How Usenet Newsgroups Are Structured

Usenet is a decentralized network of discussions. Its structure is built around newsgroups, which are grouped by subject. Each newsgroup belongs to a hierarchy that helps classify the type of discussions it contains.

The Big 8 hierarchies include:

• comp.* Focuses on computer-related discussions, encompassing both hardware and software topics.​

• humanities.* These groups cover discussions and topics such as religion and spiritualism.

• misc.* Serves as a miscellaneous category for topics that don't align with other specific hierarchies.

• news.* Dedicated to discussions about Usenet itself and news-related content.​

• rec.* Encompasses recreational activities, hobbies, and entertainment topics.​

• sci.* Centers on scientific discussions across various disciplines.​

• soc.* Pertains to social issues, cultural discussions, and societal topics.​

• talk.* Facilitates debates on controversial or open-ended subjects.​

A newsgroup name like sci.space.policy follows a hierarchy where sci is the general topic (science), and space.policy defines the specific area. This tiered naming convention supports fast, organized access to articles across Eweka’s long-term article retention system.