For example, there was an announcement that a vote was in progress to determine whether or not there should be a classics newsgroup. Thus a procedure has been worked out on Usenet acknowledging that votes can't be by secret ballot, but must be open and posted, with the person voting having the ability to verify the outcome. Unfortunately, there are also frustrating aspects of Usenet. The great variety and number of posts can take considerable time to survey and it is often difficult to keep up with the volume. Though these readers have been copyrighted, many are freely available as long as they are being used for personal use, not for profit.
Many people send e-mail or post public responses when they have something to say about a post.
In this way, communication is encouraged, as one person builds on another's contribution, and all become more knowledgeable through the process of democratic discussion and debate. Usenet has thus evolved a functioning governing structure that is democratic and open in ways that have only been dreamed of in the past. Many of the details of the copying, distribution and propagation of Usenet are done via automatic machinery and programs which require that the system administrators who make the system function work together to solve their common problems. This same kind of cooperative relationship has been encouraged by these system administrators among the users of Usenet and this cooperative standard of activity is known as Netiquette. Many on Usenet call the structure which functions anarchy.