Asklemmy @lemmy.ml Xepher @lemm.ee 1y ago

Anyone still using Usenet newsgroups?

Read this Register article today and was wondering if anyone here still use Usenet newsgroups? And if so, what are your top recommended newgroups to subscribe to?

15 comments

Here is a good list of active groups, i am sure there are more. of course plenty of binary groups are active to. if one you like isnt that active, why not try to revive it?

alt.culture.usenet:
alt.fan.usenet:
alt.obituaries:
alt.privacy:
alt.tv.simpsons:
ba.broadcast:
comp.ai:
comp.arch:
comp.compilers:
comp.dcom.telecom:
comp.infosystems.gemini:
comp.infosystems.gopher:
comp.lang.c++:
comp.lang.c:
comp.lang.forth:
comp.lang.misc:
comp.lang.python.announce:
comp.lang.python:
comp.lang.raspberry-pi:
comp.lang.tcl:
comp.misc:
comp.mobile.android:
comp.mobile.misc:
comp.os.cpm:
comp.os.linux.announce:
comp.os.linux.misc:
comp.risks:
comp.sys.apple2:
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action:
comp.text.tex:
comp.unix.shell:
gnu.emacs.help:
misc.legal.moderated:
misc.taxes.moderated:
news.admin.moderation:
news.announce.important:
news.announce.newgroups:
news.groups.proposals:
news.groups:
news.software.readers:
rec.arts.drwho:
rec.arts.movies.current-films:
rec.arts.sf.tv:
rec.arts.sf.written:
rec.autos.sport.f1:
rec.aviation.soaring:
rec.bicycles.tech:
rec.food.cooking:
rec.games.backgammon:
rec.music.beatles:
rec.music.classical.recordings:
rec.radio.amateur.antenna:
rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors:
rec.radio.amateur.equipment:
rec.radio.amateur.homebrew:
rec.radio.amateur.misc:
rec.radio.amateur.moderated:
rec.radio.amateur.policy:
rec.radio.amateur.space:
rec.radio.info:
rec.radio.shortwave:
rec.sport.rowing:
rec.woodworking:
sci.astro:
sci.electronics.design:
sci.electronics.repair:
sci.logic:
sci.physics.relativity:
sci.physics.research:
talk.origins:
uk.comp.sys.mac:
uk.radio.amateur.moderated:
uk.rec.sheds:
uk.sci.weather:

Seeing comp.lang.tcl listed feels like stepping into an abandoned subway station and seeing advertising posters for tail-finned cars, wood-panelled black-and-white TVs and seaplane flights.

Only for piracy.
I logged into my Usenet provider yesterday. I read groups related to my hobbies, so not sure my recommendations would do you much good.
- Last time I checked out various newsgroups on different topics they were all pretty dead. What topics/which groups are you looking at?
  
  Busiest one I read is probably uk.media.radio.archers about the BBC radio show
  
  One of the posts on there today was about this article: https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/30/usenet_revival/
  
  which seems optimistic but a man can hope
I just read how to geek about usenet. It is puzzling to me that a paid provider is necessary to access usenet.

Can anyone explain why this is? It seems odd to me that this formerly "free" resource is now sort of paywalled.
- This is what I never understood. Also how can this not lead to issues being compromised downloading illegal stuff from your service provider who knows exactly which customer has which IP at which time?
  
  Because all you are downloading is a bunch of encrypted data, they can't tell for certain what you are downloading.
  
  Great point. You do have to put a LOT of trust in that service provider.
- you dont have to pay. you can get an account on google groups or eternal september or one of the other very few remaining text only servers but you get what you pay for. poor interface (google groups) or various account or posting restrictions. no binary groups, etc.. for a couple of bucks, you can get better service quality, high message retention, faster speeds etc. it costs significant money to run these servers now with all the bandwidth and hard drives.
Not since the 90s.
Saving this post
I used to use it a lot back in the early 2000's but moved away after it became clogged with trolls and spam. Just had a look again and it seems to be better now
The only groups I'm interested in died a death over a decade ago.

15 comments