Usenet
Usenet, often called newsgroups, is a pioneering network of discussion groups born in 1979, a golden era of digital communication when the internet was young and unspoiled. A decentralized marvel, Usenet let users post messages, share ideas, and debate across thousands of topic-based groups—alt.rec.sports, comp.lang.c, sci.astro, and more—via simple text and a trusty newsreader.
A Simpler, Better Time
Back in my day, Usenet thrived on raw, unfiltered exchange. No corporate algorithms dictated what you saw; you chose your newsgroups and dove into threads of pure, human thought. From tech wizards to hobbyists, we built communities without the flashy ads or data harvesting of today’s Reddit or Facebook. Sure, spam crept in by the ‘90s, but tools like killfiles kept our focus sharp.
Why It Beats Modern Social Media
Unlike the chaotic, attention-grabbing mess of Reddit or Facebook, Usenet offered control—your newsreader, your rules. No “likes” or dopamine-chasing nonsense; just honest posts, often deep and technical, preserved across servers worldwide. Modern platforms cage you with walled gardens; Usenet set ideas free, a legacy of open discourse we old-timers still cherish.
Legacy
Though quieter now, Usenet lingers on servers like eternal-september.org, a relic of a nobler internet. We grizzled users miss its purity, a stark contrast to the shallow, corporate noise of today.