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How Google Saved USENET

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pouring-amber-on-ants dept.

Masem writes: "Salon has a well-written article article on the recent revival of much of the USENET archives from '81 to '90 by Google. It mentions that much of the recovery was thanks to years of work in transferring data off 140-some 10" magnetic tapes (~120megs of data) to a more conventional format in order to recover much of the early posts. Even a reference to the previous Slashdot story is made." Update: 01/07 23:52 GMT by T : btempleton adds: "O'Reilly Network asked me to do an article on similar themes and rememberances of USENET history." Thanks, Brad.

7 of 280 comments (clear)

  1. We don't compare. by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ye Gods!

    The modern slashdot nerd trembles in the presence of those ancient USENET nerds of old

    A 300 pound slashdot weakling is easily flung aside by the 500 pound USENET god. Who at slashdot keeps taped archives of every post for the nerds of future generations? Truly those were nerds.

  2. i dont know how i feel about this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    i'm a tad concerned about the posts i made in the early 90's when i was an asshole know it all teenager coming back to haunt me... i wish google never uncovered those... i cringe when i read them now...

    1. Re:i dont know how i feel about this by ktakki · · Score: 5, Funny

      John Walker Lindh? Is that you?

      k.

      --
      "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank
  3. My father was a Computer Scientist by sinserve · · Score: 5, Funny

    In a major university, and I decided to honor his
    soul and follow his foot steps.
    And now, thanks to google, I find myself battling
    the flame wars he started.

    Better go back and do him and VI and honor .. alt.emacs, here I come.

  4. Me, too!!! by ideut · · Score: 5, Funny

    The first "me too" post isn't until two years into the archive. I suppose that says something about the intelligence of the usenet demographic back then.

    --

    --

  5. The One Engine by Saint+Aardvark · · Score: 5, Funny

    Three tapes for rec.singles desperate
    Seven for alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork
    Nine for comp.sci compiling late
    One for Google's engine dark
    In their Linux cluser where the shadows lie.
    One engine to search them all, one engine to bind them
    One engine to index them all and in the darkness find them
    In Google's cluster where the shadows lie.

    --
    Carousel is a lie!
  6. The next story by ortholattice · · Score: 5, Funny
    Since Salon's revenue is based on page hits, the next story will be:

    How Slashdot Saved Salon