Top 6 reasons to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroups
Published: April 21, 2006
Newsgroups are online threaded discussion groups where people exchange ideas and information. A thread is a collection of posts that reference each other. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroups are a few of the over 2,000 Microsoft public newsgroups available to discuss issues with others who use Microsoft products.
Using a Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroup, you can read posts, answer a question, or post your own questions to the group.
Top 6 Reasons
The top six reasons to use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroups are:
Reason 6: See what’s going on
View the most active newsgroup threads on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Community home page.
Reason 5: Get quick answers
Search past postings to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroup (General, Developer, and Deployment newsgroups).
Reason 4: Experience the power of community
Connect with a group of people who are involved in the world of business and establish contacts who can contribute to your success.
Reason 3: Leverage the knowledge of experienced professionals
Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVPs (most valued professionals) have an icon 
next to their name.
Reason 2: Stay current on recent postings
Sign up for RSS feeds to automatically receive notification when a new posting occurs.
Reason 1: It’s free!
Microsoft public newsgroup participation is free.
How to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM newsgroups
To post or reply to a question to the newsgroup, you must sign in to the newsgroup community with a free Microsoft Passport Network account (e-mail address and password).
Microsoft public newsgroups have an interface that uses your familiar Web browser to explore, search, read, post, and reply to discussions. To use your Web browser, click Use Web-based reader in the Participate in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Newsgroups area on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Community home page. Or, if you prefer, you can use a Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) newsreader, such as Microsoft Outlook Express. To use an NNTP newsreader, click the Open with newsreader link instead.
In addition, make sure to follow the rules of conduct and help to keep discussions focused and relevant. For more information, see the Microsoft Communities Rules of Conduct.
Tip: Posting in newsgroups can make it easier for senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) to send you spam messages. The following suggestions can help minimize these kinds of e-mail messages generated from newsgroup activity:
| • | Use a modified e-mail address: Use a different version of your e-mail address that others will understand, but that spam tools cannot automatically obtain. For example, if your actual e-mail address is "anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com", consider using a modified e-mail address such as: "anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com.invalid", "anonymous@REMOVE_CAPS_AND_INVALIDdiscussions.microsoft.com.invalid", or "anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com.NO_SPAM". In this case, the spam tools will send e-mail to an invalid e-mail address, and others will know to exclude the extra terms when they send you an e-mail. When you post a question or reply to a discussion group, just enter your modified e-mail address in the appropriate box. |
| • | Use a secondary e-mail account: Use an e-mail account that is separate from your primary account for posting to discussion groups. When you post a question or reply to a discussion group, use your secondary account as your e-mail address. |
