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Spaf's Farewell, Ten Years Later
catfood writes "Ten years ago this evening, Usenet legend Gene Spafford posted his farewell to news.announce.newusers, news.misc, and a few other newsgroups. Among other things, spaf wrote: 'People don't seem to think before posting, they are purposely rude, they blatantly violate copyrights, they crosspost everywhere, use 20 line signature files, and do basically every other thing the postings (and common sense and common courtesy) advise not to. Regularly, there are postings of questions that can be answered by the newusers articles, clearly indicating that they aren't being read.' Speaking of his own post, spaf said, 'even if it is perceived as self-indulgent garbage, it will fit right in with the rest of the net.'
Ten years later, we still have all of spaf's complaints plus mounting spammage just barely held in check by auto-canceling volunteers. Is Usenet still useful? Is it worth maintaining? I say yes, but I can feel spaf's pain. It may be too late now, but hey spaf: thanks."
his last, as opposed to first, post?
Where else can you find free repositories of porn, sectioned off into seperate areas, from leather to hamsters? Usenet rocks.
God is real unless declared integer.
and nothing has changed
People don't seem to think before posting, they are purposely rude, they blatantly violate copyrights, they crosspost everywhere, use 20 line signature files, and do basically every other thing the postings (and common sense and common courtesy) advise not to.
Here's to 20 more years of a complete waste of time!
"Some things have to be believed to be seen." - Ralph Hodgson
s/Usenet/Slashdot/
/*- Mohammed -*/
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea--massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."
- Spaf, 1992
SOme of us go there for warez AND porn. Neekid HAmsters wearing leather chaps, how can you beat that?!
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
Hmm.
Cheers,
Ian
I don't think you understand.
"...you don't change human nature as a whole by chastising and scolding the already-converted-to-responsible-behavior."
Someone get this man a blanket and the worlds smallest violin.
*Fortitudo, aequitas, fidelitas.*
Usenet is the Wild West of the Internet.
I believe a more appropriate metaphor would be "Usenet is the Ancient Indian Burial Ground of the Internet."
Comparing it to the Wild West would lead people to believe that it's new and uncharted. On the contrary, it's very, very, VERY old and busted.
lowercase lowercase lowercase
I'm sick of you all. I'm leaving. Inconsiderate bastards. All of you.
There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight.
It would work even better if when you tried to post something, Google would say, "Someone asked this exact same question already" like /. does.
Everyone is born right-handed; only the greatest overcome it
Participation is voluntary, and in good communities, there are usually longstanding members who will lay down the heavy, large-knuckled hand of tough love and teach offenders to behave properly. Those who decide that this treatment is unfair leave (or cause more trouble, and get ignored), and those who decide to stay usually do so humbled. I love it.
I'm sure the unruliest of the rebels wind up creating their own little communities, but I doubt that they'd last quite as long.
Heck, I just wish there were more situations in real life which could be dealt with by simply laying the fist down on instigators and idiots.
"YOU! Loud newcomer! Be quiet and be nice, or get out. And if you decide to stay, know this: The strawberry-donuts are ALWAYS mine. Oh, and during your first month here, you are not allowed to wear pants unless you have purchased a pant-permission ticket from one of us. Now, off with the pants."
And if you bury things there, they come back to haunt you!!!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Replace that with THE ENTIRE FUCKING INTERNET and the sentence is still true!!
My god, the internet IS A FRACTAL!
Moderators: Please mod that fuckhead to +5, Insightful :)
Reminds me of this site.
Which, thanks to your post, is now slashdotted.
Mike