Xref: blister news.announce.newusers:73 news.groups:7464 Path: blister!jtsv16!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!purdue!intuitive.com!taylor From: taylor@intuitive.com Newsgroups: news.announce.newusers,news.groups Subject: A Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists Message-ID: 15414@ector.cs.purdue.edu Date: 25 Jul 91 23:16:21 GMT Expires: 23 Oct 91 23:16:20 GMT Sender: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU Reply-To: taylor@intuitive.com Followup-To: news.announce.newusers Lines: 241 Approved: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU Supersedes: 14710@ector.cs.purdue.edu
Original-from: taylor@intuitive.com (Dave Taylor) [Most recent change: 9 Nov 1990 by taylor@intuitive.com (Dave Taylor)]
A Brief Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists on the Usenet
INTRODUCTION
The Usenet distributed conferencing system is a terrific way to meet new friends and engage in many interesting topics of conversation, but people just joining our on-line community often have a difficult time figuring out which group is which and what groups they could join to find like-minded individuals.
To try to help this situation, this article is intended to be one of a group of regularly posted articles that are given to new users to aid you in deciding where you might have the best luck finding new electronic friends that share your interests both socially and sexually.
Disclaimer: some of what is said on Usenet might be offensive to you as some of the groups discuss topics that are, well, a bit unusual. Fortunately it's easy to avoid this problem; don't read that group. Also please keep in mind that the more controversial the subject, the more likely the group is awash in inane, unrelated discussion, partially due to the nature of the Usenet community and partially perhaps due to how uncomfortable most people are with these subjects.
To reiterate this point, please do NOT join a group to find a forum for arguing or demonstrating righteous indignation over a particular belief, behavior, or desire. Those discussions are almost always completely inappropriate and the more controversial the subject, the more likely the participants in a group are going to dislike judgemental postings. Also, there is a good chance that you have misunderstood either the offending article or the responses of other readers. In other words, you may well be alone in your indignation.
Finally, as with all groups on the Usenet, once you find one that seems of interest, please try to spend a week or two just reading the group and learning how conversations proceeed in that particular forum before you jump in. It'll save you, and others, a lot of grief and unpleasantness.
THE GROUPS
alt.romance
One of the nicest things about any relationship, be it the beginning of a courtship or years into a more serious committment, are the little things that you do for each other, the romance. If you're interested in chatting with people about what is considered romantic, talking about a particular romantic thing that you've done, or even just reading stories about what other couples have done to 'be romantic' or 'have a romantic liason', then this is the group.
alt.sex
What's a relationship without sex? For that matter, how many of us would be around without our parents having had sex? This group is one of the most controversial on the net, not surprisingly, and while the actual number of articles that discuss sex or sexuality is distressingly low, the group is still an interesting place to find the occasional horror story of a sexual rendezvous gone bad, to read debates about what type of birth control (or condom) is best, or even to read some surprisingly revealing details about the sex lives of people on the net.
alt.sex.bestiality
While bestiality refers to engaging in sexual activity with an animal, the articles in this group seem to talk about everything but that.
alt.sex.bondage
The best spin-off discussion from alt.sex, this group has a higher level of interesting articles, which talk about bondage and related topics, ranging from the psychology of being confined by another during sexual play to the mechanics of different bondage devices. It also occasionally delves into sadism and masochism, so as with any other group, if you don't like what you're reading, be prepared to unsubscribe.
rec.arts.erotica
A moderated group with long, but infrequent articles, rec.arts.erotica is the main focus for erotica and pornography, depending on your standards. Most are explicit, and some demonstrate a surprising writing ability, but many also seem rather sleazy and variously demeaning. Just like reading the Letters to Penthouse, it's a mixed bag as to whether any of it will be exciting or erotic to you.
soc.couples
Being in a short or long term relationship offers much in the way of joy, pleasure, and emotional satisfaction, but it also offers the chance for major arguments and other problems. This group is where you can talk about the relationship you're in with others that are also in relationships of their own.
soc.feminism
Soc.feminism is a moderated newsgroup for the discussion of feminist issues. Both men and women are encouraged to post to it and discussion is not limited to the pro-feminist viewpoint.
This group differs from soc.women in that moderation keeps out the flames and inappropriate cross-posts. In addition, there are several subjects appropriate for soc.women but not soc.feminism (e.g. the sporadic "where do I find comfortable shoes?" discussion that turns up in soc.women or discussions of women's health, other than policy issues related to it).
soc.men
This group discusses similar issues to soc.women, but from the male perspective. Topics include equal rights, child support, custody of children, relationships and so on. In addition, there are often topics specific to men including shaving in the shower, post-workout skin care, and similar. Both men and women are active participants in this group.
soc.motss
While the Usenet community is pretty open minded, many of the aforementioned social groups tend to be populated primarily by the heterosexual community. Soc.motss (Members of the Same Sex) is where people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or just interested and sympathetic can share conversation about relationships, dating, travel, and the like. Discussion of the validity or appropriateness of homosexuality is inappropriate, however, and will not be appreciated.
soc.singles
Of all the things that people seem to have in common, perhaps the most common thread of all is the bouts of being single, and the hunting and searching for relationships that this implies. This group is a forum for all discussions even vaguely related to either being single or the quest for a relationship. Indeed, it has been likened to an electronic cocktail party, where people have known each other (electronically, usually) for years. There are also a number of people in relationships that share their thoughts, as well as a high level of aggression between some of the contributors.
soc.women
Soc.women is an unmoderated group that discusses similar issues to soc.men, but from the female perspective. Topics include equal rights, child support, custody of children, relationships and so on. In addition, there are often topics specific to women including shaving legs, finding comfortable shoes, and so on. Both men and women are active participants in this group.
OTHER PLACES TO LOOK
In addition to these Usenet groups, there are many other forums on Usenet where you can make new friends and share conversations about topics of interest to yourself. Among them are the many "soc.culture" groups for specific ethnic/geographic cultures, the "soc.religion" and "talk.religion" groups for those interested in meeting friends of a specific religious background, the "rec.*" groups oriented about a specific recreational activity and many more.
Also, there are a number of different private mailing lists for specific sexual and social orientations, including:
alternates
Contact: alternates-request@binbi.vanc.wa.us
Purpose: Mail.alternates is a mail list for people who advocate,
and/or practice an open sexual lifestyle. Its members are
primarily bisexual men and women, and their SO's. Mail.alternates
is intended as a forum, and support group for adult men and women
who espouse their freedom of choice and imagination in human
sexual relations, no matter what their orientaion. Those who are
offended by frank, and uninhibited discussions relating to sexual
issues should not subscribe.
Moderator/Editor: Hank Buurman <hanker@binbi.roy.or.us>
bears
Contact: bears-request@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer & Brian Gollum)
...!{harvard,ima,linus,mirror}!spdcc!bears-request
Purpose: Mail.bears is a mailing list in digest format for gay
and bisexual men who are bears themselves and for those who enjoy
the company of bears. The exact definition of a "bear" seems to
be a personal one, but it encompasses men who are variously cuddly,
furry, perhaps stocky, or bearded. Mail.bears is designed to be a
forum to bring together folks with similar interests for conversation,
friendship and sharing of experiences. The tone of mail.bears
will be determined by its members, but people uncomfortable with
discussing sexually explicit topics via electronic mail should
not subscribe.
cdforum
Contact: uunet!samsung!wizvax!cdforum-request (Stephanie Gilgut)
Purpose: To provide support/discuss/share experiences about gender
related issues; Crossdressing, Transvestism, Transsexualism, etc.
This list is in Digest Format.
feminists
Contact: femail@hpldlh.hpl.hp.com (Patricia Collins)
Purpose: The feminist mailing list is intended to provide a forum
for discussion of issues of interest to women, in a friendly
atmosphere. The basic tenets of feminism and the day-to-day
experiences of women do not have to be explained or defended. Men
and women can join, but everyone requesting to be added to the
mailing list MUST provide the moderator with: 1) a full name; 2) a
complete uucp path to a well-known host or a fully specified
Internet address; 3) the correspondent's gender (for records and
statistics only). NO exceptions.
men
Contact: attunix!mail-men-request
mail-men-request@attunix.att.com (Marcel Franck Simon)
Purpose: This digested mailing list discusses "men's issues."
Both women and men may join. Mail-men is a place where men and
women can discuss men's issues in an atmosphere of openness and
support. Men's issues are those problems and experiences that
affect male humans.
sappho
Contact: sappho-request@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Jean Marie Diaz)
{mit-eddie,bu-cs}!bloom-beacon!sappho-request
Purpose: A forum and support group for gay and bisexual women.
The list is not moderated, but may become so if the volume and/or
content begins to warrant it. A digest version is available; if
you want it, be sure to mention it in your addition request. Men
who want to "listen in," for whatever reason, are requested to use
the feminist and alternates mailing lists instead; sappho
membership is limited to women.
SUMMARY
Please use this list of Usenet groups and mailing lists as one of the many signposts to help you find the groups that you'll be interested in. One other terrific place to find more information is by asking your friends on the net what groups they read too!