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AOL Kills Usenet Access

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bad-times dept.

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?"

10 of 576 comments (clear)

  1. Wow. by kalidasa · · Score: 5, Funny

    It looks like September did end, after all.

    Sorry folks, couldn't help it.

    1. Re:Wow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      It looks like September did end, after all.

      For those who don't get it:

      http://catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/S/September-that- never-ended.html

    2. Re:Wow. by HiredMan · · Score: 5, Funny



      Me too!!!!!!!!

      =tkk

      --
      Bill Gates - Creationist?!?
    3. Re:Wow. by bamberg · · Score: 5, Informative

      In the days before widespread internet usage, a significant percentage of the participants in Usenet were college students. Every September would see an influx of newbies who didn't have a clue about Usenet conventions and would disrupt things until they were educated. When AOL gained Usenet access people referred to it as "the September that never ended", referring to the fact that there was now a constant influx of clueless newbies.

  2. Uh oh... by TychoCelchuuu · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is it good because it cleans up Usenet? Or does it just mean there will be an influx of idiocy to everywhere else? I'm scared!

    --
    Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain.
  3. a great disturbance by Fr05t · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I felt a great disturbance in the Usenet, as if millions of alt.binary.xxxporn images suddenly
    cried out in terror and silenced at once"

  4. Just use this free usenet server: by Karamchand · · Score: 5, Informative

    While it does not provide access to binary groups (for understandable reasons) it works really well for normal text groups. And it's free, all you have to do is registering: news.individual.net

  5. Re:Real uses for USENET anymore? by CDS · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are still some very good groups out there. They tend to be very highly-policed (either as officially moderated groups, or via a cadre of regulars who keep things firmly ontopic.)

    comp.lang.c is a great example of this. I owe them a LOT regarding my growth in understanding of C.

  6. Re:AOL killed it in the first place by Filmwatcher888 · · Score: 5, Funny

    LOL!!1!

    >ME TOO!

    >> I was there when AOL enabled usenet access. The
    >> flood of users with no netiquette or, as it eemed
    >> to me at the time, common sense, drove me out of
    >> almost every newsgroup I followed.

  7. Spot on by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So remember, AOL caters to the simple/stupid crowd.

    Thanks for bringing this up. Remember, half of the population has an IQ under 100, by definition.

    There are a bunch of self-righteous egotists who hang out here and contend that they just shouldn't have access to technology. That is, of course, bullshit. Including antivirus software with their service is the second best thing AOL has done in a decade (supporting Mozilla being #1).

    There needs to be an onramp for the Internet and I don't see anyone else stepping up. Remember - you too were once an annoying helpless newbie!

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)