subject: Usenet And The Networking [print this page] USENET has a lot of different groups of people participating on it. It's always been popular with those who are particularly technically adept, but new newsreaders and subscription-based USENET services have made it popular beyond its original, rather geeky, base. If you're interested in using this service as a social media option, there are some real advantages that you can avail yourself of.
Newsgroup Specificity
One of the most convenient things about USENET is that the newsgroups are very specific in terms of what they cover. The hierarchy uses a system that allows any newsgroup to be narrowed down in terms of topics to the point that you don't have to worry about a lot of the posts being unrelated to the topic, as is the case with many Internet forums.
If you're looking to meet people who share similar interests and knowledge, USENET offers real advantages in that regard. You can, for instance, find not only people to speak with about astronomy but may also be able to find people in your local community who share that interest and who may want to meet to observe at night.
Moderation
The best USENET groups are moderated. Unlike social networking groups, the moderation tends to be pretty strict and people are ejected from good newsgroups in short order if they turn out to be problems. It's easy to join these moderated forums but, when someone starts getting out of line, it's almost easier to get booted by one of the moderators. The moderators are also usually very open to listening to any complaints you have about someone.
Aside from issues with people's maturity, moderators help to stop put an end to one of the other common nuisances on the Internet: bad information. If you're tired of forums where you can't be sure if the person speaking really has any idea what they're talking about, USENET can be very refreshing.
Cost
Social networks, of course, are usually free and USENET subscriptions usually come at a price. USENET, despite this, still has a cost advantage, though you might not see it directly.
Social media sites have become notorious for sharing people's information without their consent. Every time that a new feature is added or a bug is fixed, it seems like the social media companies use it as an excuse to change people's privacy settings. USENET has some real advantages in this regard.
With USENET, you only share what you post on the system. If you want to protect your privacy, all you need is a catch-all email address that's anonymous to associate with any of your memberships and you're privacy is protected. You won't be able to put up pictures, play games or do any of those other things that keep people on social media sites for hours on end, but you won't have your information sold to third-party marketing companies, either, and that's worth a lot of money to many people; far more than the modest subscription fees that some USENET service providers charge.
