In article , Tony Cooper wrote:

Tony Cooper:
It's a newsgroup. Comparing the two is ridiculous.

Sandman:
No it isn't.

I don't care what the nature of the group is, you cannot compare a
situation where individuals are gathered together in person and
where the "conversation" is typed and visible to all.

Sure I can. When gathered in a group physically, the conversations are
spoken and possibly heard by anyone in the group. It's the same thing.

It is similar to the difference between putting information in an
email to someone and putting that same information on a billboard
for all to read.

No it isn't. En email is private, a conversation taking place in the middle
of a group of people is not.

A newsgroup is very much like a physical gathering of people that meet to
talk about a specific subject, like photography. Anyone can come, and
anyone can have an opinion about what anyone else have to say. Only this
annoying "Peter" dude is the one going around flinging insults at people
that are trying to have a conversation. That rarely happen in real life
(because, well, he'd be knocked down by that huge Swedish guy that grew
tired of his behaviour) but online, the trolls thrive, because they can act
like idiots and get away with it.

BTW...is "billboard" used in Sweden? Or, it is a "hoarding" there?

Not sure why you asked if an English word is used in Sweden and then asked
if it was another English word instead? Billboard in Swedish is
"reklamtavla". "Reklam" = Advertising, "Tavla" = Board.

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Sandman[.net]