Subj : Getting Around Usenet Censors (I)
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* Forwarded (from: libernet) by Ken Wiebe using timEd 1.01.
From: Vernon Imrich <vimrich@MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: libernet-d@Dartmouth.EDU


There is a FAQ for getting around usenet censors in general, but because the
mentioned "censorship" was simply making certain groups read only, I felt a cut
to the chase on how to get around that was in order.  A link to the FAQ will
follow afterward.

Basically, there are things called "mail to news" gateways.  To post to usenet,
you send mail to a given address, and it forwards it automatically to the
indicated group.  If you have email, you can post to usenet.  A page at the
following URL keeps an updated list:

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~raph/ghio-remailer-list.html

An exerpt from that page:

 group.name@demon.co.uk
 group.name@news.demon.co.uk
 group.name@bull.com
 group.name@cass.ma02.bull.com
 group.name@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
 group.name@comlab.ox.ac.uk
 group.name@paris.ics.uci.edu
 group.name.usenet@canaima.Berkeley.EDU
 group.name.usenet@decwrl.dec.com (Preserves all headers)

 The mail-to-news gateways do not anonymize messages; you must use a
 remailer if you want the message to be posted anonymously.
 Not all gateways support all newsgroups.  You may have to try several
 to find one that supports the groups you wish to post to.
 It would also be advisable to try a post to alt.test before relying on
 any such system to function as expected.  Also note that the last two
 require .usenet at the end of the address.

 In addition, you can cross-post to several newsgroups by adding the header
 Newsgroups: with the names of the groups you want to post to and sending
 it to mail2news@demon.co.uk

As an example you could send a post to talk.politics.libertarian with an email
like this:

 To: talk.politics.libertarian@demon.co.uk
 Subject: Re: something libertarian here

 text body goes here

Or you can crosspost with the following:

 To: mail2news@demon.co.uk
 Newsgroups: talk.politics.libertarian, alt.politics.libertarian
 Subject: Re: something libertarian here

 text body goes here

The use of mail-to-news gateways also happens to be the primary way to send
anonymous posts to usenet (as the exerpt above mentioned). That's sort of a
different topic, but basically, you send mail to a "remailer" directing it to
bounce the post sans your address to the mail-to-news gateways and thus, on to
usenet.  This works.

Relevant FAQs or other URL's:

http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/safe/safe/fighting-back/how-to-get-banned-new
s
http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/safe/home.html (mit free speech site has the
above and other stuff)
http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/libertarians/goodlinks.html (links are here
for lots of related stuff, and FAQs)
http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~raph/ghio-remailer-list.html (page above)
ftp://soda.berkeley.edu/pub/cypherpunks/Home.html (anon info, and more)

Because I realize not all have http (Web) access, I'll post the latest FAQ
itself in part II.  You won't get updates, but you'll have a start.

BTW I strongly urge people to familiarize themselve with anonymous posting, and
cryptography.  The more everyone uses it, the less odd it seems, the harder it
is to track and the more privacy we all have. But also, get to know what you are
doing before you do it.