TrashGod's Journal: Time-Warner Drops Usenet

Monopolist Meets Demagogue

According to this announcement from Road-Runner, Time-Warner has dropped usenet (nntp) service. This comes under the threat of litigation from New York Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo. The costly alternatives offered are, in effect, a fee increase for thousands of Time-Warner customers. The claim of low subscriber usage is manifestly false: Google news shows nearly a million articles from rr.com, three-fourths to the comp groups. Time-Warner's bandwidth needs will only rise as users seek news from out-of-network sites.

According to the FAQ:

• Q. I cannot access Road Runner Newsgroups or download articles?
  A. As of June 23, 2008, Road Runner will no longer offer Newsgroups, however users can subscribe on their own to third party News providers.
• Q. Why is Road Runner discontinuing their own Newsgroups service?
  A. Due to low subscriber usage Road Runner has decided to discontinue Newsgroups service as of June 23, 2008.
• Q. If I still want a news service, what can I do?
  A. Subscribers can choose to use a third party service and purchase on their own through that service. There are many providers with offerings, as an example here are several providers: [costly alternatives elided]
• Q. When is the last day that Road Runner Newsgroups service will be available?
  A. Newsgroups service will cease on June 23, 2008.

Related stories:

• Usenet Blocking Intensifies
• Comcast follows suit

What I want to know is

[Qzukk]

Due to low subscriber usage

Why does Time Warner feel the need to lie? Why don't they just come right out and say it's because of Cuomo?

Re:

[TrashGod]

Thanks for your comment. IANAL, but I suspect that their lawyers are trying to preserve what protection is afforded by U.S. Code [gpo.gov], Title 17 [gpo.gov], Chapter 5 [gpo.gov], Section 512 [gpo.gov]. Instead of censoring some newsgroups, they dropped usenet entirely; I hope the courts see through the charade. I have to wonder what they will drop, censor or "shape" next.