AOL Kills Usenet Access 576
Numair writes "BetaNews is reporting that AOL is about to terminate Usenet access for its users. Now, before everyone starts rejoicing ... where is the Usenet community going to find another large media company to protect it from frivolous copyright lawsuits?"
Uh oh... (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, that will be... (Score:5, Interesting)
Real uses for USENET anymore? (Score:5, Interesting)
I remember the old days of dialing into my shell account and using my little news reader ('tin' was it?) to read through my favorite groups. I even remember downloading multiple posts, linking them together, and using some archaic app (binhex, maybe) to turn them into little binary apps like hangman. I was a big fan of USENET back then - good discussions, helpful people, uncensored pr0n...
I tried to visit some groups recently and was sad to see more spam than a hotmail account, one-sentence off-topic posts, etc. Does anyone actually know of any more useful groups?
Do people still read Usenet? (Score:4, Interesting)
Like everyone else, though, I can't but view the removal of AOL from Usenet except with joy. I don't see how it could really hurt the old newsgroups.
AOL Usenet Appeals to Old Folks like Myself (Score:1, Interesting)
I hate the smooth, hi-tech feel to Google's new format for Usenet.
Perhaps, I'm just old, but that's how I feel.
Big frappni deal.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Wow. (Score:5, Interesting)
But without new blood Usenet ages and dies.
What happens if other ISPs decide that maintaining a news server for a handful of Geeks is no longer worth the trouble?
Re:Wow. (Score:3, Interesting)
No, it won't. If all the riftraft and other clueless morons leave Usenet then it will become a useful comunications tool for a small but well inteligent group of users again. Small I mean as in 10,000 or 20,000 users. In other words it will return to its roots where people, such as myself, will begin running small and large servers decited to the free exchange of ideals. I think this could be the beginning to a new golden age for Usenet myself.
YEAH! (Score:3, Interesting)
Now I can remember the day they left as well.
W00t!
one of the worst hit by AOHell (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd put in an ObTasteless here, but I've been out of the loop for so long on account of the spam that I just don't have the heart for it any more. [wipes a wistful tear from his eye]
-paul
Re:Whatever gets AOL off the net is fine with me. (Score:2, Interesting)
While the clueless newbies are a headache, would we be better off shutting them off from internet access or working to educate them on how to become productive internet users.
Maybe AOL did create a huge "September" effect by bringing the internet to the masses, but is that really a bad thing? Is AOL really to blame?
--
otis mofot torpor dium
Will RR get affected? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:But... (Score:1, Interesting)
Right. And who's to say if that's right or wrong? If they're happy in their own little world, I say, good for them.
A lot of people seem to exist only in that little world called Slashdot... They get their messages, they have their discussions, and the cute little friend/foe icons.