Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
listen to some TV programs, such as Nightline. Colleges and universities often use blogs and
podcasts to deliver course material to students.
Many blogs, vlogs, and podcasts offer automatic updates to a PC using a technology called
Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS is a collection of Web technologies that allow users
to subscribe to Web content that is frequently updated. With RSS, you can receive a blog
update without actually visiting the blog Web site. You can also use RSS to receive other
updates on the Internet from news Web sites and podcasts. Software used to subscribe to
RSS feeds is called
aggregator software
. Google Reader is a popular aggregator for subscribing
to blogs.
Usenet and Newsgroups
Usenet
is an older technology that uses e-mail to provide a centralized news service. Topic
areas in Usenet are called newsgroups. A newsgroup is essentially an online discussion group
that focuses on a particular topic. Newsgroups are organized into various hierarchies by
general topic, and each topic can contain many subtopics. Table 7.7 provides some examples.
Usenet is actually a protocol that describes how groups of messages can be stored on and sent
between computers. Following the Usenet protocol, e-mail messages are sent to a host com-
puter that acts as a Usenet server. This server gathers information about a single topic into a
central place for messages. A user sends e-mail to the server, which stores the messages. The
user can then log on to the server to read these messages or have software on the computer
log on and automatically download the latest messages to be read at leisure. Thus, Usenet
forms a virtual forum for the electronic community, and this forum is divided into
newsgroups. Blogging, RSS, and social networking sites have drawn many users away from
Usenet forums.
Table 7.7
Newsgroup Address
Description
Selected Usenet Newsgroups
alt.airline
Current schedules of various airlines
alt.books
Index of book reviews
alt.current-events.net-abuse.spam
Reports of e-mail and newsgroup spam abuse
alt.fan
Fans of various performers, artists, and others
alt.politics
Index of political discussions
alt.sports.baseball
Major league baseball
biz.ecommerce
Internet retailers
misc.legal
Miscellaneous discussions of legal matters
news.software
Usenet software
rec.backcountry
Activities in the great outdoors
rec.food.restaurants
Discussion of dining out
Chat Rooms
A
chat room
is a facility that enables two or more people to engage in interactive “conver-
sations” over the Internet. When you participate in a chat room, dozens of people might be
participating from around the world. Multiperson chats are usually organized around specific
topics, and participants often adopt nicknames to maintain anonymity. One form of chat
room, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), requires participants to type their conversation rather than
speak. Voice chat is also an option, but you must have a microphone, sound card, speakers,
chat room
A facility that enables two or more
people to engage in interactive
“conversations” over the Internet.
