Paging JustinTempler, please explain USENET

[sgreger1]

I know at least one or two of you around here use this. I am trying to get into using USENET but there are different places to subscribe to and I don't know which place has the best service and is most worth the money. For those of you USENET people out there, where do you go and how much do you pay monthly?

[voodooman]

there is a rule about usenet ...three rules actually ...and they are all the same.

[sgreger1]

there is a rule about usenet ...three rules actually ...and they are all the same.

Ah yes I forgot

[dpete]

I use Astraweb and do not pay monthly. I think I paid $25 for the ability to download 120 GB. That was perhaps 2 years ago and I still have a lot left.

[Crow]

The best bang for your buck:

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html

No Speed Limits
No Download Limits
Exactly the same as Unlimited DSL Plan
You will pay $11 for every month as long as your subscription remains active. We will not raise the price.

All plans include SSL access, servers for the US and EU, and 1217 days of retention.

[justintempler]

http://usenetreviews.org/best-usenet-providers/

I've used Giganews and UNS, They're both good.

Everybody that comes along tries to compare themselves to Giganews which has over the years pretty much set the standards for speed and days of retention, but they also are more expensive. I started with Giganews and then switched to UNS to save a few dollars a month. I've had no complaints about either.

[AtreyuKun]

Does usenet have anything these days besides porn?

[sgreger1]

The best bang for your buck:

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html



All plans include SSL access, servers for the US and EU, and 1217 days of retention.

Yah that's what I am using right now is the astraweb unlimited plus Sabnzbd as my client, then Newzbin to search for stuff. So much better than torrenting and so worth the money.

[shikitohno]

Yah that's what I am using right now is the astraweb unlimited plus Sabnzbd as my client, then Newzbin to search for stuff. So much better than torrenting and so worth the money.

If I really wanted to avoid torrenting, I'd just save myself the money and grab what I wanted off bots. Usenet might be fun, but I think I'll stick to torrents and multiplayer notepad sessions for my piratical needs. A decent XDCC bot will offer 1.2-1.5 MB/s transfers anyway, and you can find just about whatever you want if you know how to go about it.

[Snusdog]

I have no idea what this thread is about


Therefore......you are all banned for the next 15 seconds





soft filler music plays in the background



still playing




There..........I hope you have all learned your lesson


Carry on

[wa3zrm]

I remember when Usenet first started and there were only a handful of .alt groups. When the Internet exploded, Usenet turned into a "vast wasteland." I agree with shikitobno, the torrents are where it is at today. I can't imagine paying for Usenet access. Check out http://freeusenet.org/ It's not the best in the world, but you can find some free feeds there. IMO, all Usenet is today is Warz and Porn. Social networking and blogs have replaced the majority of what Usenet was created for. Usenet has gone the way of gopher, lynx and archie... just as Outlook has replaced PINE.

[justintempler]

USENET has two big advantages

1. No filesharing. You don't have to worry about getting any letters from lawyers working for the MPAA, or ASCAP etc etc. It's a one way transfer from the usenet server to you.

2. 1200 days of retention - In English that means if someone uploaded some obscure file to a newsgroup three years ago, you can still get it. It doesn't matter if the show, movie, or music was popular enough to keep the torrent alive. There's a crapload of music, books, documentaries, just about anything you can think of.

[sgreger1]

USENET has two big advantages

1. No filesharing. You don't have to worry about getting any letters from lawyers working for the MPAA, or ASCAP etc etc. It's a one way transfer from the usenet server to you.

2. 1200 days of retention - In English that means if someone uploaded some obscure file to a newsgroup three years ago, you can still get it. It doesn't matter if the show, movie, or music was popular enough to keep the torrent alive. There's a crapload of music, books, documentaries, just about anything you can think of.

Yah point #1 is especially what has brought me towards switching to Usenet. It is faster, much carries a lower risk imo. No one wants a DMCA letter from your ISP etc (not that I am downloading anything that would warrant that), but for me it has opened my eyes. Downloading shit on piratebay is so easy to get people in trouble, they watch the trackers and know exactly who you are, and using Tor or a proxy won't stop them from contacting your ISP and telling them you been ****ing up. They only have the capacity to sue about 6,000 people a year, but each year you could be one f the unlucky few. They usually go after the ones that offer search services like Kazaa etc but still, it's too easy to track who downloads stuff off piratebay. What if I were in an oppressive government and wanted to distribute a .pdf of a rebel message? With torrents I would easily be caught, as would anyone sharing such a document.

For the like $10 a month, usenet is way worth it.

[lxskllr]

One small correction... Using Tor or a proxy most definitely will evade the goon squads, but it's much slower, and in the case of Tor, abusive of the system. I'm ok with Tor being used for the occasional download, but it should be reserved for more important free speech needs. It's a valuable resource for places in the world where saying "fsck the government" will get you a late night visit from the man, and no one sees you again.

Edit:
An amusing site. Obviously it's highly error prone cause an IP address doesn't mean much, regardless of what some tards in the legal system think, but it may give you an idea of your profile...

http://www.youhavedownloaded.com/

Hi. We have no records on you.

This means you are using a private torrent tracker or, of course, you may not be a torrent user at all! It happens. Please, entertain yourself. Feel free to see what other people have downloaded. The search box is on the top. If you have any friends who use torrents, use it to scare them off. We also have a widget that you can install in your website, blog or Facebook page. Or you can just send them a link to this site. They will see a table similar to what you see below. The only difference — they will see their downloads.

Bunch of dicks :^D

[wa3zrm]

Using a proxy most definitely will evade the goon squads...

Excellent point lxskllr... IMO, anyone using the Internet today w/o being behind a proxy and running updated firewall + antivirus software is nuts! There are far to many crazies out their. Back in the late 1970's & early 1980's, we all knew each other with UNIX being our common bond... that's sure not the case today.