The Evolution Of Usenet

The Beginnings…

In 1979, two Duke University graduate students began working on a class project called “Usenet”. This program allowed computers to communicate with each other without being physically connected. It was a lot like sending an email but operated more like a forum.  You could post messages or “news” in themed groups known as “newsgroups”. People were able to converse through text based discussions. For the first time ever, individuals could connect with others around the world online.

By 1980 the class project had become well known around college campuses and the “geek” community. Users could log on to Usenet and access the “news” from their own computers. Usenet topics ranged from open source software discussions to tips on quilting. The topics were endless. The world had a new place to go for news.

The Eternal September…

The early days of Usenet were grand. You could search newsgroups for anything you wanted information on, sort of how we use search engines today. But as more people began to discover the power of Usenet, the highly regarded technology would lose some of its credibility.

Every September Usenet became over flooded with new college students who were granted university access to the servers. These “newbies” frustrated expert users who were accustomed to certain newsgroup etiquette.

In September 1993, known as the Eternal September, AOL gave Usenet access to its subscribers.  The quality of Usenet diminished quickly.

Many forgot about Usenet as the Web began to take charge of the scene in the late 90s.

As the cost of monitoring Usenet became too expensive, all internet service providers would eventually stop providing free access.

A New Era…

After internet providers closed off free access many long time users were left feeling empty. Some even declared the end of Usenet, calling it a dead technology.

But the demand for Usenet was high. Premium service providers would eventually restore access to the public once again. Large commercial grade server farms would replace the outdated servers Usenet was previously hosted on.

Now premium providers give users full Usenet access, better than ever before. There are over 800 Terabytes of fresh content at your fingers for download.

Providers offer direct access to the servers Usenet is stored on. Because of this you are able to download at lightning speeds, as fast as your internet connection will allow.

You can also access Usenet safer than ever before, over a 256-bit SSL encrypted connection. You are free to download without worry.

Usenet has transformed over time to meet the needs of modern Internet users. It continues to be a premium supply of rich content, something for everyone to enjoy.

While Usenet has seen a long history of ups and downs, one thing is certain. Usenet is here to stay.

This is a guest post from Jared Scott. He is the Public Outreach Manager for a leading premium Usenet provider.  You can follow his updates at @binverse.