Managing Usenet (Paperback)

~ (Author), David Lawrence (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Usenet and newsgroups may seem simple to the casual observer, but system administrators who have to manage Usenet on their system or run a newsgroup know otherwise. Spencer and Lawrence share information that previously had to be learned online, providing system administrators with a detailed guide to Usenet management. They tell you how to choose between C News and INN, the two major contenders for Usenet software. Then they show you how set your software up and make your daily operations as trouble-free as possible.

The book not only presents administration tasks, but also helps you plan for the future, which is critical since the volume of Usenet communication doubles yearly. Besides the technical aspects, Spencer and Lawrence discuss the social and political sides of being a Usenet manager. They provide tips on how to interact with the rest of Usenet, how to handle irresponsible or illegal posts, and the fine points of moderating a newsgroup. Hint: reading the "What's in the Book" section will help you determine which chapters and sections you'll want to read right away and which are of less immediate interest. --Elizabeth Lewis

Product Description

Usenet, also called Netnews, is the world's largest discussion forum, and it is doubling in size every year. There are Usenet discussion groups on every imaginable topic, from the technical and scientific, to the political and religious, and onto the truly bizarre and arcane. If you simply use the Netnews system, all of this discussion can be interesting and entertaining. But if you're a system administrator who has to set up and run a Netnews system, you suddenly have the unenviable task of making sure that your system can handle a data flow of thousands of megabytes per day. This book, written by two of the foremost authorities on Usenet administration, is full of practical information about how to set up and run a news system. Managing Usenet covers C News and INN, the two most widely used news relayers on UNIX systems. It explains the basics of starting a Netnews system, from getting a news feed, to building and installing the news software, to keeping everything running smoothly. Managing Usenet also offers guidelines to help you make sure that your system is capable of handling news volume today -- and in the future.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 505 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly; 1 edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565921984
• ISBN-13: 978-1565921986
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,590,065 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an invaluable aide in news administration, July 23, 1998

By A Customer

This book was a life-saver when I suddenly acquired news-admin responsibilities for a very large system. It is comprehensive, well-written, and not tied to any flavor of UNIX. On beyond the excellent technical discussions of nntp, C news, and INN, its guide to dealing with the Usenet community is very helpful. A fine addition to the tradition of helpful books from O'Reilly.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book I have read on Usenet/INN, March 23, 2001

By	Kip Perkins (Mt Juliet, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I needed to set up a news server for my company. Since I already had a Linux box that was not doing much of anything, I loaded INN (since it comes nicely packaged with Red Hat- although you need to install the security patch as well). I then needed a quick understanding of how Usenet/INN worked and did not have a lot of time to spend on it. This book gave me everything I need, I did not have to go anywhere else for information.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most useful book on administering Usenet, June 19, 1998

By A Customer

I've read some of them, wrote my own on it and saw Newsadmins trying to install Servers with them - I liked none of them. What tale and Henry did for Usenet and any beginning Newsmaster around by writing this book is great. From the history of usenet over compiling and installing CNews and INN - everything is there. Clear words, understandeable explanations and last, but not least, a very indeep look on Usenet and the law make this book a beginning Newsadmins be st companion. I wish I'd had it when I started :)