Newsgroups are not as quick as mailing lists or email. It will almost always take a day or two to get a response.
Just because you saw something in print on the Internet does not mean it is true. Anybody in the world can say anything they want on the Internet, and they don't have to know what they are talking about. Use judgment when reading messages, and consider how well you know the source.
Newsgroups are home to many of the least savory parts of the Internet. If you are concerned about your children's access to the Internet, this is an area you should monitor. The alt groups can be especially troublesome, because there is very little control of the content that goes there. There is software you can buy which will password - protect such groups so children cannot go there.