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stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
Do any of you still use Usenet?
Long, long ago, I finally figured out that unmoderated forums suck, and suck big time. On a side note, let me say that while I don't always agree with moderator decisions, a moderated forum is 1,000 times better than an unmoderated forum. I haven't looked at a Usenet forum for a couple of years. |
Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
I used to hang out a bit on a couple of usenet forums. They became cesspools. I believe I last posted in 2004.
John
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
Randwill Inner circle 1914 Posts |
When major ISPs like Time-Warner stopped providing usenet access, a lot of the activity in the groups I frequented died down. I still check in at alt.magic, alt.magic.secrets and a few film and entertainment related ones. Alt.magic secrets has a lot of posts from "Mitch Leary" who, although a bit of a crackpot (not necessarily a bad thing), comes up with some good information about existing effects and new effects of his own.
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gdw Inner circle 4884 Posts |
Where do you find alt.magic?
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
I won't forget you Robert. |
Randwill Inner circle 1914 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-24 16:10, gdw wrote: I'm not sure I understand the question. If you're familiar with usenet, it's just "alt.magic". I just checked and there hasn't been a magic related post there in about a month. Similarly, the once active; alt.magic.cards, alt.magic.history and alt.magic.marketplace are also dead. Alt.magic.secrets seems to be the last usenet bastion for magic, at least that I'm aware of. It's too bad because the freedom usenet allows is sorely missed. Of course, that freedom is also what allows so much abuse. But that's the nature of free speech. Unpopular speech is what needs the protection. Those seeking an open forum just have to take the good with the bad. |
gdw Inner circle 4884 Posts |
I guess it's because I am not familiar with Usenet.
You are very correct that unpopular speech is what needs protecting. You don't need free speech to say 'good morning.' And of course it's the unpopular speech that is still threatened. Also, the "abuse" that comes from freedom on an unmoderated forum online is much different than freedom in reality due to a lack of any natural consequences. Real life, clearly, does not work like that. Which is why the interwebs is such a breeding ground for trolls.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
I won't forget you Robert. |
Randwill Inner circle 1914 Posts |
Usenet is also known as newsgroups. I access them through an account with GigaNews, but there are many providers. I'm on Windows XP and read the groups with Outlook Express. Tools > Newsgroups takes me to the interface, Newsgroup Subscriptions.
I understand that some people read newsgroups through Google, in fact I seem to remember doing so in the distant past, but checking the Google site today, I don't see exactly how to do this. It's not "News" or "Groups". Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in. There are thousands of newsgroups covering every conceivable area of interest and their sub-interests and they are uncensored and unmoderated. Once you get an account from GigaNews or the equivalent, your newsgroup reader downloads the list of all newsgroups. Then, in Outlook Express, I can type, for instance "skiing" and I see that there are over 20 newsgroups devoted to skiing. If you seek free and uncensored discussion it is, or was, the way to go. |
Randwill Inner circle 1914 Posts |
Okay, I think I'm accessing alt.magic.secrets through Google without going through GigaNews.
If you want to try, go to Google. At the top go to "more" and choose "Groups". Type "alt.magic.secrets" into the box and push "Search Groups". You'll then see the "Groups matching" links at the top. "Alt.magic.secrets" is the first one. And that takes you to the list of posts and all replies.* With all newsgroups (also sometimes called "mailing lists") there is garbage to sift through since no one is in control. But there's a trade-off. On moderated message boards, what is garbage and must be deleted is in the eye of the message board controllers. What you or I or the message board moderators might consider garbage can be three very different things. On usenet, it's all there, what I might consider garbage, what you might consider garbage and what most message board moderators would almost certainly consider garbage. But there's the good stuff too. *I also can type in "skiing", "horror", "windowsxp" and get a link to the alt. newsgroups for those topics. |
foolsnobody Special user Buffalo, NY 843 Posts |
If you play acoustic mostly steel string guitar the newsgroup rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic is a nice bunch of folks and quite knowledgeable. Lots of digressions but they are amusing. Just introduce yourself and join in.
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stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-25 02:45, foolsnobody wrote: Perhaps you missed this post: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/searc......=6918537 Was that the forum I was reading back then? |
foolsnobody Special user Buffalo, NY 843 Posts |
LOL Unhinged, that's the one! LOL. Maybe an acquired taste? I hear the classical guitar one is worse. That vaseline and vibration thread is long gone and has never been revived. Most are decent guys and don't acquire guitars to impress anybody. It's just GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) and most guitar players have it. Including rock guitarists. How many guitars does Keith Richards own? Eric Clapton? Me, I have one guitar, and at my level that's all I need. Sure, some are ego tripping; that's true in any group. Give it another try. How much do you spend a year on magic related purchases? If you are frugal in the area you love, is that necessarily a good thing? Also, possibly some of the particularly American humor may not translate well.
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Futureal Inner circle 1695 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-24 13:06, stoneunhinged wrote: No. Not for five years. |
mantel Special user 922 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-24 15:11, Randwill wrote: alt.magic.secrets was circling the drain the last couple years. Unfortunately the plug was pulled just last week. Mitch was the only thing that kept it going. But he left as he couldn't stand Google Groups new format. P.S. If anyone knows where Mitch Leary is posting now. Please send me a private message (Do not reply on this thread). Thanks, Mantel |
imgic Inner circle Moved back to Midwest to see 1336 Posts |
Wow. Hadn't thought of usenet in ages. Long ago I'd browse them. My first post was to a juggling group asking if there was a trick to dousing tennis balls Lin lighter fluid and then juggling them. Trying to be catchy I titled the thread as "Lighting my balls on Fire". But then didn't know how to include a body. So only title got posted. I got a lot if ribbing over that one...
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I use Google groups to read a few things, alt.conspiracy, alt.callahans, etc.
I stopped using alt.magic when it stopped having anything to do with magic. MW ("He Who Must Not Be Named") used to hang out there a lot, usually starting trouble.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
BTW, the easiest way to access newsgroups through Google is simply to type "deja.com." Google groups used to be dejanews and the tag still works.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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