Most mass spectrometrists will be interested in the science related
hierarchies and the sci.chem.* and sci.techniques.* groups. Brief
descriptions of four of these groups are given below.

A WWW archive of the past several months of Usenet posts can be found at
the DejaNews archive http://groups.google.com/ as well as general search
pages like Alta Vista: http://www.altavista.com/

2.1 sci.techniques.mass-spec

sci.techniques.mass-spec">http://groups.google.com/groups?group=sci.techniques.mass-spec

This is a newsgroup moderated by David Bostwick with the goal:
"provide a place for the discussion of all areas of mass spectrometry."
Messages can be posted with a newsreader program or by sending them to
mass.spec@gatech.edu.

Moderator:              David Bostwick
                         david.bostwick@chemistry.gatech.edu
                         School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
                         Georgia Institute of Technology
                         Atlanta, GA 30332-0400

Backup moderator:       Sarah Shealy
                         sarah.shealy@chemistry.gatech.edu

Submission address:     mass.spec@gatech.edu
Problems address:       mass.spec-request@chemistry.gatech.edu

A digest of the posts to this group is sent out by the STMSLIST  
listserver.
See STMSLIST in Section 1.1 above for subscription information.

If you have only e-mail internet access, you can still use this group.  
Post
by sending a message to mass.spec@gatech.edu. Wait for the digest of
posts from the STMSLIST mailing list (see Section 1.1), or if you need a
faster response, request an e-mail reply to your post.

The sci.techniques.mass-spec WWW page is
http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/stms/
and the posts are archived at the anonymous FTP site ftp.gatech.edu in  
the
directory pub/mass-spec (ftp://ftp.gatech.edu/pub/mass-spec/).

2.2 sci.techniques.spectroscopy

sci.techniques.spectroscopy">http://groups.google.com/groups?group=sci.techniques.spectroscopy

 From the sci.techniques.spectroscopy charter:

	"The purpose of sci.techniques.spectroscopy is to provide an open
	forum for the spectroscopy community on the Internet.
	Sci.newsgroups allow the rapid and timely discussion of opinions and
	information that would take months or years (or not at all) on
	conventional paper journals. They also serve as highly valuable
	resources for referral and references on topics of interest for the
	readers."

2.3 sci.chem.analytical

sci.chem.analytical">http://groups.google.com/groups?group=sci.chem.analytical

Sci.chem.analytical is more general than sci.techniques.mass-spec
but less general than sci.chem. The group is not moderated thus
it contains some off-topic and crossposted material, but the advantage
is that your post is rapidly available.

The charter is reproduced in full below from a post to  
news.announce.newgroups
on June 5, 1995.

	"sci.chem.analytical:

	Sci.chem.analytical is an unmoderated newsgroup for the discussion
	of organic and inorganic analytical chemistry.  This newsgroup will
	provide a place for professional analytical chemists to meet and
	exchange ideas.

	Topics for discussion will include:

	- Chromatography - Capillary electrophoresis - Separation techniques
	- Mass spectrometry - Atomic absorption - Methods of analysis

	The list above is far from complete, but serves as an illustration.

	Posting of advertisements by private individuals are not permitted.
	Product announcements will be allowed provided they are related to
	topics discussed in the newsgroup and included in followup articles."

2.4 sci.chem

sci.chem">http://groups.google.com/groups?group=sci.chem

The sci.chem FAQ is posted (more or less) monthly to the Usenet groups
sci.chem, sci.answers and news.answers. The best place to find it is the
internet, for example, the FTP FAQ archive site at rtfm.mit.edu in the
pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/sci/chem directory.

sci.chem is a high profile/high noise newsgroup in the best Usenet
tradition.There is much crossposting from other related and non-related
newsgroups and other standard abuses. In spite of this it is an  
excellent
forum. Read this newsgroup for a month and get to know the regulars  
before
posting. To quote the sci.chem FAQ:

    "sci.chem is a discussion group, and it covers the scientific  
discussion
    of all issues concerning chemistry. There is no talk.chemistry  
group,
    consequently discussion often drifts away from the narrow focus of  
the
    science of chemistry. Please ensure that threads that have no  
ongoing
    'science' requirement have the "Followup To" header diverted back  
to the
    original group. There are several groups that also cover specialist
    areas ... and prospective sci.chem posters should check to ensure
    their post would not be more appropriately placed in one of those
    groups. Please do not crosspost to all chemistry groups, and  
please do
    not post to groups that you are not currently reading."