Although much older than Web sites, e-mail lists and newsgroups are still very popular as sources of information and discussion on the Internet. As in other aspects of social interaction, there are guidelines on the Internet to help us fit in more easily. The following guidelines should be helpful for both usenet newsgroups and Internet e-mail lists.
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soc.culture.belarus (moderated)
The usenet newsgroup, soc.culture.belarus, was created on Monday, June 24, 1996. Thank you to all who helped make this possible! Discussion groups (newsgroups and e-mail lists) are only important and useful through your participation.
If you don't see soc.culture.belarus among the newsgroups carried at your site, you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to let them know you want this group added to your site.
soc.culture.belarus is a moderated newsgroup. Click here for further background information about the Belarus forums on the Internet, and about discussion lists and usenet newsgroups in general.
To read the archives (copies on the WWW of articles posted) for soc.culture.belarus, follow the following link: archive for soc.culture.belarus.
There is also an e-mail discussion list dedicated to the discussion of Belarus. See the information about the Belarus discussion (e-mail) list in a section that follows.
Be warned: For the non-moderated newsgroups and discussion (e-mail) lists, and although the exception and not the rule, very emotional arguments and name-calling are very possible when anything related to the ex-USSR is discussed.
Also, you need to have KOI-8 fonts installed to read messages written in Cyrillic in some of the groups. Where to get KOI-8 fonts on the 'net.
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This list is intended to give the Internet newcomer a sample of the nature and range of e-mail lists that might possibly be related to Belarus, and include a range of topics, both secular and religious. No attempt has been made at completeness. Some of these lists may be defunct. Note that there is only one list dedicated to discussing all topics related to Belarus. Info about Belarus e-mail list
Note that there are usually two different e-mail addresses for every mailing list: one in order to subscribe, the other to post messages to the group members. If you have more information about these or other e-mail lists, please contact me.
| rustex-l@????? | chechnya@plearn.edu.pl |
| e-europe@pucc.bitnet | fsu@sovset.org |
| h-russia@uicvm.bitnet | russian-jews@shamash.nysernet.org |
| policy@sovset.org | politics@sovset.org |
| ramit-l@mitvma.bitnet | rusag-l@umdd.bitnet |
| rushist@umrvmb.bitnet | russia@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu |
| info-russ@???? (moderated) | seelangs@cunyvm.bitnet |
| sovhist@csearn.bitnet | ukes-news@soma.crl.mcmaster.ca |
| ukraina@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu |
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Further information about the discussion list is available at: East European Jewish History List
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The Belarus discussion (e-mail) list began in January, 1996, and shut down in February, 2008. The following explains how to participate in the only e-mail discussion group dedicated to discussing all issues related to Belarus, its language, culture, politics, etc. Please note, this discussion (e-mail) list is un-moderated: Your submissions go directly to all of the list membership (usually approximately 100 to 200 subscribers).
Note: Information about how to subscribe, unsubscribe, the welcome file and charter information, and so forth, were removed from this Web site in February, 2008. As the Internet and people's interests changed (and possibly due to the lack of change in Belarus), the Belarus discussion list no longer served a purpose. There are many, many more places to go to on the Internet in 2008 than there were in 1996, so no one should have any difficulty learning about and discussing issues about Belarus.
Click here for further background information about the Belarus forums on the Internet, and about discussion lists and usenet newsgroups in general.
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Two types of real-time, public, interactive "chat" discussion forums have begun and prospered in the last several years, and a few "channels" are specific to Belarus. I only have a minimum of information at this point and welcome additions and corrections.
Both of these discussion methods require real-time connection to the Internet, such as PPP/SLIP or through a network connection (such as at a higher education institution or your place of employment). "Chat" is a bit misleading of a term since the people participating type their comments to one another (and to any others on the channel); there is no talking.
How it works: After installing and running special software--or by accessing a special area of a Web site--participants view a list of who the others are online (often people use aliases), and type in their messages, interspersed with the messages of the other participants. Usually, people pre-arrange a time to "meet" on the Internet for these real-time discussions.
The two public forums currently are:
There is a third type of chat available on some of the larger commercial Internet providers, such as America Online (AOL), the Microsoft Network (MSN), Prodigy, Compuserve, and others.
"Teleconferencing" and such things as Internet telephone are becoming more of a real possibility where there is very good Internet bandwidth. These are technologies where you really "chat" and may even be able to see one another. Other developments are occurring in this area as well (e.g., where the user is represented by an animated character on the screen).
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No warranty express or implied is made concerning the information referred to. The information is accurate as of the date it was collected, and the collector of this information and maintainer of this Web site has no connections with any product, service, etc., listed. Neither does he have any control or input regarding the content of any Internet site referred to (other than the one you are currently reading, that is, A Belarus Miscellany).
Included in the preceding is contact information for (1) philanthropic organizations that state they are not-for-profit (non-profit), non-governmental organizations, often doing very noble work; and (2) commercial enterprises and services within Belarus.
Needless to say, I admire the work of the non-profit, NGO's; Belarus (& the CIS in general) clearly needs our help. Some of these organizations solicit funds from the public, and as is true with anything where money is involved, discretion is strongly advised before making any donations. I have no experience with any of the commercial enterprises and services, and I include contact information here purely to provide information. Caveat emptor! If you know of any problems regarding any such group, firm, or individual on the list, please let me know.
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Please contact me for any additions, corrections, updates, suggestions, and so forth, for the A Belarus Miscellany Web site. Interest in Belarus is expanding rapidly and thus the information available is as well:
Notes:
(Be sure to convert "[at]" to the proper symbol and remove all spaces. Thanks!)
I especially encourage you to visit the many other Belarus-related Web sites, as well as use the WWW search tools. No one Web site contains all of the information that you seek.
If you are interested, the following link is to a collection of my personal thoughts about the state of Belarusian culture and identity today. (I represent no organization.)