Subj : Re: Is the [comp.human-factors] newsgroup dead?
To   : comp.human-factors,comp.programming
From : JosephKK
Date : Thu Sep 22 2005 07:56 am

reply interstitial

Thad Smith wrote:

> Alf P. Steinbach wrote:
> 
>> Postings in [comp.human-factors] are now scarce, days or sometimes a
>> whole week between!
>  > ...
>> I used to post in chf in a period some years ago (seven?), and as I
>> recall at that time there very lively debates, long threads, and just the
>> "expected" percentage of content free acronym-ridden postings by career
>> academics.
> 

The changes started shortly thereafter and are not complete yet.

> My impression is that Usenet, in general, is declining.  I suppose it is
> being replaced by various Web-based forums.  An established ISP that I
> used in the past dropped their news service, and my newer ISP never had
> any, so I pay for an extra service.  Plug: octanews provides good
> service at a very low rate.  Teranews provides variable service for a
> small one-time signup fee.
> 
The quality of ISP usenet news has been declining for over a decade, the new
ISP's and the young idiots that run them and the old farts at the top of
AOL etc. have no concept of what usenet news was.

> In my experience most people who use the Internet don't even know about
> the _existance_ of Usenet!
>
What part of Homer Simpson's "Doh" did you miss?
 
> As far c.hf is concerned, you might see if you can find some hf experts
> and find what resources they use for discourse.  I'm expect there are
> various forums scattered on the net.  Frankly, I miss the more active
> Usenet, but expect it to get worse, not better.
> 
I miss it too. Well at least that is somewhat realistic.  Younger Professors
in CS often do not know what usenet was/is.  Some of them think blogs
(vastly lower signal to noise ratio by 20 dB or more) are the greatest
thing since sliced bread.  some of them do not even know of wiki's

> Thad

-- 
JosephKK

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