Most, though not all, groups and forums are part of a worldwide electronic bulletin board called Usenet that contains over 100,000 sites, all of which are accessible through a Web browser.
A small number of sites have been developed that specifically search for these types of venues. If you know the name of the one you are looking for, just enter it in the URL field of a Web browser such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN Search or Ask.com. If not, here is a short list you may want to bookmark:
View a demonstration of a Newsgroup and Email list search using Tile.net