Usenet dying?

[Tobiah]

Once a gushing fount of participation, this
group seems to have slowed to a crawl. I
hate web forums, but perhaps there is another
place we could move these discussions. I
enjoy a few other communities through email
lists. It's far easier for people to subscribe
to then to locate and sign up for a news account.
For me, the experience is indistinguishable from
reading news. Thunderbird treats the two
in an identical fashion.

I doubt the interest in the subject matter
has waned. Perhaps it's the medium.

Tobiah

[Ian Manners]

Hi Tobiah,

> Once a gushing fount of participation, this
> group seems to have slowed to a crawl. I
> hate web forums, but perhaps there is another
> place we could move these discussions. I
> enjoy a few other communities through email
> lists. It's far easier for people to subscribe
> to then to locate and sign up for a news account.
> For me, the experience is indistinguishable from
> reading news. Thunderbird treats the two
> in an identical fashion.

email lists also seem to be on the out, I host several
email lists, one hasn't seen a post for 4 months, another
for 8 months (my Christmas post), and the other 3
are there because it's no big deal to leave them there
but nothing on any of those for about 2 years now.

It all seems to be facebook/linkedin now :(

The only lists I'm on that are still relatively busy
are the OM List which accepts people from all camera
groups, and photography's not the only subject.
Plus the BIND and several other software list's
but even those are dropping off.

> I doubt the interest in the subject matter
> has waned. Perhaps it's the medium.

Or.. we are left behind as the young ones move
in to new forums :o)

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Tobiah wrote:
> Once a gushing fount of participation, this
> group seems to have slowed to a crawl. I
> hate web forums, but perhaps there is another
> place we could move these discussions.

There is not. Gearslutz, all that. Those are slowing, too.
The MI revolution is kinda over.

I run into a bunch from a formerly heavy group in the '90s/
early 00's now and again on the F-bomb.

They don't know why they left and went to the Web.

They say things, but those things don't explain it.

I'd say it started when the NNTP port started betting blocked on
corporate networks, followed by ISPs dropping NNTP service.

> I
> enjoy a few other communities through email
> lists. It's far easier for people to subscribe
> to then to locate and sign up for a news account.

Absolutely not. It's not at all difficult to use Usenet.
Before fora, I didn't have to keep a bunch of passwords,
either.

I had to *WRITE* a password generator for this. That's
ridiculous.

> For me, the experience is indistinguishable from
> reading news. Thunderbird treats the two
> in an identical fashion.
>

I'd say NNTP* works a whole heap better, mainly because
the forum stuff always links in ads that are very slow.

*which is a relatively lousy, but more tractable protocol.

The Web isn't a good technology in any way, shape nor form.
The tools with which it is built are universally horrid, the
protocols are generally inadequate and the culture of development
for it is ... bizarre.

At *least* ten times a day, you have to hit refresh on one website or
another because the machines have done to the Derp Place. I bet you
don't even think about it any more.


> I doubt the interest in the subject matter
> has waned. Perhaps it's the medium.
>


People have spoken - they want cat pictures and the sort of
self-reaffirming echo chamber they get on FoeAcbook.

Here's a question for you: Would an ISIS have been possible before
smartphones? I'd say "no". As pamphlets were for the French
revolution...

That's the future.

> Tobiah
>

--
Les Cargill

[Gary Eickmeier]

"Tobiah" > wrote in message
...
> Once a gushing fount of participation, this
> group seems to have slowed to a crawl. I
> hate web forums, but perhaps there is another
> place we could move these discussions. I
> enjoy a few other communities through email
> lists. It's far easier for people to subscribe
> to then to locate and sign up for a news account.
> For me, the experience is indistinguishable from
> reading news. Thunderbird treats the two
> in an identical fashion.
>
> I doubt the interest in the subject matter
> has waned. Perhaps it's the medium.
>
> Tobiah

You should see RAHE (Rec.Audio.High-End)

Gary Eickmeier

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 8/20/2014 1:48 PM, Les Cargill wrote:
> I'd say NNTP* works a whole heap better, mainly because
> the forum stuff always links in ads that are very slow.

Maybe that's why Usenet is drying up - no ads.

--
For a good time, visit http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com

[hank alrich]

Mike Rivers > wrote:

> On 8/20/2014 1:48 PM, Les Cargill wrote:
> > I'd say NNTP* works a whole heap better, mainly because
> > the forum stuff always links in ads that are very slow.
>
> Maybe that's why Usenet is drying up - no ads.

No live GIF's! <g>

--
shut up and play your guitar * HankAlrich.Com
HankandShaidriMusic.Com
YouTube.Com/WalkinayMusic