Start Your Own Newsgroup

The process for creating a newsgroup will differ depending on if you want to create one under the Big-8 hierarchies or alternative hierarchies.

Creating a Newgroup Within the Big-8

Creating your own newsgroup involves proposing it to the Big-8 Management Board. There was previously a public vote on newsgroup proposals, but this no longer occurs. Today, only the Big-8 Board votes on new group proposals. This process can take some time depending on the newsgroup being proposed. In fact, the minimum amount of time for the entire process is at least 2 weeks but can last much longer.

Let’s say you are a cactus aficionado and want to start a newsgroup at rec.gardens.cactus. The process you would go through is as follows:

1. You can inquire about the topic informally by sending an email to the Big-8 Management Board or by submitting a post to news.groups.proposals or news.groups. Here you will find many people willing to help you determine if your proposal is a good idea. They can also help you collect information to develop your Request for Discussion (RDF).
2. Once you decide that you really want to create the newsgroup, you will have to submit a formal Request for Discussion to news.announce.newsgroups. This does not have to be complete but will have to include your proposed group name, the purpose of the group, and someone willing to be the proponent for the group.
3. Once a formal RDF has been posted, a discussion will begin on news.groups.proposals. The RDF will often be discussed in other groups as well, such as those relating to the topic of the proposed group. Interested people will discuss the name of the group, where it should go in the hierarchy, and whether your group is really necessary. The group may come up with a charter which explains the purpose of the group and how it will be used.
4. Next, the Big-8 Management Board will follow procedures to decide whether the group will be created.
5. If the Board decides that the group will be created, they will transport a control message throughout the Usenet community. This message gives instructions to all news servers, directing them to create a new newsgroup.

In Alt Hierarchies, The Process is Handled Differently

The alt hierarchy is an alternative to the Big-8 and is not moderated. This makes the process for creating a newsgroup much more liberated. Anyone who can send out a control message can create a new alt group. However, this is regarded as poor etiquette. First, it is recommended that you post an article in alt.config asking people to discuss your idea for the creation of a new group. After waiting for a week of discussion, then you can feel free to create your group.