Reminder - Users Respond to the Eradication of Community

[Jon]

What is Happening?

Microsoft is responding to a nebulous 'Evolution of Community' concept, and
rejecting the voice of its customers.

As the earth was destroyed in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" to make
way for a new 'hyperspace bypass', so newsgroups will be obliterated to make
way for the newer 'forums'.


Why?

Who knows? It's part of 'a bigger agenda' to which us common little people
are not privy. Our role is simply to lap up the propaganda in favour of the
forums and keep quiet like good little users.


Which Newsgroups Are Affected by this Shutdown?

This one, among others.


When will this Happen?

"Effective September 12, 2010 this newsgroup will be closed." (in case you
missed it in the last posting).


Where Should I go with the Closure of this Newsgroup?

Anywhere but the tightly controlled, highly censored forums. Somewhere out
in the countryside, far away from the towns, would be a good place to start
a new underground computing community.


Who Should I Contact with any Questions?

Real question are probably best posted here or elsewhere on Usenet, rather
than sent to an unmonitored email address, as some might suggest.

 

[housetrained]

I started alt.windows7.general way back and it seems OK. Maybe I'll start an
alt.vista.general and see what happens
--
John the West Ham fan

(e-mail address removed)
<><
"The mind is like a parachute,
it works best when it is open." - Frank Zappa

 

[Jon]

I started alt.windows7.general way back and it seems OK. Maybe I'll start
an alt.vista.general and see what happens
--
John the West Ham fan

(e-mail address removed)
<><
"The mind is like a parachute,
it works best when it is open." - Frank Zappa

Well done sir. You deserve a medal. Great signature quote btw.

 

[Thomas Wendell]

At the risk of asking the obviously stupid question: How can
Microsoft shut down a Usenet group? Do the own it? I guess I was
always under the (naive) impression that no one "owns" the internet,
and specifically, newsgroups.

Microsoft can't shut down a group by itself, but as a lot of us read/comment
on MS's server (news.microsoft.com), they can shut that down..

 

[Tim Slattery]

At the risk of asking the obviously stupid question: How can
Microsoft shut down a Usenet group? Do the own it? I guess I was
always under the (naive) impression that no one "owns" the internet,
and specifically, newsgroups.

They can't. They can turn off their server, but the group will
continue to exist on other Usenet servers.