Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#1

Post by gojomo » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 7:02 PM UTC

Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet
wired.com

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#2

Post by hugothefrog » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 7:15 PM UTC

I used to participate in Usenet a lot, back in the mid 90s. Rather stupidly, I set the no archive header (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-No-Archive) on all my posts. Now I can only find myself quoted in replies.

Shame, really.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#3

Post by colbyolson » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:06 PM UTC

Upvoted to show support for the article and its point. I've once wondered into Google's Usenet jungle, it's a terrible mess.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#4

Post by shrughes » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:08 PM UTC

hugothefrog wrote: post #2

I used to participate in Usenet a lot, back in the mid 90s. Rather stupidly, I set the no archive header ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-No-Archive ) on all my posts. Now I can only find myself quoted in replies. Shame, really.

Well, I didn't set the X-No-Archive header. And now there's no chance that I'll ever get elected to be President of the United States.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#5

Post by e40 » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:14 PM UTC

When google first put the archive online, I could find 100's of posts I made in the 80's. Now, there are a few 10's. At this point, I don't even use the search for old stuff, assuming that the bits have just rotted so much that it's not worth it.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#6

Post by zandorg » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:16 PM UTC

Time to take back Usenet and build another archive independently of Google, somehow.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#7

Post by Anon84 » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:18 PM UTC

      In the end, then, the rusting shell of Google Groups is
      a reminder that Google is an advertising company — not 
      a modern-day Library of Alexandria.

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#8

Post by mike_organon » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:19 PM UTC

I had noticed problems a few weeks ago, but it seems to be working today. http://groups.google.com/group/alt.hypertext/search?group=al...

And the advanced search always worked and still works better. http://groups.google.com/advanced_search?q=&sitesearch=g...

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#9

Post by zandorg » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:32 PM UTC

shrughes wrote: post #4

hugothefrog wrote: post #2

I used to participate in Usenet a lot, back in the mid 90s. Rather stupidly, I set the no archive header ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-No-Archive ) on all my posts. Now I can only find myself quoted in replies. Shame, really.

Well, I didn't set the X-No-Archive header. And now there's no chance that I'll ever get elected to be President of the United States.

How about an X-No-Profits header?

Re: Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles: Usenet

#10

Post by anigbrowl » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 8:35 PM UTC

The sad thing is that if Google had had the foresight to build in decent browsing, filtering etc., and polish up NNTP a bit, they could own the vast internet message board space, and we would be reading this on alt.hacking.ycombinator or suchlike.

It's not that people aren't interested in chatting to each other on the internet, I waste depressingly large quantities of time reading and posting in 5-6 different forums, this being one of them. There's still one usenet group I read regularly, but it's degraded to 50% spam and embittered ranting from an unhappy kibo clone.