Are Newsgroups still relevant?

[redAPPLE]

hi,

i would just like to get your opinion on newsgroups.

newsgroups used to be popular but i haven't heard anybody in the last 5 years, talk about it. it has been so seldom i have heard anybody talk about newsgroups (in general), that i don't seem to remember, why they were good...

is rss (or any other technology) the new "newsgroups"?

 

[7on]

I thought IRC took over newsgroups

 

[tersono]

Usenet (newsgroups) is still a pretty busy place, but web forums like this, or Yahoo! Groups have rather taken over these days. I'll admit I used to be a heavy user of usenet, but haven't fired up a reader in quite some time. You'll still find a lot of traffic out there, though, if you go looking.

RSS isn't the same thing at all as it's not interactive - it's just another way of delivering web pages.

As for the poster who suggested that IRC (another very early protocol that has become less popular in these days of instant messengers, but still has a lot of aficionados, including myself) had taken over from newsgroups, well all I can suggest is that he doesn't understand either one...

 

[dmr727]

It's still relevant for massive file sharing.

I used to hang around various newsgroups, but like someone else said, these kinds of message boards (especially now that they're so easy to set up) have pretty much replaced usenet for chatting. The other problem with usenet is that spam has really taken over and made the experience miserable. Seem to be a lot more idiots and trolls out there too.

 

[Phillyzero]

Yeah, it's not really for chatting as much anymore...it is still relevant in file-sharing world though (for those who don't wish to torrent).