Do You Remember Newsgroups -Were You On Any?

[Epona]

In the late '90's , before the popularity of other social networking sites, there were the MSN Newsgroups. A lot like AB I think -were any of you regular contributors and if so to which? I was a regular contributor to uk.rec.equestrian.

[Buenchico]

MSN might have been how you accessed your newsgroups but they were around, as part of Usenet, well before MSN was even thought of.

Usenet is still around but, because of the lack of moderation available, it's plagued by spammers and trolls. I've not been on for quite a while but I remember many a long discussion with Terry Waite about the BBC World Service on there.

[daffy654]

I was a regular user of the MSN groups. I belonged to parenting ones, Northwest ones and many that were involved in the teaching of a PC graphics program called Paint Shop Pro.

[Epona]

Buenchico, Usenet thats right, blast from the past. The Newsgroup I was on lasted about 8 years at its peak having around 3000 posts a week and everyone 'knew' one another. It was a pity but in the end everyone started saying 'oh I'm on FB now here's my details' and drifted off. Now if you access the Newsgroups they are full of adverts. I personally preferred no moderation and the groups almost became self moderated in the end as everyone who started to get bolshy got chased off! Then the Spammers came and that was that.

[Booldawg]

I was on a Yahoo group for Bulldog owners about 2000-2001.

[Epona]

I'm surprised more people on here where not on newsgroups, unless they are not willing to admit it lol! I thought this forum was a question answer forum but it seems to be more like a social networking site lots of people seem to 'know' one another.

[daffy654]

Maybe a lot of the folks on AB haven't been on the internet as long as others Epona. Perhaps they weren't even aware of the existence of newsgroups.

[Epona]

good point daffy. I liked the newsgroups as you could get some really good advice from people with the same hobbies or concerns as yourself. There was personality clashes as there always is but it all seemed to iron itself out. No advertisers to keep happy either, happy days.