Newsgroup List

Although there are over 100,000 Usenet newsgroups created, only about a fifth of these are active at any one time. This number can also vary, depending on which newsgroups are carried on specific news servers, the current creation of newsgroups, and whether a newsgroup has been posted to recently.

Although the Usenet is not owned by any individual or corporation, the information available via newsgroups is so vast that a number of newsgroup lists on the Web have sprung up as a reference tool. Most of these lists are free to access, although fee-based news servers maintain lists of their own. The lists are usually divided into very specific, user-friendly categories.

By typing "newsgroup lists" into any search engine, you will come up with a variety of indexed lists. In many cases, you can search alphabetically, by interest, or by category. For example, you will find many newsgroups under the category of flea markets. There's a separate newsgroup for selling comic books at flea markets, and a separate newsgroup for selling books in general at flea markets.

You can also find an index of lists that highlight one particular category. This way, you will not get lost searching through unrelated newsgroups. If you're interested in reading about science, for example, there are several lists that highlight science-related newsgroups only. Referring to a list in order to find out what newsgroups are available, is the most efficient way to wade through the large number of active newsgroups. Also, referring to a list gives you the opportunity to review different newsgroups that deal with the same topic. By referencing a list, you can pinpoint the newsgroups specific to your interests.