On 6/26/2008 4:15 AM Jean-David Beyer spake thus:

My guess is that they think no one uses UseNet anymore, and as the
spam and flames go up and the content goes down as people post using
googlegroups, yahoo groups, etd., so they are just saving a bit of
money. Here is their announcement:

First of all, it's Usenet, not UseNet or USENET.

Second of all, the recent rash of decisions to limit or drop Usenet
access altogether by ISPs has nothing whatever to do with spam, flames,
or even content (except as it applies to the below): they basically
don't care what goes on in those forums. What's behind it all is the
recent legal ruling by the state's attorney general regarding child
pornography. It's a business decision (albeit a chicken**** one).

To which I replied:

Over the years you have increased the cost for service, and now you are
decreasing the newsgroups to which I can subscribe. This is no way to
indicate that you appreciate my business.

They have not bothered to reply. Surprise? Also, as a large ISP, they are
remarkably ignorant, since UseNet _is_ part of the Internet, so it will
definitely interfere with my Internet access service.

What? They didn't even send you what my late dad used to call a "TS
letter"? I'm shocked, shocked!


--
"Wikipedia ... it reminds me ... of dogs barking idiotically through
endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.
It drags itself out of the dark abyss of pish, and crawls insanely up
the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and
doodle. It is balder and dash."

- With apologies to H. L. Mencken