Just like any new social situation, it's a good idea to understand where everyone's coming from before standing up and getting noticed. Regardless, you will likely get flamed after your first posting because it takes awhile to get used to the social atmosphere of Usenet. Don't worry, it's happened to all of us. Each newsgroup is usually dedicated to a specific topic, or a general topic about a specific issue. Take what you read with a grain of salt.
People tend to lose their civility behind a keyboard.
Just because it's in writing, doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Have a great time and be careful. News can be addicting. I hope this helps some of you start to enjoy the richness of the Internet. Much of that fabric is in the News.