hierarchy

In computing, on Usenet, the structure for naming newsgroups. All newsgroups on Usenet are assigned to a major group. The Big Seven hierarchies were the first to be set up, and setting up a new newsgroup in these involved following more or less formal procedures. The alt hierarchy was set up to allow more flexibility. The biz hierarchy was set up 1994, after the first incidence of spamming, to give advertising its own place.