Theos-Talk Archives (February 1998 Message tl00288)

Press Release

Deja News Introduces Free, Web-based Usenet
Newsreader

New "My Deja News" Service Makes 50,000+ Internet
Discussion Forums Accessible to All Web Users

AUSTIN, TX (January 27, 1998) - Deja News, Inc.
(http://www.dejanews.com), the worldwide leader for Internet-based
discussion forums, today unveiled a Web-based newsreader that improves
Internet discussion for Usenet veterans and makes discussions accessible to
 millions of new Web users.

There are more than 50,000 Usenet newsgroups on almost every conceivable
topic -- an incredible source of information for people in both their
personal and professional lives. An estimated 24 million people throughout
the world use PC-based Usenet newsreader software to participate in these
discussions.

However, the ever-growing presence of spam, firewall restrictions and
limited newsgroup availability has diminished the quality of the discussion
experience for Usenet veterans. Meanwhile, the challenge of setting up and
using a  PC-based newsreader has prevented millions of less experienced Web
users from accessing this valuable resource.

To address these issues, Deja News is introducing, "My Deja News," a
personalized service that enables users to easily read the latest
discussion content posted to their favorite Usenet newsgroups. There is no
charge for access to either the Deja News site or the new My Deja News
service.

"My Deja News provides an invaluable tool for anyone who wants fast,
convenient access to the vast stores of information in Internet discussions
–  whether you're new to discussions or an experienced Usenet participant,"
said David Wilson, vice president of Marketing for Deja News. "No other
source provides the breadth of content, the quality of our spam-filtered
database or the ease of use and access offered through Deja News' Web-based
interface."

Significantly Improves Discussions for Usenet Veterans

For those people who currently use a PC-based newsreader to access
discussions, "My Deja News" delivers the following benefits:

Comprehensive Coverage -- Deja News' 50,000 Usenet newsgroups
represents one of the most comprehensive collections anywhere in the
world, both in the sheer number of newsgroups and in its global reach.
Deja News also uniquely offers access to many non-Usenet discussion
forums, through exclusive archiving arrangements with organizations such
as Macromedia and the University of California at Berkeley.

Highest Quality, Spam-Filtered Content -- Innovative multi-level
spam filtering technology screens the vast majority of spam out of
newsgroups and forums on Deja News. This eliminates commercial
messages that can hamper discussion, information sharing and searching.

Anywhere, Anytime Accessibility -- With My Deja News, you can
read and participate in discussions at home, at work, on the road or from
any machine with Web access. Deja News tracks your subscription
information and read/unread articles on its servers, so you can simply log
in from anywhere and pick up where you left off. This easy access is
particularly advantageous for people who need access to newsgroups at
work because, unlike PC-based newsreaders, My Deja News isn't
constrained by corporate security firewalls.

E-mail Spam Filters -- Some companies monitor Usenet servers,
harvest email addresses and then send unsolicited commercial email or
spam to discussion participants. With the introduction of My Deja News,
the company will also be launching a free email service that will filter
spam email messages. This service will begin operation in February
1998.

Makes Discussions Accessible to Millions of New Users

For new Internet users, the biggest barriers to Usenet access are the
difficulty in configuring a newsreader and finding relevant discussion
forums. My Deja News eliminates the need for the PC-based newsreader
software and the difficulties associated with configuring it. Presented in
a standard Web browser interface, you simply visit  http://www.dejanews.com
to register for the service. Deja News pre-subscribes you to some starter
forums based on your interests, and you can then use the Deja News Interest
Finder to locate and subscribe to other forums.

Subscribing to My Deja News

To try it out, type http://www.dejanews.com into your web browser and click
on the link titled "My Deja News" in the column on the left side of the
screen. This takes you to the registration form. Fill out the information
requested and press the "Register Me" button at the bottom of the page.
Click on the "Go to My Deja News" link at the bottom of the registration
confirmation page. You are now in the My Deja News service, with full
access to the newsreader.

Please see our Reviewers Guide for more Deja News newsreader details.

About Deja News, Inc.  Deja News is the leader in Internet discussion,
sharing the collective knowledge of people throughout the world. Founded in
May 1995, Deja News provides an easy and powerful Web interface for
participating in discussions with people of like interests and for
searching discussion forums, including Usenet newsgroups. Deja News serves
as the discussion forum resource for America Online, AT&T WorldNet Service,
Bell South, Excite, Infoseek, InfoSpace,  Lycos, Microsoft's Internet
Explorer, The Microsoft Network, Open Text, WebCrawler and Yahoo! Deja News
is free to users and can be found on the Web at http://www.dejanews.com.