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GUBA makes Usenet search easy as Google

ChipGuy writes "Despite the growing popularity of p2p networks,Usenet is the real treasure trove of multimedia content including vintage cartoons, westerns and popular television shows. Nearly two terabytes of data is added everyday to Usenet. GUBA, a seven year old San Francisco company is making it easier to find the information on Usenet through the browser. Its like " Google for Usenet," says this report."

41 of 253 comments (clear)

  1. Google for usenet? by selfabuse · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So.. they've invented deja/google groups?

    1. Re:Google for usenet? by eln · · Score: 4, Informative

      As a long time connoisseur of porn^H^H^H^Hobscure films, I can tell you that Google Groups does not provide access to binaries.

    2. Re:Google for usenet? by marcop · · Score: 2, Informative

      Have you tried newzbin or audiofind?

    3. Re:Google for usenet? by stupidfoo · · Score: 2, Informative

      binsearch.info kicks ass and is free, unlike newzbin

    4. Re:Google for usenet? by specialkp · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh no! Now KDE, Gnome, AND Google will be obsoleted! What is this world coming to... GORM and GUBA are taking over.

  2. SSSHHH!!! by TomatoMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    ontday alktay abouthay usenethay!

    --
    -- http://frobnosticate.com
    1. Re:SSSHHH!!! by gripped · · Score: 2, Informative

      We sometimes hear of so called 'scene' topsites that well connected 'pirates' have access to.

      Surely the commercial newsfeeds could in fact be regarded as 'Pay as you go' topsites. How they get left alone to profit from rampant copyright theft is beyond me.

      Not that I care. I download films from my own ISP's newsserver, which is one of the few left in the uk to have a decent binary newsfeed.

      I'm sure the only reason they keep it going is that its cheaper for them to supply as much of their customers warez requirements as possible, on their own backbone, than it is for everyone to be seeking the stuff on the wider net.
      Still find it weird that its allowed to go on though

  3. How does this differ from other UseNet Archives? by ewanrg · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At $14.95 a month I don't really see how this place is any different than Easynews or UseNext. Doesn't seem like all that new an idea, and certainly the price doesn't lead me to believe I'm any better off than these other services.

    Is there something that reading the article and checking out the site didn't make obvious?

  4. Advert? by Tim+C · · Score: 5, Informative

    GUBA is a pay-for service, yet for some reason the summary neglects to mention this. Call me cynical, but when something as fundamental as that is missed out, I start thinking "advert".

  5. All I need.. by LilGuy · · Score: 4, Informative

    is NewZbin.

    God bless the creators.

    --

    You're nothing; like me.
    1. Re:All I need.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Acctually, from what i understand, they do have an automated index of all files posted to the binary groups they follow. you can access this by searching for "files" rather then "posts"...

      "posts" are just a listing of the files that logically belong together, and are compiled by the human editors of which you speak...

      by searching for "files" you lose out on the nicely grouped posts, so you have to select the relavent files yourself, but you can find stuff that hasn't been "posted" by the editors yet...

  6. Outfuckingstanding by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So much for flying under the [RI|MP]AA's radar. I just can't wait until they start issuing subpenas and crapflooding the MP3 and multimedia groups.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    1. Re:Outfuckingstanding by Sancho · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The content owners know about this already. Two, maybe three years ago, I heard about a massive piracy ring going by the name of SD6 that operated on IRC and USENET. Seems that some of their members started getting C&Ds and other legal threats from the content owners, and they shut down their entire USENET group (knowing full well, of course, that the group itself would not disappear--but they apparently stopped all USENET operations).

      So they know it's there. If they aren't actively working to stop it now, it's probably because your average user isn't going to be able to download thousands of messages, reassemble them into files, and (if it's a movie file) reassemble THOSE into the mpeg. Bittorrent is much easier as it's a single installation and then just clicky-clicky on the link to start downloading your file.

      I'm sure they'll go after USENET eventually, after they've dealt with all the larger threats. But for now, I imagine you are safe. They may go after this company that seems to be caching and indexing the files, but I doubt they'll go after USENET itself for awhile yet.

  7. Key word: "MULTIMEDIA" by schon · · Score: 4, Informative

    And what is google groups exactly?

    A way to search *text*

    Usenet right on google, and it is searchable.

    Except that it doesn't include pictures, music, and videos. Try searching google for alt.binaries.sounds.mp3 and see what you get.

    Although I have a hard time picturing how these guys are gonna stay alive once the MPAA/RIAA finds out about them.

    1. Re:Key word: "MULTIMEDIA" by schon · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think it's because they want to maintain common-carrier status.

      If they start examining (and then restricting) what people post, then they open themselves up to lawsuits when they miss.

      Besides, would it really stop anyone - people could just move the stuff to a different newsgroup.

    2. Re:Key word: "MULTIMEDIA" by value_added · · Score: 2, Interesting
      And what is google groups exactly?

      A way to search *text*

      Dear Lord. If you're going to offer a response to someone that thinks the intarweb happens in their browser, maybe provide a linky that is more meaningful? Sorry, kids, Google Groups is nothing but a pretend front end to something else, and not a very good one at that. At least Microsoft hosts their microsoft.public hierarchy, though it's ludicrous the way in which they pretend it's something they invented and fill full with content.

      As for indexing content on usenet, this has been done for quite some time. The more comprehensive (scariest) approach seems to be taken by the folks at Microsoft, evidence enough of why real names/email addresses should never be used. Also, there's sites like this one that people can use if they're so inclined. Whatever.

      Personally, I think most web interfaces suck for searching, but only slightly less than downloading 500K headers in a binary group looking for something ... interesting. What would be ideal if Easynews et al. could just offer a big text dump of any group that could be grepped locally without the clicking and advancing page by page nonsense. Either way, publicity is Not a Good Thing for usenet, which has for years been A Really Good Thing. It's easy enough for anyone to create a new group and migrate there with everyone else (ad infinitum), but that's hardly a welcome idea.

  8. Wow... more advertising on /. by Daytona955i · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you have an internet connection, you probably also already have access to newsgroups. Buy NewsRover and search 'till your heart's content. (And you don't need to pay $14.95/month to do it)

    Since others will probably mention google groups, I'll just mention that google groups doesn't search for binaries whereas this is geared towards a binaries search. If this service was free I would probably use it. But it's not so I'll continue to use my new reader.

  9. Worst. Advert. Ever. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    GUBA is a commercial porn site that masquerades as a Usenet archive. It's been around for years, and certainly isn't as comprehensive as Google Groups. The linked "report" is just a blog post.

    Any particular reason why this got posted? Did the editor get free membership in return?

  10. Smart. Real Smart. by rudy_wayne · · Score: 2, Informative

    Let's start a business that publicizes the terrabytes of warez on Usenet. Yeah, that's a real smart move.

  11. Re:won't last by DigitalRaptor · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yeah, because Easynews and the hundreds of companies like them were shut down so fast for the exact same thing.

    Oh, wait. They weren't.

    --
    Lose Weight and Feel Great with Isagenix
  12. Been around for a while by P3NIS_CLEAVER · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this news? This site has been around for a long time. Why now on /.?

    --
    Please sign petition to restore sanity to our banking system!!!

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  13. And here I thought... by sterno · · Score: 3, Informative

    Funny me, I thought that google for usenet was Google.

    --
    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
  14. Mod parent down: "Not Newsworthy" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's just one of many commercial USENET-binary services.

    Yawn.

    Mod main story down: Not newsworthy

  15. Not Worthwhile by staticdaze · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can't see any worthwhile features offered by this service for the $15 per month that you would pay. All of the major usenet providers (Giganews, Easynews, and Newzbin are just a few that I have experience with) offer similar search services. Not only do they include images and video (which, so far, is all this GUMA service would provide), but also every binary posted to Usenet. Why would you pay an extra $15? For the video conversion features? (which is actually kind of neat, but I'm sure most people can simply download and play any videos they find if they want to see them).

    The other problem is that the article does not mention who actually provides the content. Will GUMA be hosting their own NNTP servers? What kind of retention will it have, and can it compete with the 55+ days offered by the big providers?

    Maybe, just maybe, some potential customers would be those who just heard of this "Usenet" and want a famailiar interface to it all. But sooner or later, they should realize that they can get so much more for little to nothing in extra costs per month.

  16. Re:won't last by Carraway · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yeah, because Easynews and the hundreds of companies like them were shut down so fast for the exact same thing.

    The difference here is GUBA is shouting from the rooftops that they're hosting copyrighted files. Easynews, Giganews, etc., all kept it relatively obscure, just saying "we index all of Usenet" which was understood by smart users and generally ignored by everyone else. Now all of the basic users who are just now figuring out how Bitorrent works are going to say, "Wha? I can get music and movies on Usenet?" and, frankly, where the basic users go, so goes the RIAA.

  17. Re:How does this differ from other UseNet Archives by SoCalChris · · Score: 2, Informative

    The difference, according to this article is that they don't allow you to search for, or download MP3s or videos over 70 minutes.

    I think I'll stick to EasyNews. It's cheaper, they don't log what I download, and they have an awesome web based search taht works well with FlashGot.

    Also, after reading the linked article, their CEO sounds pretty clueless. They are blocking the MP3s because the RIAA has been so agressive about enforcing copyright, but will be leaving on TV shows because "the TV guys seem to understand the Internet..." I'm giving them a month or so before they're sued into oblivion.

  18. Free news servers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
  19. WTF?! Easynews has 100TB and a better search by mrgodzilla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's up with this ad for GUBA??

    Easynews kicks the crap out of GUBA and is cheaper. We have
    a better global search, carry over 100TB, bigger/faster gigE
    pipes, even unrar and thumbnail your svcd's!!

    So I ask, what's up with this ad?

    -- godzilla

  20. Re:won't last by DigitalRaptor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The real difference is that P2P has a source, a bottleneck. You can shut down one group or one server and the problem goes away.

    Usenet is almost as distributed as email, and just as old.

    Shutting Usenet down will be like trying to catch a fart in the wind. You may get some of it, but you'll never get all of it, and it won't be easy.

    --
    Lose Weight and Feel Great with Isagenix
  21. And there goes Usenet... by Necromancyr · · Score: 5, Funny
    Slashdot, is it your JOB to ruin EVERYTHING? Bittorrent, now this.

    I hate you guys. Just shut your dirty mouths.

    1. Re:And there goes Usenet... by adnausium · · Score: 2, Funny

      Anyone I have every told about Usenet (which is very few), I explained that it should be considered like joining "Fight Club". And what's the first rule of Fight Club?...

      --
      Don't ya hate it when the correct spelling of your favorite screen name is taken?
  22. GUBA is "News"?! by webmosher · · Score: 2, Informative

    GUBA has been around for a long time by internet standards (1998 according to the WHOIS record). It has also been a pay site for as long as I can remember. I think they popped up about the time independent providers charging for Usenet hosting also appeared.

    Did they change their interface? Is it faster? Why is this new?

    There are other sites for finding recent Usenet binary postings. However, they all link to some level of intrinsically non-public binary information (just like GUBA, or BT for that matter). One would be better off looking for them on their own, rather than resourcing Slashdot for that information.

  23. All googled out by steve-qc · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashdot keeps finding ever more creative ways to get the words Google on its front page. This story really has nothing to do with Google yet they managed to google it up.

    Really makes me wonder just how much Google stock did they buy anyway?? :) ....

    Google

  24. Re:How does this differ from other UseNet Archives by randomErr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The ONLY differences between Guba and any other service is that it has a slightly better categorization system and a better looking design. Nothing to see here, move along.

    --
    You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
  25. And that's OK. by bashibazouk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Bittorent only works well if the content is popular. Try to download something old or obscure sometime. 5 megs, one seed and no leachers, and I supposed to wait 10 hours for the download? Now that's silly and wildly inefficient.

  26. Re:Pirated Material by pegr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've always wondered why the RIAA doesn't go after this. I appreciate the structure of usenet means that the newsgroups can't be shut down, but surely they could sue ISPs and posters based in the US. Is there some technical or legal reason, or is usenet just too far away from the mainstream?
     
    Two words: Common Carrier. It's the same reason the phone company can't be held liable for obscene phone calls. As long as you carry everything without blocking, you can be (legally) ignorant of what's there. The poster, however, can still be held liable. And posters have, in fact, been prosecuted for their usenet postings, generally for illegal content though, not copyright violations...

  27. Re:WTF?! Easynews has 100TB and a better search by cybrthng · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whats up with your ad?

  28. All videos available in Flash by elambrecht · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can we at least get some props for transcoding all the videos into flash? You can always get the original (even from some other Usenet provider, you cheapskates), but if you just want to see the damn video without having to dork with different codecs or players, you can't beat it.

    Eric...
    (and no.. nobody at Slashdot got a free account for this post... but we'd be happy to hand them out.. ;-))

    1. Re:All videos available in Flash by klui · · Score: 2, Informative

      Just google for ffdshow and that will solve 99% of your problem with codecs.

  29. Ah, the pains of non-mac users.... by ShyGuy91284 · · Score: 2, Informative

    At the risk of sounding like a salesman like the article, Unison on OS X is probably the greatest Newsgroup client by far. I've used clients on Windows, Linux, and OS X, and this is the only one I've found that takes the globs of files for a certain "file", and groups them. So you just see one item to download, and not a few hundred. Although you still have to wait for groups to download, this view is very similar to indexing services like Guba and newzbin in which you get a nzb file that gives a single thing to download a "file". I really don't get why others have not implemented a similar view in their clients.

    --
    In undeveloped countries, the consumer controls the market. In capitalist America, the market controls you.
  30. Re: paying... by Cryptnotic · · Score: 2, Funny

    You're not paying to pirate. You can do that on your own without spending any money. What you are paying for is "advanced piracy-related services".

    --
    My other first post is car post.