The default newsreader in the labs in rn. To run the newsreader type rn at the UNIX prompt. A tutorial on installing a Newsreader software is available at the Remote Computing section of this website. An introduction to Usenet News and newsreaders is available in the Roadmap to Computing On-Line Reference Manual . While you can actually read these newgroups with your web browser, you may find the tin , rn or nn newsreaders to be better suited to the task.
Most courses have their own newsgroup.
There is one newsgroup that is required reading for all CPSC students, the ubc.cs.undergrad newsgroup. Among other things, it will contain important announcements like system down time. The course newgroups are under the ubc. Be forewarned that news flow to other sites is out of the department's control so you could miss things if you never read the news on our machines.