Several providers to censure newsgroups.

[TerryH]

Well, the ALT newsgroups anyway. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Take away the video, audio, and discussion groups, nothing much left worthwhile....

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9967119-38.html

[imcarthur]

I don't see that it is a big issue anymore. The newsgroups used to be a great gathering place for a specific area of interest but it's lost its impact with all of the specific interest forums (like this one) on the web. Of course, it was also the 1st porn supermarket & that too has drifted to the web.

So its just a yawn now. I haven't been in newsgroups for years.

The only downside is the loss of one of the internet's 'Wild West' areas.

Ian

[Aurel]

Newsgroups use a lot of bandwith, because they are used for peer-to-peer files transfers, especially pirated software and movies. That is probably why ISPs want to censor them. But in a free market, this should create an opportunity for ISPs that would not censor them...

Aurel

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

I don't see that it is a big issue anymore. The newsgroups used to be a great gathering place for a specific area of interest but it's lost its impact with all of the specific interest forums (like this one) on the web. Of course, it was also the 1st porn supermarket & that too has drifted to the web.

So its just a yawn now. I haven't been in newsgroups for years.

The only downside is the loss of one of the internet's 'Wild West' areas.

Ian

They may as well shut down the web too.. i bet there's more than 88 kiddie porn websites. The pedophiles won't be slowed by this. There are dozens of outside usenet services. It's just stupid to think this is anything but a way for Verizon and other networks to save money. This isn't about morality.