It's still there.

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The last time that I referred to usenet in these pages was over six years ago, and that reference was to a series of tutorials from four years before that. Even back then usenet was well past its prime. My guess is that when the basic technology behind forums became so simple, there was no reason not to move everything to the web. Of course newsgroups still exist - Google Groups (like DejaNews before it) permits us to search through what still seems to be a vast reservoir of human thought and communication. A classic explanation (actually, with it's two parts, it's more of an argument, but an amiable one that would never get even close to Godwin's law) of what usenet is (or was?) can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions Archives - yes, that's still around as well, with lots of fascinating history available for anyone who wants to waste some time.

I still occasionally turn to newsgroups - mostly when the results I get from a regular Google search leave me with a feeling that there has to be something else out there on the subject. But it's a rather infrequent "occasionally". Perhaps I should do so more often, but there's so much else to do.

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Go to: How to lose an online argument.