 jblAZPremium
join:2008-09-19
Elfrida, AZ | Using giganews I think counting by users, the illegal /questionable stuff is relatively low level. The main problem has always been the amount of traffic used for the binaries; as a percentage of throughput, it is of course huge. The 'useful' part of usenet is, I think, if not measured by bandwidth, is still a significant part of Usenet.
I have used it since the mid-80s, when text mail was the rule and text on Usenet was not much different. I'm still comfortable in that mode. I suppose it's telling that since I no longer have a unix-like setup (I started using variations on rn, then switched to a package in emacs), I get my mail and my news from the same client, Forte Agent.
I'm not sure how many paths to Usenet I have at the moment (I have several ISPs, though now I access them via the network rather than via direct connect). Some of them may still offer Usenet, but only to directly connected users, so I can't tell. Some allow remote access to Usenet by requiring user authentication.
My current access is via cybertrails, an Arizona ISP which began life offering dial-up service to lots of small towns in Arizona that were remote from Phoenix and Tucson. Judging by the headers in the Usenet articles, they are also providing (I don't say reselling, because it doesn't cost me extra) giganews. |
