ISPs, Newsgroups, etc. ...OH MY!!!

[Adrian Griffis]

On Sun, Jun 29, 2008 at 2:49 PM, Luke -Jr <luke at dashjr.org> wrote:
> On Sunday 29 June 2008, Adrian Griffis wrote:
>> Sorry to get pedantic, folks, but we're talking about Usenet NEWS,
>> here, not Usenet, in general.  Usenet News was simply one of the
>> services available through that UUCP/dialup connected network of
>> systems called Usenet.  Usenet, itself, is even closer to being dead
>> than Usenet News, now that this news system has switched mainly to
>> being carried by NNTP over the Internet.
>
> What? Who's talking about some UUCP/dialup thing that I've never even heard
> of? Isn't Time Warner dropping Usenet (general) access via NNTP over the
> Internet (or at least their intranet)?

The thing that you're calling "Usenet" is really "Usenet News".  The
"UUCP/dialup thing" that you've never even heard of was Usenet, and
one of the services that Usenet used to carry was Usenet News.  Usenet
News has now migrated to the Internet, for the most part.

This thing you've never even heard of, Usenet, was a fascinating part
of the early history of the culture that you are now a part of.
Twenty-five years ago, you could not easily have managed email and
Usenet News without being aware of Usenet.  I would be happy to help
you learn about this history, if you want me to, but as long as you
continue to assume I mean Usenet News, every time I say "Usenet", my
efforts to help you learn this history will only confuse you.

Usenet and Usenet News are two different things.  When most people use
the term "Usenet", they are usually talking about "Usenet News".

Adrian