Usenet is an online bulletin board system that began at Duke University in 1979. Usenet users can post messages to newsgroups that can be read (and responded to) by anyone who has access to the system through a newsreader. Over the years, the number of newsgroups has grown into the thousands, hosted all over the world and covering every conceivable topic.

Google Groups Beta contains the world's most comprehensive archive of Usenet postings, dating back to 1981. Google Groups Beta eliminates the need for a newsreader and lets you search this archive the same way you'd search on the web. You can also use Google Groups Beta to post your own comments to an existing Usenet newsgroup.