The Decline of Usenet Manifests Itself In A Stupid Attempt to Shut Down The Domain Blog
Last week a post a message in Usenet--the original Internet message boards--about the free domain name contest I've been running here for the past month or so. It was one message and I really wasn't expect any real response from the post. Well, much to my shock, an adolescent on a power trip tried to use the little power he has in Usenet to shut down this domain blog. You can click here to read the full thread.
I've been posting to Usenet since the mid-90's yet I've never experienced such an aggressive and outrageously malicious attempt to damage or destroy another person's project. I've had my disagreements with other Usenet users in the past--been called all sorts of names--but no one has ever crossed the line like this. It was such a childish undertaking on the part of venomx (whose real name is John Stilwell) that it really doesn't deserve mentioning in this blog, but I have decided to write here about it anyway because this incident--in my opinion--represents one of a few significant indications that a major milestone in the evolution of the Internet is coming to pass: the death of Usenet.
Usenet used to be a great place to find like minded individuals to chat with, share files and experiences, and more. Now Usenet is filled to the brim with folks like venomx, wayward teens who derive some sort of twisted pleasure from sitting behind a PC and playing the role of the capricious Greek God for a few hours a day.
I think a lot of former Usenet users have given up on Usenet due to the decline in the quality of folks who now frequent it. I'm not contending that all Usenet users are rotten apples, but it only takes a few rotten grapes to spoil a bottle of wine. Usenet is also losing lots of formers users to the World Wide Web as powerful VBulletin forums spring up each and every day covering topics that were once only found in Usenet.
Maybe I'm totally wrong about Usenet; maybe Usenet is here to stay. But my bet is that Usenet will soon be become a forgotten part of the Internet, a virtual abandoned warehouse where teens prank each other ad nauseam and middle-aged, cyber-swinger men post pictures of their naked wives.
I've been posting to Usenet since the mid-90's yet I've never experienced such an aggressive and outrageously malicious attempt to damage or destroy another person's project. I've had my disagreements with other Usenet users in the past--been called all sorts of names--but no one has ever crossed the line like this. It was such a childish undertaking on the part of venomx (whose real name is John Stilwell) that it really doesn't deserve mentioning in this blog, but I have decided to write here about it anyway because this incident--in my opinion--represents one of a few significant indications that a major milestone in the evolution of the Internet is coming to pass: the death of Usenet.
Usenet used to be a great place to find like minded individuals to chat with, share files and experiences, and more. Now Usenet is filled to the brim with folks like venomx, wayward teens who derive some sort of twisted pleasure from sitting behind a PC and playing the role of the capricious Greek God for a few hours a day.
I think a lot of former Usenet users have given up on Usenet due to the decline in the quality of folks who now frequent it. I'm not contending that all Usenet users are rotten apples, but it only takes a few rotten grapes to spoil a bottle of wine. Usenet is also losing lots of formers users to the World Wide Web as powerful VBulletin forums spring up each and every day covering topics that were once only found in Usenet.
Maybe I'm totally wrong about Usenet; maybe Usenet is here to stay. But my bet is that Usenet will soon be become a forgotten part of the Internet, a virtual abandoned warehouse where teens prank each other ad nauseam and middle-aged, cyber-swinger men post pictures of their naked wives.
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posted by Steve Brown | Sunday, May 15, 2005
4 Comments:
Ah, the memories.. Usenet! Then again, I can remember even in the early days you had immature dolts trying to cause trouble now and then. It's a shame.
Geez, who remembers running a BBS? I used to run a graphical bbs (TurBoard software) that utilized the same graphics Prodigy used to use. Never even heard of the Internet until the late 90's! Woo!
Good grief!
So did he ever drive to Philly? I feel dumber just for reading his posts. I agree, good grief!
venomx is known in other parts of the Internet as a crook. Please refer to http://www.gptboycott.com/venomx
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