As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

The decline of newsgroups has generally followed the tendency for this type
forum to deviate dramatically from the original intent. But in the case of this
NG, I too am of the opinion that it really has outlived it's intended function
and time scale. It's become a rather limited BBS of sorts, with a dramatic
amount of content that's either drug or sex related, or alludes to illegal
activity.

No thanks.

There are a number of other forums around--hence the decline--and although
antennas are a minor spark of interest, there clearly isn't the kind of
activity you saw in the late 1990's, for example.

Oh well. The net antiquates many things, even parts of itself.

I'll check in once in a while to see who is still alive:-) Best to all, and
drop me a line if you'd like.



73,
Chip N1IR

(Fractenna) verbositized:

As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

Then you SHOULD remember when AOL was TOTALLY IN-HOUSE, the only
connect to the outside world at all was the ability to send e-mails
out-of-house. Then they started playing with home-brew web browsers
that rarely worked and were constantly being updated to fix the many
bugs in the programming.
It was not until AFTER they finally had a very limited web browser
that they decided to finally allow access to USENET Newsgroups.
It was the LAST external source of information they allowed, so
obviously it will be the FIRST to be cancelled as they try to revert
back to their original In-House state.
They have already screwed up e-mail to the MAX, so that it is almost
impossible to e-mail an AOL member.

I'm surprised they kept you suckered in for so long.
The WISE found REAL ISP's that did not price gouge them and who
offered many more valuable services.

Gary

Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. wrote:
The WISE found REAL ISP's that did not price gouge them and who
offered many more valuable services.

Time was when "REAL ISP's" all offered usenet/netnews
service. Now my "REAL ISP" has dropped its newserver
access. Netscape doesn't offer it except through Google.
Incidentally, Google's upgraded newsgroup interface
isn't half bad. But I suspect they will start charging
a fee for its use sometime in the future.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

On 27 Jan 2005 13:04:16 GMT, (Fractenna) wrote:

As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

............


Drop AOL !

w.

On 27 Jan 2005 11:39:06 EST, am (Gary V.
Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:

I'm surprised they kept you suckered in for so long.

Hi Gary,

Is there any irony in the convergence of SOL members logging in here
with off topic comments to offer that because of off topic comments
the news service is in decline?

Perhaps it is more an issue that the walls being built are not to keep
people out, but to keep them in. This comedy must at some point
include watch towers behind barb wire.

The greater irony is that the bright star of the dot.com firmament,
SOL, no longer appears on the company mast head of Time-Warner to
continue their embarrassment. Talk about a disappearing act!

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Fractenna wrote:
As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has
made a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

A sterling example of why "the biggest" is immediatly suspect. I got
myself online before there was an AOL, back when ISPs were not in the
advertising biz and when all they provided was getting you "plugged in"
and the rest was on you. It was upon us to pick and choose our e-mail,
browser and newsreader clients, etc. The downsides of course were the
limits on access hours/day, reliability was lousy and as often as not
dialing the POP sites were expensive long-distance phone calls. But it
worked. Clean, simple and very effective. Then along came goofy AOL
with it's bottom line objective of opening up the Internet for the
incredibly dumbed-down and clueless masses so that they could control
and micromanage their online lives . . . I've used AOL as a "guest op"
here and there. I can't even start to imagine how or why you people put
up with their garbage.

One of my brothers found a use for AOL though. He collected a 15 inch
high stack of AOL CDs and made an interesting lamp out of 'em.

The decline of newsgroups has generally followed the tendency for
this type
forum to deviate dramatically from the original intent. But in the
case of this
NG, I too am of the opinion that it really has outlived it's intended
function
and time scale. It's become a rather limited BBS of sorts, with a
dramatic
amount of content that's either drug or sex related, or alludes to
illegal
activity.

No thanks.

There are a number of other forums around--hence the decline--and
although
antennas are a minor spark of interest, there clearly isn't the kind
of
activity you saw in the late 1990's, for example.

Gloom & doom from The Chipster. As long as Roy, Reg, Cecil and the rest
of the senior antenna gurus are still popping up here so will I.

Oh well. The net antiquates many things, even parts of itself.

I'll check in once in a while to see who is still alive:-) Best to
all, and
drop me a line if you'd like.

Go shovel out your driveway again and have a nice day.
73,
Chip N1IR

w3rv

Helmut Wabnig wrote in message
...
On 27 Jan 2005 13:04:16 GMT, (Fractenna) wrote:

As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made
a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

............


Drop AOL !

w.

he's just making an excuse, there are free sources of newsgroups out side of
aol so unless they are blocking access to some web sites they aren't
stopping anyone from getting to or posting to a group like this.

"Dave" wrote in message
...

Helmut Wabnig wrote in message
...
On 27 Jan 2005 13:04:16 GMT, (Fractenna) wrote:

As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made
a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.

............


Drop AOL !

w.

he's just making an excuse, there are free sources of newsgroups out side
of
aol so unless they are blocking access to some web sites they aren't
stopping anyone from getting to or posting to a group like this.



AOL sucks, anyway.
I used their stupid, crappy service for a few months years and years ago.
73
H.

Fractenna wrote:
As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.


From experience with a lot of AOL users, their decision will sit very
well with a lot of newsgroup regulars! 8^)


The decline of newsgroups has generally followed the tendency for this type
forum to deviate dramatically from the original intent. But in the case of this
NG, I too am of the opinion that it really has outlived it's intended function
and time scale. It's become a rather limited BBS of sorts, with a dramatic
amount of content that's either drug or sex related, or alludes to illegal
activity.

No thanks.

Okay.


There are a number of other forums around--hence the decline--and although
antennas are a minor spark of interest, there clearly isn't the kind of
activity you saw in the late 1990's, for example.

Oh well. The net antiquates many things, even parts of itself.

I'll check in once in a while to see who is still alive:-) Best to all, and
drop me a line if you'd like.


Well, good luck!

- Mike KB3EIA -

Mike
Frac's comment speaks volumes IMHO
(I didn't last 12 days with that stupid "service" in '87 or whenever it was
I tried it).


"You've got mail!" It's "You HAVE mail." !!!!
Illiterate morons.
;^)

73
H.

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Fractenna wrote:
As a 12 year member of AOL, I note that the world's largest ISP has made
a
decision to drop newsgroups from it's service.


From experience with a lot of AOL users, their decision will sit very well
with a lot of newsgroup regulars! 8^)


The decline of newsgroups has generally followed the tendency for this
type forum to deviate dramatically from the original intent. But in the
case of this
NG, I too am of the opinion that it really has outlived it's intended
function
and time scale. It's become a rather limited BBS of sorts, with a
dramatic
amount of content that's either drug or sex related, or alludes to
illegal
activity.

No thanks.

Okay.


There are a number of other forums around--hence the decline--and
although
antennas are a minor spark of interest, there clearly isn't the kind of
activity you saw in the late 1990's, for example.

Oh well. The net antiquates many things, even parts of itself.

I'll check in once in a while to see who is still alive:-) Best to all,
and
drop me a line if you'd like.


Well, good luck!

- Mike KB3EIA -