Greetings, friends!

Does anyone remember Usenet? Or, given the audience, does anyone _not_ remember Usenet?

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there anything you miss or hated?
How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?


I was born right as it was hitting its peak, so it was well into decline before I would have been interested.
As such, there's a certain type of mythical shine to it, and it's both fascinating and charming to see the roots of
modern internet culture mixed with people's full name and address.

I'm from an area of the country where The Internet wasn't really a thing outside of universities until the late 90s, and my parents were well out of college by the time computers came around, so I don't actually know anyone from Usenet in person. Hence, well, me posting here where the old guard meets.

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to All on Thu Jan 19 2023 09:27 pm

Greetings, friends!

Does anyone remember Usenet? Or, given the audience, does anyone _not_ remember Usenet?

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there anything you miss or hated?

usenet now is binaries.
i used it back in the day. it was just another way to talk.

i must be different because i don't look on the past favorably. I just
see it for what it was. i dont see the bbs era as the good old days.
i remember it how it was just like verything else. i don't long for it.

what i remember was the people arguing and autoposting stuff and then later on all the spam.
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to All on Thu Jan 19 2023 09:27 pm

Does anyone remember Usenet? Or, given the audience, does anyone _not_ remem

The peak of newsgroups predates me too. Internet here was not widespread until the 2000s or so, so we mostly missed it.

BY the time I checked it out, it was a shadow of what it had been. The organization that managed the es. hierarchy had disbanded and therefore was no moderation or control over it, so the place was overtaken by flooders. Newsmasters didn't help much either.

That said, the protocol is still very handy. Gmane uses nntp to serve archived mailing lists from software projects.

--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Margaerynne wrote to All <=-

For those of you who do, were you active?

When I had access to it, yes.

When did you join?

Probably in the mid 1980's when I was in college and had access.

Is there anything you miss or hated?

Miss: The number of intelligent people to have discussions with.

Hated: The number of morons who just wanted to have fights.

How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

BBSs then: I was on BBSs before most of them were networked to other BBSs. So the amount of traffic was different. Most BBSs could set their own tone for discussions and kick off those who didn't want to follow that tone.

BBSs now: Most BBSs today have networked message bases (but some are still "islands" in the Internet ocean) so it's pretty much the same as old Usenet.

Today, most of the message networks (Usenet, FidoNet, etc.) are empty. On this BBS, I'm subscribed to maybe 30 message areas, but only about 5 actually get traffic.


... I don't have a solution but I really admire the problem.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

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Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Margaerynne on Fri Jan 20 2023 07:45 am

Today, most of the message networks (Usenet, FidoNet, etc.) are empty. On this BBS, I'm subscribed to maybe 30 message areas, but only about 5 actually get traffic.

hey you could change that by contributing. most of the time it's just the same people talking to eachother so we have dry spots. most of the people that i talk to, i've known for like 20+ years. just recently i found out some of the krad guys don't like me so that's fun.
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there

nything

ou miss or hated?
How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

I was on it (and pulled it into my BBS) from the late 1980's until around
1997. Some of the newsgroups were very active and still had a low signal-to-noise ratio, and were fun to participate in.

A few years later... very few!... I got back to reading some of those
groups. Hardly no traffic in them at all. The only one that had the
same level of traffic, last I checked, was REC.SPORTS.FOOTBALL.COLLEGE, but most of the traffic was about politics and not about college football like
it used to be.

I was disappointed.

There are still a few groups that have some traffic, and that still have
low signal-to-noise ratios. A few of those are gated into FIDO. But, like others pointed out, most of Usenet traffic that is not binaries are spammers and trolls these days.


* SLMR 2.1a * Only XT users know that January 1, 1980 was a Tuesday.

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Re: Usenet
By: Dumas Walker to MARGAERYNNE on Fri Jan 20 2023 16:15:00

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is the

nything

ou miss or hated?
How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

Usenet, Newsgroups NNTP whatever you want to call them always had too many groups. Even in the early 90's there was over 1200 of them. It would take an hour to DL them at 2400 baud. I still prefered BBS messaging even back then and still do today. Usenet was where the terms moderated and un-moderated started. Then Fidonet had to have moderated and unmoderated messaging. What a joke. It was and still is a form of communism in my book. In the US of A we call it free speech. But we're always gonna have those big heads that enjoy "moderating" what people say. That's just my opinion.....I could be wrong ;-)
Regards,
HusTler

...Freedom is for everyone. Or no one.

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Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Margaerynne on Thu Jan 19 2023 10:15 pm

i must be different because i don't look on the past favorably. I just
see it for what it was. i dont see the bbs era as the good old days.
i remember it how it was just like verything else. i don't long for it.

I don't think the past is better across the board, but I do think it's far enough away
to allow for a postmortem analysis.

For example, my generation cut its teeth on fora. There were so many problems, but I miss
the characters and friendships that could result. A lot like BBSes, but less bound by location / Ma Bell.

Usenet is the same. Far from a utopia, but there were lessons to be learned from it. Each place having its
distinctive culture and names -- or at least certain larger places -- and what seems to be a mix of naivete
and increased skepticism. "People go on the internet to tell lies" seems like a shocking revelation for some
of the posters I've seen, but I've also seen a lot of legwork to show that someone's motives are less than pure.


You mention knowing people for 20+ years, and I wonder if that would be harder to do nowadays.


In any case, "back then" seems to have had more of the smaller, cozier, communities that are difficult to find now.
They're still out there, but usually in chat rooms which are much, much worse than fora.

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Usenet
By: Arelor to Margaerynne on Fri Jan 20 2023 05:22 am

BY the time I checked it out, it was a shadow of what it had been. The organization that managed the es. hierarchy
had disbanded and therefore was no moderation or control over it, so the place was overtaken by flooders.
Newsmasters didn't help much either.

That's tragic! Platforms come and go, but tracing the trajectory from high-end telcom scientists to college students to AOL has the same feeling as watching the fall of Rome. Of course, had I been alive, I likely would have been one of the knuckleheads responsible. (Hey, just look at what I'm doing right now!)

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Usenet
By: Hustler to Dumas Walker on Fri Jan 20 2023 08:48 pm

and still do today. Usenet was where the terms moderated and un-moderated started. Then Fidonet had to have moderated and unmoderated messaging. What a joke. It was and still is a form of communism in my book. In the US of A we call it free speech. But we're always gonna have those big heads that enjoy "moderating" what people say. That's just my opinion.....I could be wrong ;-)

well in fidonet the main rule was dont be annoying. and you really had to be super annoying.

they could cut your link, but that wouldnt stop someone from posting if they were 'banned'. i saw people that were banned but still posting.

The only problem i had with fidonet is some people who were feeding people had no business doing so; they couldn't keep their systems up or they had other problems.

also i see that atleast twice someone entered my information wrong so now there's a site that uses that cached information and it's still on there.
so it has me down as being a member when i wasnt for some long stretch of time.

I'm pretty much through with msg nets. there's no reason especially when there's no users. i tried doing it for the gaming years ago and had nothing but problems because my feeds sucked even though they were the most popular ones. I even had my settings doublechecked by someone who was very fluent with ftn. also my local games are tons better than any networked game or game server.
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Usenet
By: Hustler to Dumas Walker on Fri Jan 20 2023 08:48 pm

Usenet, Newsgroups NNTP whatever you want to call them always had too many groups. Even in the early 90's there was
over 1200 of them. It would take an hour to DL them at 2400 baud.

I suppose that's one aspect of it that I didn't think about. When you can flip through forty years of history in half an hour, you tend to forget about the download speeds.

Weren't BBSes also pretty slow, though? I imagine a morning/afternoon message sweep would be simpler than having
to keep track of timebanking, but, again, that's coming from someone who never had to manage a CompuServ subscription.

I still prefered BBS messaging even back then and
still do today. Usenet was where the terms moderated and un-moderated started. Then Fidonet had to have moderated
and unmoderated messaging. What a joke. It was and still is a form of communism in my book. In the US of A we call
it free speech. But we're always gonna have those big heads that enjoy "moderating" what people say. That's just my
opinion.....I could be wrong ;-)

I think the issue is that moderation isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.

There are some spaces on the internet that I enjoy particularly because they're very heavily moderated (academic mailing lists that don't tolerate spam or speculation), but small community-regulated spaces (here, forums, etc.) are
usually a lot cozier.

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Hustler wrote to Dumas Walker <=-

Usenet, Newsgroups NNTP whatever you want to call them always had too many groups. Even in the early 90's there was over 1200 of them. It
would take an hour to DL them at 2400 baud.

Ya, that was the other problem. Even if you didn't have to download all of them, if you were on a system that had Usenet available, it would take forever at those speeds to read through all the messages.

Often time, I would just mark them as read and move on, especially the (sadly too often) flamewars that broke out. And after a while, I'd just drop the group from my list.


... I may look busy, but I'm just confused!
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi

Hello Hustler!

** On Friday 20.01.23 - 20:48, Hustler wrote to Dumas Walker:

By: Dumas Walker to MARGAERYNNE on Fri Jan 20 2023

16:15:00

How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

[...] Usenet was where the terms moderated and un-
moderated started. Then Fidonet had to have moderated and
unmoderated messaging. What a joke. It was and still is a
form of communism in my book. In the US of A we call it
free speech. But we're always gonna have those big heads
that enjoy "moderating" what people say. That's just my
opinion.....I could be wrong ;-)

Nothing wrong or communist about moderated. A moderator is just
as important to have in a debate to keep people on track and on
topic.


--- OpenXP 5.0.51
* Origin: Ogg's Dovenet Point (723:320/1.9)
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

o today. Usenet was where the terms moderated and un-moderated started. Then

On Usenet, moderated used to mean to keep the spam out, keeping the
messages on topic. Back in the early 1990's, there were some good
moderated groups. The un-moderated ones were not all bad, either. Some
stayed on topic by nature, although you might sometimes get spam. Others
were free-for-alls, some of which could be figured out by the NG name, like alt.freeforall, or alt.some-famous-person.die.die.die.


* SLMR 2.1a * Overdrawn? No way! I still have checks left!

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Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to Hustler on Sat Jan 21 2023 01:35 pm

I suppose that's one aspect of it that I didn't think about. When you can flip through forty years of history in half an hour, you tend to forget about the download speeds.

it wasnt slow for what we were using it for.
i used usenet on dialup and it really wasnt that bad. i even used it for binaries. it sucked because 1MB was half an hour

the web wasn't slow on dialup until they started adding all the bullshit to webpages.
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

the web wasn't slow on dialup until they started adding all the bullshit to

e

ages.

Exactly.


* SLMR 2.1a * Profanity, the language of computer professionals

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Re: Usenet
By: Dumas Walker to MRO on Sun Jan 22 2023 09:39 am

the web wasn't slow on dialup until they started adding all the bullshit t

e

ages.

Exactly.

* SLMR 2.1a * Profanity, the language of computer professionals

Speaking of vintage computing, I found a search site called Frogfind that is geared towards older machines accessing the internet

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þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.net

Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to All on Thu Jan 19 2023 21:27:39

Does anyone remember Usenet? Or, given the audience, does anyone _not_ remember Usenet?

Yes, I do.

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there anything you miss or hated?

Mostly in the mid 90's for 10 years or so. I miss it being a useful source of information and hate the amount of spam there is now, thanks mainly to Google.

How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

It doesn't. usenet is just a collection of articles. Bulletin boards offer that but more.

I'm from an area of the country where The Internet wasn't really a thing outside of universities until the late 90s, and my parents were well out of college by the time computers came around, so I don't actually know anyone from Usenet in person. Hence, well, me posting here where the old guard meets.

I run a usenet server. I'm trying to find a way to offer the service to other sysops (myself included) without having to import every messages into Synchronet. I have a way, but it would require the talents of a third party to code a usenet client in javascript for Synchronet so it appears to be a non-starter. I'm really not that good at JS. I can get by, but not to the level of complexity it would take.
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þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

Re: Usenet
By: Nelgin to Margaerynne on Tue Jan 24 2023 10:46 pm

I run a usenet server. I'm trying to find a way to offer the service to other sysops (myself included) without having to import every messages into Synchronet. I have a way, but it would require the talents of a third party to code a usenet client in javascript for Synchronet so it appears to be a non-starter. I'm really not that good at JS. I can get by, but not to the level of complexity it would take.

if you run a usenet server people should be able to poll you with newslink. unless it's not compatible.
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Nelgin wrote to Margaerynne <=-

<SNIP>

I run a usenet server. I'm trying to find a way to offer the
service to other sysops (myself included) without having to
import every messages into Synchronet. I have a way, but it would
require the talents of a third party to code a usenet client in
javascript for Synchronet so it appears to be a non-starter. I'm
really not that good at JS. I can get by, but not to the level of complexity it would take.

As a former (90's and 00's) fairly heavy Usenet user, I don't think I
would want to use a BBS to access Usenet articles. Just seems like an awkward/unnecessary "middle-man" way of doing it. Any serious Usenet
user will already have a preferred client (my app of choice is Pan), and
those are much more efficient/adapted to Usenet ways than doing it
through a BBS. Just doesn't seem that it would offer any advantages
over using an external client.


... All hope abandon, ye who enter messages here.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Gamgee to Nelgin on Wed Jan 25 2023 07:51 am

As a former (90's and 00's) fairly heavy Usenet user, I don't think I would want to use a BBS to access Usenet articles. Just seems like an awkward/unnecessary "middle-man" way of doing it. Any serious Usenet
user will already have a preferred client (my app of choice is Pan), and those are much more efficient/adapted to Usenet ways than doing it through a BBS. Just doesn't seem that it would offer any advantages
over using an external client.

Yeah, I've debated whether having newsgroups on a BBS these days ia useful or not. People can easily access a newsgroup server directly with their preferred news reader/client.

Nightfox

---
þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

Nelgin wrote to Margaerynne <=-

Mostly in the mid 90's for 10 years or so. I miss it being a useful
source of information and hate the amount of spam there is now, thanks mainly to Google.

How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

It doesn't. usenet is just a collection of articles. Bulletin boards
offer that but more.

There was a ba.* hierarchy for the San Francisco bay area, I don't know
if there were other local hierarchies as busy as it. There were
culture, housing, politics, radio, nightlife, dating and more newsgroups
that got quite a following for a time. It felt like a "bridge" from
BBSes to the internet while still keeping the local flavor.


... Powered By Celeron (Tualatin). Engineered for the future.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
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Re: Re: Usenet
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Nelgin on Wed Jan 25 2023 06:29 am

There was a ba.* hierarchy for the San Francisco bay area, I don't know
if there were other local hierarchies as busy as it. There were
culture, housing, politics, radio, nightlife, dating and more newsgroups that got quite a following for a time. It felt like a "bridge" from
BBSes to the internet while still keeping the local flavor.

so it was basically gay dudes trying to hook up
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Nightfox wrote to Gamgee <=-

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Gamgee to Nelgin on Wed Jan 25 2023 07:51 am

As a former (90's and 00's) fairly heavy Usenet user, I don't think I would want to use a BBS to access Usenet articles. Just seems like an awkward/unnecessary "middle-man" way of doing it. Any serious Usenet
user will already have a preferred client (my app of choice is Pan), and those are much more efficient/adapted to Usenet ways than doing it
through a BBS. Just doesn't seem that it would offer any advantages
over using an external client.

Yeah, I've debated whether having newsgroups on a BBS these days
ia useful or not.

It's an easy debate for me... not useful.

People can easily access a newsgroup server
directly with their preferred news reader/client.

Yes. That's what I said up there above. ;-)



... Enter any 12 digit prime number to continue.
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Re: Re: Usenet
By: Nightfox to Gamgee on Wed Jan 25 2023 09:43 am

Yeah, I've debated whether having newsgroups on a BBS these days ia useful or not. People can easily access a newsgroup server directly with their preferred news reader/client.

I gate in usenet to my BBS mostly out of habit, from a day when people didn't have access to usenet. Those days, and usenet, are (mostly) long gone now.

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þ Synchronet þ .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.

Re: Re: Usenet
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Nelgin on Wed Jan 25 2023 06:29 am

There was a ba.* hierarchy for the San Francisco bay area, I don't know
if there were other local hierarchies as busy as it. There were
culture, housing, politics, radio, nightlife, dating and more newsgroups that got quite a following for a time. It felt like a "bridge" from
BBSes to the internet while still keeping the local flavor.

That's the real tragedy for me -- all the smaller hierarchies that aren't usually included in the Big 8/Alt dumps.

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þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Usenet
By: Moondog to Dumas Walker on Tue Jan 24 2023 12:08 pm

Re: Usenet
By: Dumas Walker to MRO on Sun Jan 22 2023 09:39 am

the web wasn't slow on dialup until they started adding all the bullshit t

e

ages.

Exactly.

* SLMR 2.1a * Profanity, the language of computer professionals

Speaking of vintage computing, I found a search site called Frogfind that is geared towards older machines accessing the internet

that doesn't work well with my pornhub.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

As a former (90's and 00's) fairly heavy Usenet user, I don't think I
would want to use a BBS to access Usenet articles. Just seems like an awkward/unnecessary "middle-man" way of doing it. Any serious Usenet
user will already have a preferred client (my app of choice is Pan), and those are much more efficient/adapted to Usenet ways than doing it
through a BBS. Just doesn't seem that it would offer any advantages
over using an external client.

Once upon a time, before widespread internet access, it was often the only
way a person could access Usenet. That has not been true for a long time, though, so I would have to agree with you.


* SLMR 2.1a * Have a (cute) electrician check your shorts.

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þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Moondog on Wed Jan 25 2023 10:10 pm

that doesn't work well with my pornhub.

https://imgur.com/gallery/EbH2K


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þ Synchronet þ The Crack in Time BBS - crackintimebbs.ddns.net:2323

Re: Usenet
By: Nopants to MRO on Thu Jan 26 2023 05:53 pm

Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Moondog on Wed Jan 25 2023 10:10 pm

that doesn't work well with my pornhub.

https://imgur.com/gallery/EbH2K

sorry i cant view galleries on imgur.
my adblocking dns
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þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to All on Thu Jan 19 2023 09:27 pm

Yep, I was a regular contributor to comp.os.unix and comp.os.linux for a few years in the early to late 90's. My usual handle was
DocAliquot :>}. And of course, like most HS and college guys, a frequent downloader of the alt binary sleaze. It's sad to see the wasteland Usenet has become. It REALLY started going to hell in a handbasket soon after UUNET was sold to Sprint around 2002, and Sprint let the spam posters run amok.

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þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: Usenet
By: Margaerynne to All on Thu Jan 19 2023 09:27 pm

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there anythi How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

I was active in a few hobby related usenets that were mostly positive experiences. I think the common goal of the hobby kept people polite.
These lasted into the Google Groups era for awhile until web-based forums took slowly took over.


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þ Synchronet þ The Crack in Time BBS - crackintimebbs.ddns.net:2323

Re: Re: Usenet
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Nelgin on Wed Jan 25 2023 06:29:00

There was a ba.* hierarchy for the San Francisco bay area, I don't know
if there were other local hierarchies as busy as it. There were
culture, housing, politics, radio, nightlife, dating and more newsgroups that got quite a following for a time. It felt like a "bridge" from
BBSes to the internet while still keeping the local flavor.

DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) had some very active newsgroups. There's still the occasional post.
---
þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

I used to post on alt.games.nintendo.pokemon on Google Groups about 10 years ago or so.

---
þ Synchronet þ thePharcyde_ telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Margaerynne on Fri Jan 20 2023 07:45 am

Today, most of the message networks (Usenet, FidoNet, etc.) are empty. On this BBS, I'm subscribed to maybe 30 message areas, but only about 5 actually get traffic.

If I can ask what five message networks get any traffic at all, I know
fsxnet does but seem not see any of the others.

It would be interesting to have more that has traffic.



-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-



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þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to Dr. What on Mon Jan 30 2023 07:53 pm

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Margaerynne on Fri Jan 20 2023 07:45 am

Today, most of the message networks (Usenet, FidoNet, etc.) are empty. On this BBS, I'm subscribed to maybe 30 message areas, but only about 5 actually get traffic.

If I can ask what five message networks get any traffic at all, I know
fsxnet does but seem not see any of the others.

It would be interesting to have more that has traffic.

if you arent part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
it's all the same people. there are no real users.

more traffic from who? it's all sysops.

so, you, yourself could create traffic if you wanted to.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Havok wrote to Dr. What <=-

If I can ask what five message networks get any traffic at all, I
know
fsxnet does but seem not see any of the others.

It would be interesting to have more that has traffic.

That's a good question. I download my messages on this BBS, so it's hard to see what networks.

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network
that is.

It looks like 3 of them are fsxnet (General, Mystic and BBS support).

I think the other two are FidoNet (Memories and Politics).


... "640K ought to be enough for anybody." (Bill Gates, 1981)
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi

MRO wrote to Havok <=-

more traffic from who? it's all sysops.

Seeing how the sysops went through the hassle of setting up a BBS and networked message bases, that would seem reasonable.

so, you, yourself could create traffic if you wanted to.

A new ChatGPT project!


... When an Agnostic dies, does he go to the Great Perhaps?
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

It's Dove-Net.

Nightfox

---
þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

see what networks.

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

It looks like 3 of them are fsxnet (General, Mystic and BBS support).

I think the other two are FidoNet (Memories and Politics).

DN might be dorenet.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to MRO on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

MRO wrote to Havok <=-

more traffic from who? it's all sysops.

Seeing how the sysops went through the hassle of setting up a BBS and networked message bases, that would seem reasonable.

yeah that stuff is a real hassle. takes minutes.
what we NEED is users, not sysops acting like users.

right now people are pretending that there isnt a slump, that sysops calling other sysops is all they need. i even saw some say bbsing is booming. bull-fucking-shit.

bbses are systems designed for users. without users, it's not worth it.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

DOVE-Net. This is DOVE-Net General.
--
digital man (rob)

Rush quote #67:
He's noble enough to win the world, but weak enough to lose it .. New World Man Norco, CA WX: 53.2øF, 17.0% humidity, 2 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Nightfox to Dr. What on Tue Jan 31 2023 09:36 am

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

It's Dove-Net.

are you sure? mine are prefixed with dove-
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Digital Man to Dr. What on Tue Jan 31 2023 10:26 am

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

DOVE-Net. This is DOVE-Net General.

OH, he means literally this msg sub. i thought he was just looking at one and wondering what DN- meant.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to MRO on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

so, you, yourself could create traffic if you wanted to.

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them into a database and have fake users ask questions and argue.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Nightfox on Tue Jan 31 2023 12:26 pm

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what
network that is.

It's Dove-Net.

are you sure? mine are prefixed with dove-

It was posted here on Dove-Net General. What other message network would it be? The BBS they're posting from could have their prefix configured differently than yours. "DN-" makes sense that it would be Dove-Net.

Nightfox

---
þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what network that is.

This one is indeed Dovenet.


* SLMR 2.1a * Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you.

---
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to Dr. What on Mon Jan 30 2023 07:53 pm

Today, most of the message networks (Usenet, FidoNet, etc.) are empty. On this BBS, I'm subscribed to maybe 30 message areas, but only about 5 actually get traffic.

If I can ask what five message networks get any traffic at all, I know
fsxnet does but seem not see any of the others.

I'm starting to build that profile:
https://clrghouz.bbs.dege.au/about



...ëîåï

---
þ Synchronet þ AnsiTEX bringing back videotex but with ANSI

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Nightfox to MRO on Tue Jan 31 2023 12:37 pm

There's this one. It's prefixed with "DN-", so I'm not sure what DW>> network that is.

It's Dove-Net.

are you sure? mine are prefixed with dove-

It was posted here on Dove-Net General. What other message network would

it
be? The BBS they're posting from could have their prefix configured differently than yours. "DN-" makes sense that it would be Dove-Net.

i thought he was just listing msg subs via nntp or something. i didn't think someone could actually not know they are on dovenet.

i've seen dorenet prefixed like that in the past.

i guess it takes all kinds.

---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 07:29 am

That's a good question. I download my messages on this BBS, so it's hard to see what networks.

So I see it is pretty much the same for you, I'm scratching my head trying
to figure out what is up. Back in the day with two modems I noticed much
more traffic in the networks and for that matter last year was more busy.

Between Dove-Net and FSXNET they are really the only networks with any traffic
of any kind.

Hard to figure out!

Thanks for the reply...


-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

MRO wrote to Dr. What <=-

more traffic from who? it's all sysops.

Seeing how the sysops went through the hassle of setting up a BBS and networked message bases, that would seem reasonable.

yeah that stuff is a real hassle. takes minutes.
what we NEED is users, not sysops acting like users.

right now people are pretending that there isnt a slump, that
sysops calling other sysops is all they need. i even saw some say
bbsing is booming. bull-fucking-shit.

bbses are systems designed for users. without users, it's not
worth it.

Okay, so......... leave. Go away.



... Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: deon to Havok on Wed Feb 01 2023 09:11 am

I'm starting to build that profile:
https://clrghouz.bbs.dege.au/about

Very cool I'm looking forward to seeing it when your finished.

I don't know about the other feeds but sure would be nice if they
had a search lookup for the feed your looking for.

Laughing the eyes are getting old...


-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to Dr. What on Tue Jan 31 2023 03:47 pm

Between Dove-Net and FSXNET they are really the only networks with any traffic
of any kind.

Hard to figure out!

and it's pretty much the same people except for a handful just want to
be on fxnet.

we're still a bunch of fishbowls. the krad guys have their own couple of msg nets too. can't teach an old dog new tricks.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Dr. What on Tue Jan 31 2023 01:10 pm

have fake users ask questions and argue.

This is what it's like now. I'd hope our AI Overlords would improve our reality. Sad.



---
þ Synchronet þ The Crack in Time BBS - crackintimebbs.ddns.net:2323

MRO wrote to Dr. What <=-

Seeing how the sysops went through the hassle of setting up a BBS and networked message bases, that would seem reasonable.

yeah that stuff is a real hassle. takes minutes.

But non-trivial to the people who don't have the knowledge.

what we NEED is users, not sysops acting like users.

I agree. But most of us are from the Glory Days of BBSs and were sysops or wanted to be sysops.


... If Version 1.0 works someone goofed...
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi

MRO wrote to Dr. What <=-

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them
into a database and have fake users ask questions and argue. ---

It would probably create more intelligent discussions than some of the
people in the FidoNet Politics group. :)


... Here, you go first, you're immune to bullets.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Havok on Tue Jan 31 2023 08:21 pm

and it's pretty much the same people except for a handful just want to
be on fxnet.

Agreed, but still miss the days of old!

we're still a bunch of fishbowls. the krad guys have their own couple of msg nets too. can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Laughing speak for yourself, this old, old dog still wants to learn more!
Poor dm most likely rolls his eyes everytime he see's me asking something.

Just a not awake yet thought...




-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to MRO on Wed Feb 01 2023 07:42 am

MRO wrote to Dr. What <=-

Seeing how the sysops went through the hassle of setting up a BBS and networked message bases, that would seem reasonable.

yeah that stuff is a real hassle. takes minutes.

But non-trivial to the people who don't have the knowledge.

Honestly I've done it several times with no knowledge (and various programs) or just from forgetting it because I didn't do it for years. There are people who are running msg networks past and present who had my help setting it up or i did it FOR THEM via vnc/teamviewer. You just punch in the right numbers.

I have also corrected people's settings when they had their fidonet feed go in there and set it up incorrectly or very messy.

I just fixed my friend's settings using a program that I never used before and I haven't setup a FTN in many years.

I agree. But most of us are from the Glory Days of BBSs and were sysops or wanted to be sysops.

users are what make it fun. I used to be friends with all my users. visiting sysops are just that.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dr. What to MRO on Wed Feb 01 2023 07:42 am

MRO wrote to Dr. What <=-

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them into a database and have fake users ask questions and argue. ---

It would probably create more intelligent discussions than some of the people in the FidoNet Politics group. :)

I've hooked up to fidonet like 3-4 times and then unplugged because of those people and because of dead echos.

It's just not worth it.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to MRO on Wed Feb 01 2023 06:06 am

we're still a bunch of fishbowls. the krad guys have their own couple of msg nets too. can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Laughing speak for yourself, this old, old dog still wants to learn more!
Poor dm most likely rolls his eyes everytime he see's me asking something.

Just a not awake yet thought...

no i mean we never change how we do things. we are always separate in our little fishbowls. we never came together and that's probably part of the reason the internet took over so quickly and caused such harm to bbses.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Quoting Deon to Havok <=-

If I can ask what five message networks get any traffic at all, I know
fsxnet does but seem not see any of the others.

I'm starting to build that profile:
https://clrghouz.bbs.dege.au/about

Interesting site Deon, thanks for your efforts!

Cougar


... Back in my day, 56k was high speed!

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20

---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them into a database and have fake users ask questions and argue. ---

It would probably create more intelligent discussions than some of the
people in the FidoNet Politics group. :)

Someone supposedly exposed that ChatGPT has political leanings of its own
by asking it to write a nice poem about Trump and about Biden.

For Biden, it composed a long, glowing poem of 12-16 lines.

For Trump, it refused on the grounds that it might be political.


* SLMR 2.1a * Be reasonable......do it my way.

---
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dumas Walker to DR. WHAT on Thu Feb 02 2023 05:08 pm

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them into a database and have fake users ask questions and argue. ---

It would probably create more intelligent discussions than some of the people in the FidoNet Politics group. :)

Someone supposedly exposed that ChatGPT has political leanings of its own
by asking it to write a nice poem about Trump and about Biden.

For Biden, it composed a long, glowing poem of 12-16 lines.

so instead of artificial intelligence it is artificial stupidity?
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Dumas Walker on Thu Feb 02 2023 18:31:46

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Dumas Walker to DR. WHAT on Thu Feb 02 2023 05:08 pm

A new ChatGPT project!

yeah we can see who has the oldest archive of dovenet msgs, feed them into a database and have fake
users
ask questions and argue. ---

It would probably create more intelligent discussions than some of the people in the FidoNet Politics group.
:)

Someone supposedly exposed that ChatGPT has political leanings of its own by asking it to write a nice poem about Trump and about Biden.

For Biden, it composed a long, glowing poem of 12-16 lines.

so instead of artificial intelligence it is artificial stupidity?

If I am correct ChatGPT and GPT-3 in general were fed articles biased towards that and they also implented filters so the AI won't learn things that they dislike

---
þ Synchronet þ The Wirehead's Den

Someone supposedly exposed that ChatGPT has political leanings of its own by asking it to write a nice poem about Trump and about Biden.

For Biden, it composed a long, glowing poem of 12-16 lines.

so instead of artificial intelligence it is artificial stupidity?

Could be!


* SLMR 2.1a * Life would be much easier if I had the source code.

---
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Re: Re: Usenet
By: BoomieMovie to MRO on Fri Feb 03 2023 07:12 pm

so instead of artificial intelligence it is artificial stupidity?

If I am correct ChatGPT and GPT-3 in general were fed articles biased towards that and they also implented filters so the AI won't learn things that they dislike

so you think biden deserves a long glowing poem?
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to BoomieMovie on Fri Feb 03 2023 17:01:00

so you think biden deserves a long glowing poem?

That sounds pretty funny. Might as well write homosexual erotica detailing the rape of Joe Biden for laughs

---
þ Synchronet þ The Wirehead's Den

For Biden, it composed a long, glowing poem of 12-16 lines.

so instead of artificial intelligence it is artificial stupidity?

If I am correct ChatGPT and GPT-3 in general were fed articles biased towards at and they also implented filters so the AI won't learn things that they disl
e

So they built in bias? That is good. That way the AI will be no better
than people, complete with our prejudices and political beliefs.


* SLMR 2.1a * A Crucifix? Oy vey, have YOU got the wrong vampire...

---
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Re: Re: Usenet
By: BoomieMovie to MRO on Sat Feb 04 2023 08:40 pm

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to BoomieMovie on Fri Feb 03 2023 17:01:00

so you think biden deserves a long glowing poem?

That sounds pretty funny. Might as well write homosexual erotica detailing the rape of Joe Biden for laughs

no i wouldn't find that funny.

i'm talking about the AI generating a poem.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

On 2023-01-20, Margaerynne <margaerynne@PALANT> wrote:

Greetings, friends!

Does anyone remember Usenet? Or, given the audience, does anyone _not_ remember Usenet?

For those of you who do, were you active? When did you join? Is there anything you miss or hated?
How does it compare to BBSes, then and now?

I was born right as it was hitting its peak, so it was well into decline before I would have been interested.
As such, there's a certain type of mythical shine to it, and it's both fascinating and charming to see the roots of
modern internet culture mixed with people's full name and address.

I'm from an area of the country where The Internet wasn't really a thing outside of universities until the late 90s, and my parents were well out of college by the time computers came around, so I don't actually know anyone from Usenet in person. Hence, well, me posting here where the old guard meets.

---
â–  Synchronet â–  Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

I connect to Synchro.net thru NNTP. Also, I follow some tech based groups
in actual Usenet, too.

---
ï¿­ Synchronet ï¿­ Vertrauen ï¿­ Home of Synchronet ï¿­ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Havok on Wed Feb 01 2023 09:20 am

no i mean we never change how we do things. we are always separate in our little fishbowls. we never came together and that's probably part of the reason the internet took over so quickly and caused such harm to bbses.

Oh I agree, but I do not miss the slow speeds of a modem from back in the
day but I do miss the people. I remember rushing home to see how many
people logged on so far that day. Even then I think in 92 I had two message
networks lots of doors and they were played a lot by people that on one of
the two 9200 to 14400 modems, the first one being 9200.

But I guess you live with what you had and what you got now.

Thanks for the reply!


-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to MRO on Sun Feb 12 2023 07:45 pm

people logged on so far that day. Even then I think in 92 I had two message
networks lots of doors and they were played a lot by people that on one of
the two 9200 to 14400 modems, the first one being 9200.

But I guess you live with what you had and what you got now.

well those days are gone and you can't even compare the 2.
what we are doing is not the same thing. There's people saying that now it's booming and things are great. that just goes to show you how delusional people can be. recently i switched my bbs to private. i'll open it back up when we have users again.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

MRO wrote to Havok <=-

people logged on so far that day. Even then I think in 92 I had two message
networks lots of doors and they were played a lot by people that on one of
the two 9200 to 14400 modems, the first one being 9200.

well those days are gone and you can't even compare the 2.
what we are doing is not the same thing. There's people saying
that now it's booming and things are great. that just goes to
show you how delusional people can be. recently i switched my bbs
to private. i'll open it back up when we have users again.

Ummmm.... quick question.

How will you get users again when .... your BBS is private?

LOL, you can't make this kind of clown show up!



... Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Gamgee to MRO on Mon Feb 13 2023 08:46 pm

to private. i'll open it back up when we have users again.

Ummmm.... quick question.

How will you get users again when .... your BBS is private?

LOL, you can't make this kind of clown show up!

I think my brain is broken.

Nightfox

---
þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Havok on Mon Feb 13 2023 05:48 pm

well those days are gone and you can't even compare the 2.
what we are doing is not the same thing. There's people saying that now it's booming and things are great. that just goes to show you how delusional people can be. recently i switched my bbs to private. i'll open it back up when we have users again.

Sad to say your right on the topic points.

But it is still hard for me to understand why, I guess being the Internet
you can surf all over and never throw a name in like you do with a bulletin
board. I have to laugh though being if the Internet ever went down and a
sysop has a modem or modem bank then things would look much different.

But being it is a hobby I'll just live with what we have, still the good
old days shine bright in my mind.




-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL

Re: Re: Usenet
By: Havok to MRO on Tue Feb 14 2023 06:38 am

you can surf all over and never throw a name in like you do with a bulletin
board. I have to laugh though being if the Internet ever went down and a
sysop has a modem or modem bank then things would look much different.

well a lot of phones are now voip. i'm with spectrum aka charter and it's all voip.

if the internet went down we wouldn't have anything.
---
þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Re: Re: Usenet
By: MRO to Havok on Tue Feb 14 2023 07:48 am

well a lot of phones are now voip. i'm with spectrum aka charter and it's all voip.

Where I'm one day going to move to I would be it is not, but also I have
been reading their are ways aorund that also. But it is true talk about
control.

I remember about 5 years ago when they did the big 1 gig rollout I did
a search on Japan rolling out 5 gig for 49.00 a month while here it was
rolling out 1 gig for some where around 79 to 99.00 a month talk about
rape!


-*|04Hav|12o|04k|07*-

---
þ Synchronet þ Anarchy BBS - The Villages,FL