Editing Google Groups (section)

{{Short description|Service from Google that provides discussion groups}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = Google Groups
| logo                   = Google Groups logo.png
| logo size              = 140px
| collapsible            = yes
| screenshot             = 
| caption                = Google Groups screenshot
| developer              = [[Google]]
| released               = {{start date and age|2001|2|12}}
| latest_release_version = 
| latest_release_date    = 
| latest_preview_version = 
| latest_preview_date    = 
| genre                  = [[Newsgroup]]s, [[electronic mailing lists]]
| license                = 
| website                = {{URL|https://groups.google.com}}
}}
'''Google Groups''' is a service from [[Google]] that provides [[Internet forum|discussion groups]] for people sharing common interests. Until February 2024, the Groups service also provided a gateway to [[Usenet]] newsgroups, both reading and posting to them,<ref>{{cite web |title=What is a Usenet Newsgroup? |url=https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46854 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420194037/https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46854 |archive-date=April 20, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2010 |publisher=Google Groups Help Center}}</ref> via a shared [[user interface]]. In addition to accessing Google Groups, registered users can also set up [[mailing list]] archives for e-mail lists that are hosted elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web |title=Can I use Google Groups to archive another mailing list? |url=https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46387 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105124807/https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46387 |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |access-date=August 10, 2010 |publisher=Google Groups Help Center}}</ref>

Google Groups became operational in February 2001, following Google's acquisition of Deja's [[Usenet#Archives|Usenet archive]]. Deja News had been operational since March 1995.

Google Groups allows any user to freely conduct and access [[threaded discussion]]s, via either a web interface or e-mail. There are at least two kinds of discussion groups: forums specific to Google Groups (like mailing lists)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46368 |title=How do I create my own group? |publisher=Google Groups Help Center |access-date=August 10, 2010 }}</ref> and Usenet groups, accessible by [[Network News Transfer Protocol|NNTP]], for which Google Groups acts as gateway and unofficial archive. The Google Groups archive of Usenet newsgroup postings dates back to 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=How far back does Google's Usenet archive go? |url=https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46439 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026005559/https://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46439 |archive-date=October 26, 2007 |access-date=August 10, 2010 |publisher=Google Groups Help Center}}</ref>

On December 15, 2023, Google announced that Google Groups would end support posting or viewing new Usenet content on February 22, 2024, with existing archives remaining available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Google Groups ending support for Usenet - Google Groups Help |url=https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538 |website=support.google.com |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>