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Obtaining Archives of USENET?

Posted by Cliff on from the dealing-with-the-red-tape dept.

Academic Researcher asks: "Google took over Deja and built the mammoth Google Groups, which is a near complete archive of USENET dating back to early 1980s. For an academic project, I need to analyse a lot of USENET data. The Terms of Service for Google Groups will not allow automated access (and even so, I'd have to write a bunch of tools and reverse engineer it all). Inquiries about purchasing copies of the archive have gone unanswered. No one else seems to have such an archive. Apart from this meaning that world has one single USENET archive (I hope they have backup floppies!), how can I obtain historical data for research purposes ? I'd happy pay money for DVD's of archival material if they were available. Can anyone help"

2 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. I need to analyse a lot of USENET data... by AtariDatacenter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > For an academic project, I need to analyse a
    > lot of USENET data.

    Are you SURE you're prepared for that much data? And the costs for just storing that much data? Not to mention manipulating it? I think you'd need an academic project just to analyze that factor alone.

  2. That's interesting... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Technically, Google did not buy Deja, they just bought a bunch of data.

    That's interesting... I'm pretty sure I never gave anyone permission to sell my thousands of copyrighted Usenet posts.

    Now maybe somebody will notice the flaw in the "archives are great, you and your copyright can get stuffed" arguments. It's OK for Deja to sell my copyrighted material, and for Google to make it available but only under restrictive agreements? Not by me it's not.

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