I found that there was a great deal of interaction going on in this unique forum. The topic had been discussed from many sides of the globe, examples of driving in Bangkok and in the back roads of Australia reveal a wide range of views. I saw examples of people giving advice to others on how to deal with the aggressive drivers that they encounter, and others who just give their opinions.

 The different responses and replies that are posted can be valuable advice, or constructive criticism. My perspective on why newsgroups serve as a venue for discussion is that in the advancement of our societies, we have become less interactive with others in our community. Cash Machines, automatic gas pumps, and home shopping have made our lives less interaction oriented and more self-serve. People are again finding a way to connect with others through their computers and modems. The valuable "second opinion" can be found in newsgroups.

 This global interaction has future implications that have never before been possible. Achieving contact with other cultures and sharing ideas and beliefs in a relatively short amount of time is something that our early explorers would've never believed. Gaining expertise from other sources, other cultures is a way of achieving a more well-rounded solution to a problem; political borders and most often languages that used to hamper discussion can be illuminated.

What is a newsgroup? Being a participant for the first time, I was apprehensive about this new medium. I wasn't aware of the implications that it had for society. I had no idea how to access them or how to operate within them. I found a couple of students in the Generation 5, 409b Psychology class from Spring 1997 that explained what newsgroups were in their own words. Their explanations helped me to better understand what I wanted to know about newsgroups.

These students, whose reports dealt mainly with newsgroups, and others in their class, each had a unique experience with newsgroups. That's what I find interesting, the fact that there are newsgroups for just about any interest, hobby, or topic you can imagine. This is an amazing tool! It's one that will be valuable to those looking for information, for advice, or just to share thoughts with others that have common interests.

 I see newsgroups in the future as a new community in which we will again be reacting to and interacting with other people, perhaps not face-to-face, but on an even grander scale than ever before possible. Conversations with well-known figures in the fields of medicine, sports or politics will bring us closer to those who are usually inaccessible. Advice from others living abroad in other countries will be helpful to those intending to travel to these locations. The benefits are limitless.

 Being a newcomer to this world of interaction, I hope to progress in my capabilities not only with the computer, but also with life in general. I'm guaranteed to come across a few problems here and there as I progress, finding advice from others will be possible through exploring newsgroups. I expect that I will not see the end of newsgroups in the near future.

Aggression is a common reaction. When opinions clash, people get defensive of their own beliefs, and critical of the beliefs of others. They attack or flame others in newsgroups. Flaming is best described as a strong disagreement with the statement or opinion of another, and is seen as a nasty reply. I've labeled some attitudes that I noticed within newsgroups messages.

 Subject: Re: Road Rage (Was: OAPs and Driving)

Paul's response is in regards to what Richard Caley wrote about aggressive drivers. They both have different opinions of how to deal with aggressive drivers. Conflicting opinions are common.

 Here's another example of #1:

 Subject: Re: Classic chick driving moves

The following example of attitude #2, agreement-suggestion comes from:

 Dan Star <danstar@execpc.com> wrote in article

 <342C81F9.44DA@execpc.com>...

Here's another example:

And finally attitude #3, lack of interest, can be seen in this article:

 Subject: Re: Road Rage in Atlanta

 Newsgroups: atl.general

 Well...can't type.....ENOUGH OF THE ROAD RAGE line.

Whatever type of attitude you can observe in personal interactions with people, it's probable you'll find some form of it in a newsgroup. These faceless interactions give those of us who find expressing ourselves in public situations difficult an opportunity to do so in the privacy of their own homes.

 Reacting to others as a result of newsgroups becomes easier. With more and more people becoming involved in newsgroups, you can find others who believe in what you do and are interested in the same topics. Finding others and forming your own group might be a good way to meet people and share ideas, even though it is through the computer that this takes place.

These occurrences are common on our roads. There is help for those who suffer from the symptoms. Reading the article has given me a new way of examining my bad driving habits, and I do have many of the symptoms that are described in the section.

There is a crisis because we adapt to our own styles which are for the most part influenced by others. Bad driving is contagious. Learning new styles of stress management and joining QDCs are a few ways described in this article of dealing with these poor attitudes.

Newsgroups are formed on every topic imaginable; if there it's one that you need, create one of your own. This way of discussing ideas and thoughts is fairly new, implications haven't really been measured, but they are great. World discussion is a way of tying us into a world view. This is a more thorough method in dealing with many of today's concerns.

There is an advantage in getting acquainted with newsgroups, you are in a sense acquainting yourself with others around you and those around the world that share your views.