Some tips on using the newsgroups:

Make sure you have set preferences in your browser for "mail & news" identifying yourself and your return address. If you are using a browser on one of the lab or other public access computers, remember to reset these preferences (blank them out) when you are done; otherwise, other people will end up sending newsgroup messages with your name on them.

If you do not see the newsgroup when you click "news" from the main web page:

Go to preferences (usually found under "edit") and make sure that the preferences for Mail and News include setting the news server to "news." In Netscape, this may be found under "Mail and Groups." In Explorer, after you click "news" you'll get a new screen (looks something like an e-mail screen) and you should find an icon for "servers" at the top right. Click it to reset the server to "news."

You may then have to review all newsgroups to find ours. (This shouldn't happen in Netscape.) In Explorer, click "News" up at the very top (between "Mail" and "Windows"). Click "download all newsgroups." It will take a little while to load them all. Then scroll down the list to find r.english.315, r.english.203a, or r.english.203b (depending on your class). Highlight it, then click "Add" above the list of newsgroups. You can then check the box for "show favorites only" and only this newsgroup (and any other you've subscribed to) will be shown.

From here, you should be able to see messages and respond.

To view a message, double-click it. To respond, click "reply" in "Netscape"; click the newspaper reply icon (not the envelope reply icon) in Explorer. (In "Netscape," you may now have to choose your respondents: select "reply to group"). When your screen appears, you'll see the message you're responding to in the top of the window; scroll down below it to type your message (or highlight & delete it if you prefer). Then click "send" (in Netscape) or "post" (in Explorer) to send your message to the group.

You probably won't see your message appear right away. If you don't, close out your browser, then reopen it and return to the newsgroup. If you still don't see your message, check to make sure you followed all these steps. The most likely possibility is that you sent it as email rather than a newsgroup message; you may want to contact the original poster to see if s/he received a message from you, or simply retype and resend.