AT&T Dropping Usenet Netnews; Low-Cost Alternatives? 345
franknagy writes "This announcement message has appeared in all the news groups on
the AT&T/SBC News Server: 'Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T will no longer be
offering access to the Usenet netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available through third-party
vendors.' So what free or low-cost alternatives are available for Netnews and
the NNTP services for clients?"
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you get a discount now? (Score:5, Insightful)
Now that they're cutting a portion of the service out - do you get a cut on the monthly rate as well?
Re:it is about time (Score:5, Insightful)
I was always wondering why this protocol and all related software have not disappeared yet.
Because of alt.binaries.*
Re:Google Groups or Astraweb (Score:5, Insightful)
If you actually want to READ and POST text news, then I don't know why anyone would use an NNTP client nowadays. Google Groups is a far superior gateway.
What?? How is the Google groups UI even remotely better at threading, marking, filtering and generally managing long conversations? Compared to even something like Free Agent it's utterly shit!
Can we let the secret out now? (Score:2, Insightful)
OK.. Now that USENET is dead.. is it safe to let the secret out?
USENET WAS GREAT.
Re:Is it worth it anymore? (Score:5, Insightful)
Access to advise from crotchety old engineers for the price of a little bad manners and spam is in the end a very good deal.
I just wanna say it's terrible (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd just like to say it's terrible when ISPs drop Usenet. Usenet is part of the Internet culture.
Re:I just wanna say it's terrible (Score:4, Insightful)
You misspelled "history".
Seriously, the vast, vast majority of Internet users today came online long after Usenet collapsed under its own weight. Only a tiny minority (like me) remember it, and even fewer of those use it with any regularity.
Culture is a living thing; it evolves. There was a time when Usenet was definitely part of the Internet's culture, but today is not that time.
Re:Google Groups or Astraweb (Score:4, Insightful)
Or maybe he'd prefer not to feed the kind of parasites who helped destroy Usenet. I have very little respect for people who make others distribute and store their warez for them, using resources intended for learning and discussions. They are on the same level as spammers.
Re:Is it worth it anymore? (Score:3, Insightful)
What's top posting?
Heh. My favorite explanation is this old one:
I see that others have already posted much wordier replies along the same line.
Re:Just start torrenting. (Score:1, Insightful)
also keep in mind that RIAA, etc are going after *uploaders* on p2p, but usenet does not involve any uploading of content when you download
Re:Elitist! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Is it worth it anymore? (Score:1, Insightful)
Total bullshit. ID has no scientific qualities at all and the language defining science is quite concise and succint. Simply put: It must be testable and repeatable and it must predict. There is nothing subjective about that definition. There is no such thing as weak science, its a binary situation, it either is or isn't science. And since you can't test god you cannot ever test or repeat anything in ID and therefore it is not science. Period.
Being methodical, taking notes and having a procedure are all superficial aspects that people like yourself try to cloak ID in to say that they're similar to science. Its intellectually dishonest and it says something about you as a person when you try to perpetuate it.
Science is a tool we use to discover the truth, not to reinforce our beliefs we randomly come to choose. Discovery of some principle that only supposedly happened only once in existence, was passed down generations orally, and gives no insight as to how it can be done again provides no benefit at all to society. And thats all ID is. Its an overly convoluted way to just say god did it. Science is the opposite of that, when something is discovered to be true, we all can benefit cause we did it, we understand it and can repeat it.
Re:Haven't read usenet in years (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I use aioe (Score:3, Insightful)
Ditto. They even support SSL (see here [aioe.org]). For the few odd text groups I use, this free low-volume service is nice enough.