Newsgroups are self-governing communities and have their own code of conduct, referred to as Netiquette. Users must follow the rules if they want to be welcomed with open arms.

Below are some simple rules of Newsgroup etiquette that will keep you from making mistakes and make you look and sound like a veteran Newsgroup poster.

Lurk
Read the Newsgroup for a while without posting any messages for a few weeks. This is known as 'lurking' and is encouraged. Lurking will give you an idea of tone of the Newsgroup.

Read the FAQ
Find and read the Newsgroup's FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Being asked the same old question over and over is very irritating.

Stick to the topic
Know what's on-topic and what's off-limits. Every Newsgroup is a little different in what it talks about, and how it does the talking.

Don't shout
TYPING ALL IN CAPS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING. Reading a lot of text in caps is hard on the eyes and is considered very rude.

Don't Spam
Spamming is e-mailing or posting unsolicited advertising. Never post advertising on a Newsgroup unless it is specifically created to accept adverts.

Don't overquote
Copying a long post (more than 20 lines) just to add "I agree" or "me too" is considered bad form. Be original, bring something new to the discussion.

The Golden Rule
Treat other users with the same respect you would like to receive yourself. Remember that every expert was a newbie once.

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