Google Groups 2 Beta Released to Public

Google has swapped out its main Groups service with a beta of Google Groups 2, which the search giant has been testing since last May. Users who click the "Groups" link on the Google homepage will be redirected to the beta offering that promises enhanced features and focuses on community building.

In fashion with MSN's Communities and Yahoo!'s Groups, Google Groups 2 allows users to design their own group Web sites, mailing lists and newsletters. Users can designate whether a group is public or restricted, which limits who can read or respond to conversations. Building upon its more than 1 billion post Usenet archive, Google says conversations to both user-created Google Groups lists and Usenet appear within seconds and are searchable within minutes.

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