Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support<snip>
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
Julieta Shem wrote:
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20
years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet- support
Am 16.12.2023 um 14:17:58 Uhr schrieb Retro Guy:
Others are signing up at real news servers. I know I'm seeing an
increase in new users on my servers, and I believe others are also.
How much did that since yesterday?
How much in the past?
End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support[end quote]
One of the oldest forms of social media fades away a little more.
by Rob Pegoraro Dec 16, 2023
A social-networking fossil looks even more embedded in sedimentary rock now >that Google plans to retire the Usenet gateway it's maintained at its Google >Groups site since 2001.
The news surfaced Thursday in a "Google Groups ending support for Usenet" post >on the Groups help forum. "Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use
Google Groups (at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe
to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content," the post advises. "You can >continue to view and search for historical Usenet content posted before February
22, 2024 on Google Groups."
Anybody who wants to stay current on Usenet will need to find a new client and >network news transfer protocol server-the post advises Googling for help with >those things-while the non-Usenet parts of Google Groups will remain as they are
today.
For those of you thinking "Use-what?", Usenet offered decentralized social >networking starting in 1980, decades before "fediverse" became a 2023 buzzword.
It consisted of a vast hierarchy of threaded forums called newsgroups, >distributed via a store-and-forward architecture that had individual online >services host their own copies of these forums.
This made Usenet open to people without full-fledged internet connectivity; AOL
carried newsgroups before it added web browsing.
Back in the day, Usenet offered a range of user-generated content as vast and as
weird as Reddit ever has, organized in a naming system that began with short >top-level prefixes (for instance, "sci." for science discussions) and then got >more specific (as in, sci.space.history).
Usenet's strangest subdivision was its "alt." hierarchy, which let anybody >create a newsgroup and therefore contained such oddities as alt.pave.the.earth >(people hypothesizing about covering the planet in blacktop) as well as alt. >binaries.* file-sharing groups (in which people uploaded and downloaded MP3s >years before Napster arrived).
Many of the social-media problems that remain unsolved today, like trolling >and spam, surfaced decades earlier on Usenet. But Usenet's ability to connect >widely separated people with shared interests also sparked long-lived >collaborative projects: The Internet Movie Database began on the rec.arts. >movies newsgroup.
Google got into the Usenet business in 2001 when it bought the newsgroups side >of DejaNews, which had developed a usable web front-end to Usenet that let >people read and post in a browser instead of dedicated "newsreader" apps.
But by then, Usenet was already sinking under the weight of abusive or >irrelevant posts that individual users struggled to control with filters in >their own apps-an early case of content moderation tools proving inadequate to >the task.
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the growing >uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet's developers, >computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its possible demise: >"Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run for anything."
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
Others are signing up at real news servers. I know I'm seeing an
increase in new users on my servers, and I believe others are also.
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s >developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its >possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run >for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. >--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source: >https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s >> developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its
possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run >> for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support<snip>
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
I don't think Usenet is going anywhere. google-groups was a false
inflation in Usenet numbers. Most ppl there had no idea what is Usenet.
I'm guessing some do not understand the notification message they're
seeing.
Others are signing up at real news servers. I know I'm seeing an
increase in new users on my servers, and I believe others are also.
Usenet may die when the last of us running servers that were Usenet
users way back are finally gone. That might not be too long in the
future, but a few decades at least.
--
Retro Guy
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:14:29 +0100, Andrew wrote:
Julieta Shem wrote:
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20
years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet- >support
Yep. It reads (to me anyway) as, "Google disconnects from Usenet, no way >Usenet can survive without them."
You would think the author would have taken the time to read in some
news.* groups and find out what's going on. My guess is he has no idea
about the spam problem, no idea that people are standing up to maintain >Usenet despite the (basically) attacks from Google. I doubt he has read a >newsgroup in many years, at least not via ggroups.
Retro Guy wrote:
I'm seeing an increase in new users on my servers
Where I've noticed any posters saying the end of G2 might mean they
leave usenet altogether, I've been pointing them to a relevant group on
your servers ...
I'm seeing an increase in new users on my servers
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies
change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
Retro Guy wrote:
I'm seeing an increase in new users on my servers
Where I've noticed any posters saying the end of G2 might mean they
leave usenet altogether, I've been pointing them to a relevant group on
your servers ...
What an ignorant article... clearly written by somebody who never
understood what Usenet actually was and wasn't. Google Groups was
never Usenet. Anybody believing otherwise is just plain ignorant.
I agree 100% also Usenet is having a comeback people is tired of bloated web >pages with trackers and cookies and stuff.
--
- {gemini,https}://{,rek2.}hispagatos.org - mastodon: @rek2@hispagatos.space >- [https|gemini]://2600.Madrid - https://hispagatos.space/@rek2
- https://keyoxide.org/A31C7CE19D9C58084EA42BA26C0B0D11E9303EC5
Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies
change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
What an ignorant article... clearly written by somebody who never
understood what Usenet actually was and wasn't. Google Groups was
never Usenet. Anybody believing otherwise is just plain ignorant.
What an ignorant article... clearly written by somebody who never
understood what Usenet actually was and wasn't. Google Groups was
never Usenet. Anybody believing otherwise is just plain ignorant.
Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s >> developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its
possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run >> for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
I agree 100% also Usenet is having a comeback people is tired of bloated web pages with trackers and cookies and shit.
candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
And this is what I was worried about, potential new users seeing this
and writing off Usenet as a dead service. Most people probably didn't
know what Usenet was beforehand..
Surely you can find something else to worry about. How about that asteroid collision that will trigger an [apocalyptic] event?
Can everyone help the O.P. by suggesting things to be overly dramatic
about?
candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
. . .And this is what I was worried about, potential new users seeing this
and writing off Usenet as a dead service. Most people probably didn't
know what Usenet was beforehand..
Surely you can find something else to worry about. How about that asteroid >collision that will trigger an apolyptic event?
Can everyone help the O.P. by suggesting things to be overly dramatic
about?
. . .
And this is what I was worried about, potential new users seeing this
and writing off Usenet as a dead service. Most people probably didn't
know what Usenet was beforehand..
a cheerful lying in state ceremony could be held after the 22
february deadline ... here lyeth google2news ... diis manibus ...
rest in peace
You would think the author would have taken the time to read in some
news.* groups and find out what's going on. My guess is he has no idea >>about the spam problem, no idea that people are standing up to maintain >>Usenet despite the (basically) attacks from Google. I doubt he has read a >>newsgroup in many years, at least not via ggroups.
The ill informed needs an education!
Not many new/young users around ... and I sense the old timers don't
want to invite people who can't find it for themselves?
a cheerful lying in state ceremony could be held after the 22
february deadline ... here lyeth google2news ... diis manibus ...
rest in peace
You forgot the 'good riddance' bit...
My servers are not well known and small, so the numbers are small, but I
see a 650% increase in daily sign-ups yesterday.
We could discover that people love dead things or things that won'tThat is not dead which may eternal lie...
die.
Julieta Shem <jshem@yaxenu.org> writes:
We could discover that people love dead things or things that won'tThat is not dead which may eternal lie...
die.
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:14:29 +0100, Andrew wrote:
Julieta Shem wrote:support
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20
years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Yep. It reads (to me anyway) as, "Google disconnects from Usenet, no way Usenet can survive without them."
You would think the author would have taken the time to read in some
news.* groups and find out what's going on. My guess is he has no idea
about the spam problem, no idea that people are standing up to maintain Usenet despite the (basically) attacks from Google. I doubt he has read a newsgroup in many years, at least not via ggroups.
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
On 16/12/2023 13:49, Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s >> developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its
possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run >> for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
Here's a much better article:
<https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/15/google-groups-is-dropping-usenet-support-and-that-is-a-good-thing/>
On 16/12/2023 14:23, Retro Guy wrote:
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:14:29 +0100, Andrew wrote:
Julieta Shem wrote:support
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of
Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin,
shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 >>>> years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-
That article totally misses the point, absolutely clueless.
Yep. It reads (to me anyway) as, "Google disconnects from Usenet, no way
Usenet can survive without them."
You would think the author would have taken the time to read in some
news.* groups and find out what's going on. My guess is he has no idea
about the spam problem, no idea that people are standing up to maintain
Usenet despite the (basically) attacks from Google. I doubt he has read a
newsgroup in many years, at least not via ggroups.
The photo he used to illustrate his artice is a screen shot of Google
Groups - but not of a usenet group - so I think you're right.
On 16/12/2023 13:49, Julieta Shem wrote:
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
Here's a much better article: ><https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/15/google-groups-is-dropping-usenet-support-and-that-is-a-good-thing/>
Google Groups is dropping Usenet support, and that is a good thing[end quote]
Martin Brinkmann
Dec 15, 2023
Listen to article 2 minutes
Google announced this week that it plans to cut the ties to the Usenet in >Google Groups. Starting February 22, 2024, Google Groups users can no longer >post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet groups or view Usenet >content published after February 22.
Native Google Groups content and communities continue to be available, as the >change does not impact them. Google notes further that it will disband its >Usenet infrastructure. These servers can not be used anymore to interact with >the Usenet according to the announcement.
Google explains that activity in text-based Usenet groups has declined over >the years. Large parts of the userbase have moved on to "more modern >technologies and formats". The majority of content that is available on the >Usenet is either binary files or spam, according to Google.
The Spam problem
While Google mentions that spam is a problem, it fails to point out that most >of the spam posted to text-based Usenet groups originates from Google Groups. >In fact, many Usenet regulars started to use filters to weed out anything >that comes from Google Groups as a method to eliminate spam in their >subscribed groups.
The tie cutting is therefore a welcome change for many Usenet users who are >subscribed to text-based groups on the Usenet. Come February 2024, spam will >drop to levels that are significantly lower than current levels.
What users can do about it
The shutting down of the news server is the main problem for users. They need >to find another service that offers newsgroup access. One free option to >access text-based groups is provided by Eternal September.
Besides having to find a new provider, users need to find a new client as well.
Several free clients are available, including Mozilla Thunderbird, which >supports newsgroups. You can check out Wikipedia's list of Usenet readers here.
Content posted before February 22, 2024 continues to be available on Google >Groups, according to Google.
Closing Words
Google ending support for Usenet in Google Groups and disbanding its >infrastructure is certainly disruptive for users who used the service to >interact with the Usenet. On the other hand, it resolves a long-standing spam >problem that Google did nothing about.
Now You: do you use the Usenet?
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> writes:
candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
[...]
And this is what I was worried about, potential new users seeing this
and writing off Usenet as a dead service. Most people probably didn't
know what Usenet was beforehand..
Remember that potential users had not even heard of USENET until now
that Google gave it this amazing press (of the new dead thing). We
could discover that people love dead things or things that won't die.
Die Hard was a popular movie some time. Speaking of movies...
Surely you can find something else to worry about. How about that asteroid >> collision that will trigger an [apocalyptic] event?
Can everyone help the O.P. by suggesting things to be overly dramatic
about?
One suggestion that follows-up on yours is to watch Melancholia from
2011. Here's the official trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IZGwvxhXvw
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support Author: Rob Pegorarosupport
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support Author: Rob
Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s >> developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its
possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run >> for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet- >support
I agree its nothing like it used to be, but dying?
Past 24 hours Articles In: 74139
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Author: Rob Pegoraro
Date: December 16, 2023
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
In early 2000, I wrote a column for the Washington Post about the
growing uselessness of many newsgroups in which I quoted one of Usenet’s developers, computer-science professor Steve Bellovin, shrugging off its possible demise: “Times and technologies change--20 years is a great run for anything.”
Almost 24 years later, that quote has held up better than Usenet. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:49:50 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-support
I agree its nothing like it used to be, but dying?
Past 24 hours Articles In: 74139
noel <deletethis@invalid.lan> writes:
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:49:50 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
[...]
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet- support
I agree its nothing like it used to be, but dying?
Past 24 hours Articles In: 74139
Cool info. Is that with or without spam?
On Mon, 18 Dec 2023 15:17:15 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
noel <deletethis@invalid.lan> writes:support
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:49:50 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
[...]
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-
I agree its nothing like it used to be, but dying?
Past 24 hours Articles In: 74139
Cool info. Is that with or without spam?
I'd imagine it would include some spam that gets past our filters, but I don't see any in the groups I sub to. It doesnt include anything from
google who are ousted for some time.
On Mon, 18 Dec 2023 15:17:15 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
noel <deletethis@invalid.lan> writes:support
On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:49:50 -0300, Julieta Shem wrote:
Title: End of an Era: Google Groups to Drop Usenet Support
[...]
Source:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/end-of-an-era-google-groups-to-drop-usenet-
I agree its nothing like it used to be, but dying?
Past 24 hours Articles In: 74139
Cool info. Is that with or without spam?
I'd imagine it would include some spam that gets past our filters, but I
don't see any in the groups I sub to. It doesnt include anything from
google who are ousted for some time.
Great info. Thanks!
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