Usenets

Usenet is a worldwide distributed discussion system and the collection of newsgroups that share messages across a network of servers. It originated in 1980 when Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis at Duke University developed a method for distributing posts over UUCP connections between Unix sites. A decentralized network of servers propagates articles, so a submission to one server can appear on others that carry the relevant groups.

Access to Usenet is typically via a news client that connects to a local Usenet server and uses the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) to read and post articles. Newsgroups are organized hierarchically, with common prefixes such as comp., sci., talk., rec., and news., plus the alt. hierarchy for user-created groups. Each group has its own charter; some groups are moderated by a volunteer editor, while others are unmoderated.

Content on Usenet ranges from text discussions to binary material such as images, software, and videos in various groups (for example, alt.binaries.*). The system relies on voluntary server operators to host groups and propagate posts, which can lead to varying retention times and availability across servers.

In the 1990s Usenet grew rapidly and was an early platform for online communities. With the growth of the World Wide Web, Usenet's prominence declined, but many servers and groups remain active. The culture emphasizes decentralization and standards compliance, though moderation policies, access rules, and propagation practices differ among providers and over time.