The BTinternet news server will be set up automatically if you installed BTinternet from CD ROM. If so you can skip the next section.

If you manually want to set up Outlook Express to access newsgroups then follow the instructions below.

Start Outlook Express

Click Tools then Accounts

then Add, News...

Follow the instructions and enter your details.

When you are prompted for the news server details enter news.btinternet.com

Click Next then Finish.

Start Outlook Express and click on the BTinternet news server (news.btinternet.com) in the left hand panel.

The first time you access the news server you will prompted to download all the available newsgroups. It is recommended that you do this so you can easily find the group you want to subscribe to. Only the headers are downloaded, not all the content but it will take several minutes so it's a good time to put the kettle on.

Don't be put off by the word "subscribe", it's the newsgroup equivalent of the Web favourite's list and there's no fee nor entrance criteria involved.

The newsgroups you are subscribed to are shown but you will not see any of course the first time you access it.

To find a newsgroup click the newsgroup button

this will bring up a list of all available newsgroups.

There are thousands so you will want to narrow the list by entering the name of the newsgroup should you know it, or part of its name. For example, if you are looking for a group on gardening, enter "gardening" in the "Display newsgroups which contain:" box as shown

This will display all the newsgroups with "gardening" in the title, regardless of whether the word is found at the beginning, middle or end of the newsgroup name. Entering just the word "garden" for example, would still return all the newsgroups with the name "gardening" in the title as well as other with just the word "garden", therefore widening the search.

If you see a group you'd like to look at you can click on it once then click "Go To" or double click it first which will subscribe you to it and then click "Go To" to enter. Groups you have subscribed to will be listed in the left hand panel under the news.btinternet.com server. To unsubscribe to a group, right click on the name and chose "unsubscribe".

Once you are in a newsgroup you will see the titles of all the postings.

Clicking the one you are interested in will display the message text in the panel below. Should you wish to post a reply you can do so directly to the owner of the message by e-mail, or to the group itself. It is better protocol to reply to the group as other people might be just as interested in your reply as the original posting, especially if you are answering a question for example.

Please see our section on "Netiquette" if you are uncertain of how you should post or reply.

Warning - most newsgroups are a "free for all" and so just as if you were to walk into a busy pub, you are likely to read distasteful opinions and even bad language in newsgroups. It might be wise to supervise your children's usage of newsgroups or at least make yourself familiar with the content before deciding if you are happy for them to use them.

BTinternet's Policy on newsgroups - is not to carry any newsgroups that contain, are likely to contain or are deemed to contain material illegal in the UK. However, as there is nothing to stop someone posting any content in any newsgroup you may well come across unpleasant material. Should you find a group you believe to fall into this category then please let us know at abuse@btinternet.com.

BTinternet operates a "top shelf" policy on newsgroups that are pornographic but legal under UK law. This means that those people wishing to access them can do so if they know the newsgroup name but they will not be displayed in the newsgroup list.