USENET news groups are bulletin board type animals...you can read them sort
of like a newspaper...pick it up, read it,  add your .02..there are many
advantages and disadvantages to Newsgroups.

You need a newsreader to read them...such as News WinVN, and  tin, nn, or
trn. It can be more complex for some.  To have Lactnet be a newsgroup does
not mean that it would have to NOT be an email list. Sometimes, lists like
this are echoed into newsgroups.  Newsgroups may or may Not be carried by
some providers..ie AOL may not choose to pick up a particular newsgroup. It
would be much more public.  FLames (on line insults, arguments,
disagreements) are rampant on Newsgroups..People tend to be rude...but not
always.

By having Lactnet be a newsgroup such as sci.med.lactation (that could be
its name) we might be able to increase our membership, but I am not sure
this is an advantage. Anyone who has email now can join Lactnet.

Newsgroups can be moderated or not. If they are moderated, that means that I
would have to check each message (or KAuerbach) before it is posted.
Otherwise, it would be open to any comment from anyone.  Moderation in
itself presents kind of a problem...as then I might be liable as a
"publisher" for comments made. Now, comments appear before I see them, and I
just mind the store , as it were.

Food for thought.  I am not an expert on Newsgroups..but I am giving this
subject thought.

Kathleen

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Kathleen B. Bruce RN, BSN, IBCLC (e-mail = [log in to unmask])
If you wanna see something cool...try this www page!
     http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html
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