[papertyger]

By definition, based on this post, you are on the internet. Get a News Reader. Check Alt.Binaries.multimedia.scifi.

That's all well and good, but I can't make heads or tails of what comes back. Any pointers?

[Phsstpok]

each forum will have a FAQ. There are also general FAQs on newsgroups and binaries.

try starting here: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/

If you are running Windows I'd suggest the free newsreader, XNEWS. You can download it from www.download.com. It organizes binary files for downloading. You'll need utilities (some free, some not) like QuickPAR and WINRAR to repair and or reassemble the files (they've been chunked up into smaller bits for uploading/downloading).