MINIX 3 Newsgroup: comp.os.minix

There is an active newsgroup on USENET at comp.os.minix for discussion of MINIX 3, asking and answering questions, getting help, and other matters related to MINIX 3.

Multiple ways to access this newsgroup are available. Here are a few of the most popular ones.

• Use a standalone newsreader program. Type 'newsreader' to Google to find one.
• Visit the URL news://comp.os.minix using your browser.
• Read news on the Web at http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.minix.
• Have news sent to your mailbox using www.news2mail.com/comp/os/minix.html

An alternative is to subscribe to the MINIX-L Listserv. The Listserv is not the same as the newsgroup, and is should only be used as an emergency measure if you are unable to access the newsgroup. Postings to the MINIX-L Listserv have been archived.

Netiquette

When you post a message to comp.os.minix, you are sending it to hundreds or thousands of people. Just as in the real world, not all speech is appropriate in all places. There are things you can say to your drinking buddies in a bar that might not go over so well if said out loud in a public place, such as a school, store, or church. Over the course of several decades, certain conventions have developed as to what is considered polite behavior on USENET and what is considered rude and boorish. There are even semiofficial guidelines in RFC 1855 for what constitutes polite behavior.

However, if you are a newbie (USENETspeak for a newcomer), RFC 1855 may be a bit much. The following guides may be helpful to newbies:

• Newsgroup Netiquette
• Why it is sensible to observe the Netiquette

Also worth noting is that the Internet is like an elephant: it never forgets. If you make a stupid, bigoted, or irresponsible posting at 18, count on all your future employers finding it when you are 40 by looking at the USENET archives or the Wayback machine and other places.