snt (), SNT, r, "n fll", sr's Ntwrk, s wrldwd dstrbtd dscssn systm vlbl n cmptrs. t ws dvlpd frm th gnrl-prps nx-t-nx Cpy (CP) dl-p ntwrk rchtctr. Tm Trsctt nd Jm lls cncvd th d n 1979, nd t ws stblshd n 1980. srs rd nd pst mssgs (clld rtcls r psts, nd cllctvly trmd nws) t n r mr tpc ctgrs, knwn s nwsgrps. snt rsmbls blltn brd systm (BBS) n mny rspcts nd s th prcrsr t th ntrnt frms tht hv bcm wdly sd. Dscssns r thrdd, s wth wb frms nd BBSs, thgh psts r strd n th srvr sqntlly.
mjr dffrnc btwn BBS r wb mssg brd nd snt s th bsnc f cntrl srvr nd ddctd dmnstrtr r hstng prvdr. snt s dstrbtd mng lrg, cnstntly chngng st f nws srvrs tht str nd frwrd mssgs t n nthr v "nws fds". ndvdl srs my rd mssgs frm nd pst t lcl (r smply prfrrd) nws srvr, whch cn b prtd by nyn, nd ths psts wll tmtclly b frwrdd t ny thr nws srvrs prd wth th lcl n, whl th lcl srvr wll rcv ny nws ts prs hv tht t crrntly lcks. Ths rslts n th tmtc prlfrtn f cntnt pstd by ny sr n ny srvr t ny thr sr sbscrbd t th sm nwsgrps n thr srvrs.
s wth BBSs nd mssg brds, ndvdl nws srvrs r srvc prvdrs r ndr n blgtn t crry ny spcfc cntnt, nd my rfs t d s fr mny rsns: nws srvr mght ttmpt t cntrl th sprd f spm by rfsng t ccpt r frwrd ny psts tht trggr spm fltrs, r srvr wtht hgh-cpcty dt strg my rfs t crry ny nwsgrps sd prmrly fr fl shrng, lmtng tslf t dscssn-rntd grps. Hwvr, nlk BBSs nd wb frms, th dsprsd ntr f snt slly prmts srs wh r ntrstd n rcvng sm cntnt t ccss t smply by chsng t cnnct t nws srvrs tht crry th fds thy wnt.
snt s cltrlly nd hstrclly sgnfcnt n th ntwrkd wrld, hvng gvn rs t, r pplrzd, mny wdly rcgnzd cncpts nd trms sch s "FQ", "flm", "sckpppt", nd "spm". n th rly 1990s, shrtly bfr ccss t th ntrnt bcm cmmnly ffrdbl, snt cnnctns v FdNt's dl-p BBS ntwrks md lng-dstnc r wrldwd dscssns nd thr cmmnctn wdsprd, nt ndng srvr, jst (lcl) tlphn srvc.
Th nm snt cms frm th trm "srs' ntwrk". Th frst snt grp ws NT.gnrl, whch qckly bcm nt.gnrl. Th frst cmmrcl spm n snt ws frm mmgrtn ttrnys Cntr nd Sgl dvrtsng grn crd srvcs.
n th ntrnt, snt s trnsprtd v th Ntwrk Nws Trnsfr Prtcl (NNTP) n Trnsmssn Cntrl Prtcl (TCP) prt 119 fr stndrd, nprtctd cnnctns, nd n TCP prt 563 fr Scr Sckts Lyr (SSL) ncryptd cnnctns.