In news.groups Sn!pe <snipeco.2@gmail.com> wrote:
Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
Tristan Miller <tmiller@big-8.org> wrote:
On 2023-03-14 20:24, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
We're not a social network. We're above Facebook [spit]
friend/unfriend crap
Yes, Usenet is not a "social network" in the way the term is commonly
understood today, and we do describe the distinctions -- including the >> > notion of "friending" -- in the talk. But at least in academic circles, >> > Usenet had been studied as a "social network" (using that exact term,
albeit in a more generic sense) years before Facebook and its ilk existed
We're just Usenet.
Greetings, Group.
Pardon me for jumping into to an old thread but I find this topic quite interesting. I've changed the Subject: I hope this is not unwelcome.
What is Usenet?
My favourite analogy for Usenet is that it's like a town with a number
of pubs. Each pub has a group of regulars chatting among themselves.
Occasionally strangers walk in, have a beer at a table, say nothing,
then walk out. They're the lurkers. Sometimes a visitor will strike up
a conversation at the bar, offend somebody, and be kicked out. Another might find a friendly ear and stay a while, perhaps come back another
time. They're the new blood every pub needs to be viable.
Interesting analogy and I like beer too, but contrary to a pub, you
cannot actually *kick* anyone out of Usenet.
Sometimes there's no conversation to be had anywhere so that guy either gives up drinking or goes home to drink alone and maybe mumble to
himself and just watch TV. If he's desperate, he might go on FarceBook
to tell everybody about what he had for breakfast or to show his latest family photos.
I'm thirsty; would anybody else here like a beer?
Here is another one:
Perhaps Usenet is like a [medieval]city with squares where groups of people are chatting. Sometimes they are plenty, sometimes almost none. Sometimes city administration tries to set/change *Rules and Holy Standards of Chat* (like how to correclty introduce oneself in public, what dialect to use
etc.) which many don't want to comply with.
There are many old-timers
and many just come and go. Some even speak different language which you
can hear but cannot understand. Occasionally, some wacky guy appears screaming thus interrupting the talks and scattering flyers around (which
not many seem to bother reading). All kinds of city chaos.
How do you like it?
Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
Tristan Miller <tmiller@big-8.org> wrote:
On 2023-03-14 20:24, Adam H. Kerman wrote:We're just Usenet.
We're not a social network. We're above Facebook [spit] friend/unfriend crap
Yes, Usenet is not a "social network" in the way the term is commonly
understood today, and we do describe the distinctions -- including the
notion of "friending" -- in the talk. But at least in academic circles,
Usenet had been studied as a "social network" (using that exact term,
albeit in a more generic sense) years before Facebook and its ilk existed. >>
Greetings, Group.
Pardon me for jumping into to an old thread but I find this topic quite interesting. I've changed the Subject: I hope this is not unwelcome.
What is Usenet?
My favourite analogy for Usenet is that it's like a town with a number
of pubs. Each pub has a group of regulars chatting among themselves.
Occasionally strangers walk in, have a beer at a table, say nothing,
then walk out. They're the lurkers. Sometimes a visitor will strike up
a conversation at the bar, offend somebody, and be kicked out. Another
might find a friendly ear and stay a while, perhaps come back another
time. They're the new blood every pub needs to be viable.
Sometimes there's no conversation to be had anywhere so that guy either
gives up drinking or goes home to drink alone and maybe mumble to
himself and just watch TV. If he's desperate, he might go on FarceBook
to tell everybody about what he had for breakfast or to show his latest family photos.
I'm thirsty; would anybody else here like a beer?
Sn!pe wrote:
...
What is Usenet?...
I'm thirsty; would anybody else here like a beer?
Yes.
I like your pub analogy. To some extent it applies to all "social
media" systems. And for those who get their panties in a wad about
applying "social media" to Usenet ... tough. Some of us have a much
more broad definition of that term than equating it with Facebook and
its ilk.
In my mind, "social media" started with email, and took a step up with listserv. Then there were a bunch of steps to get to the place we are
today, including bulletin board systems, proprietary forums like
CompuServe, the ever-popular AOL, and web-based misinformation farms
that we have today.
Usenet was certainly one of many steps from the days of hand-written
letters to pen pals to where we are today. Technology moves on,
building on concepts that morph into different concepts. One day we
will be saying that about Facebook, although it rather boggles my mind
to consider what will be the norm by then.
By the way, this thread and the many similar ones recently posted don't belong in news.groups, which is supposed to be for discussing newsgroups themselves. I suppose that by posting this followup I am signing on to
the "more is better" philosophy where the content of "active" newsgroups these days is material from other sources. At least this is original content, even if it's in the wrong place.
DrunkenThon <drunkenthon@gmail.com> wrote:
In news.groups Sn!pe <snipeco.2@gmail.com> wrote:
Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
Tristan Miller <tmiller@big-8.org> wrote:
On 2023-03-14 20:24, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
We're not a social network. We're above Facebook [spit]
friend/unfriend crap
Yes, Usenet is not a "social network" in the way the term is commonly >> >> > understood today, and we do describe the distinctions -- including the >> >> > notion of "friending" -- in the talk. But at least in academic circles,
Usenet had been studied as a "social network" (using that exact term, >> >> > albeit in a more generic sense) years before Facebook and its ilk existed
We're just Usenet.
Greetings, Group.
Pardon me for jumping into to an old thread but I find this topic quite
interesting. I've changed the Subject: I hope this is not unwelcome.
What is Usenet?
My favourite analogy for Usenet is that it's like a town with a number
of pubs. Each pub has a group of regulars chatting among themselves.
Occasionally strangers walk in, have a beer at a table, say nothing,
then walk out. They're the lurkers. Sometimes a visitor will strike up >> > a conversation at the bar, offend somebody, and be kicked out. Another
might find a friendly ear and stay a while, perhaps come back another
time. They're the new blood every pub needs to be viable.
Interesting analogy and I like beer too, but contrary to a pub, you
cannot actually *kick* anyone out of Usenet.
Yes indeed, but you can certainly be ostracised out of a group. It's a simple matter of the group metaphorically turning their backs to the interloper.
Sometimes there's no conversation to be had anywhere so that guy either
gives up drinking or goes home to drink alone and maybe mumble to
himself and just watch TV. If he's desperate, he might go on FarceBook
to tell everybody about what he had for breakfast or to show his latest
family photos.
I'm thirsty; would anybody else here like a beer?
Here is another one:
Perhaps Usenet is like a [medieval]city with squares where groups of people >> are chatting. Sometimes they are plenty, sometimes almost none. Sometimes
city administration tries to set/change *Rules and Holy Standards of Chat* >> (like how to correclty introduce oneself in public, what dialect to use
etc.) which many don't want to comply with.
IMO it's just important to be polite and treat people as if you were
face to face rather than keyboard to keyboard. Then again, offense is
more often taken than given.
There are many old-timers
and many just come and go. Some even speak different language which you
can hear but cannot understand. Occasionally, some wacky guy appears
screaming thus interrupting the talks and scattering flyers around (which
not many seem to bother reading). All kinds of city chaos.
How do you like it?
Yes, I think that's quite apposite; here, have a lunatic's flyer.
Can I tempt you to a beer while we explore this further?
. . .
IMO it's just important to be polite and treat people as if you were
face to face rather than keyboard to keyboard. Then again, offense is
more often taken than given.
There are many old-timers
and many just come and go. Some even speak different language which you
can hear but cannot understand. Occasionally, some wacky guy appears
screaming thus interrupting the talks and scattering flyers around (which >> not many seem to bother reading). All kinds of city chaos.
How do you like it?
Yes, I think that's quite apposite; here, have a lunatic's flyer.
Well, you can refuse to take it (or I just couldn't understand the[...]
"lunatic's flyer" metaphor) :
Sn!pe <snipeco.1@gmail.com> wrote:
. . .
IMO it's just important to be polite and treat people as if you were
face to face rather than keyboard to keyboard. Then again, offense is
more often taken than given.
People are tempted to smack me in person, too.
DrunkenThon <drunkenthon@gmail.com> wrote:
[...]
[...]There are many old-timers
and many just come and go. Some even speak different language which you >> >> can hear but cannot understand. Occasionally, some wacky guy appears
screaming thus interrupting the talks and scattering flyers around (which >> >> not many seem to bother reading). All kinds of city chaos.
How do you like it?
Yes, I think that's quite apposite; here, have a lunatic's flyer.
Well, you can refuse to take it (or I just couldn't understand the
"lunatic's flyer" metaphor) :
That was just me alluding to "Occasionally, some wacky guy appears
screaming thus interrupting the talks and scattering flyers around
(which not many seem to bother reading)." I could do that job. :)
Oh, I see. But that wacky guy was my silly analogy to spam, of course. ;)
] NO OFFRAMPS.
]
] Now THAT'S the way to run an Interstate Highway system.
I hope this is helpful. Much of this applies to Usenet.
--scott
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