RedForeman <RedForeman.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in news:1177944920.291799.327640
@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:
> It's sad, but there doesn't look like there is a safe place to post
> anymore, thanks to the insecurity of trolls that patrol these here
> hallowed passages of the usenet groups...
>
> It's sad that obviously smart individuals, can only find happiness in
> the picking on others in a usenet group.
>
> It's also remarkably sad, that it had driven away some of the most
> knowledgeable and helpful people I've never met...
>
> I read here occasionally, but rarely post anymore... mostly because
> ppl of the past, are no longer who they were. They're all hardened by
> the infestation of trolls, who have single-handedly ruined a free
> territory, a sanctuary of softs. The beauty of usenet, is it's
> freedom... Ultimately, the downfall of usenet will be it's freedom.
> Freedom to allow any unsolicited post from some porn mongrel, or some
> troll who is on a power trip.
>
> I miss posting here... these were good times, with good people... lots
> of learning took place here...
>
> Thanks Trolls... thanks a bunch...
>
> RedForeman.... <ducking and running>
>
I'm a bit confused by your post, Red. You lament Usenet, but as far as I
can see you aren't using a newsreader; by your headers you're posting from
Google Groups. If you are planning to continue posting through Google
Groups, The Freshwater Aquarium group is an active (581 members, ~1500 on-
topic posts per month), excellent, moderated alternative, which has been
suggested several times here;
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium?lnk=gschg&hl=en
If you are interested in preserving Usenet, the only effective way to use
it is with newsreader software (good ones are available for free, try XNews
which you can get at download.com), complete with killfiles and filters.
This is the other side of the coin, so to speak... The Internet these days
is heavily web-centric, and most people are looking for their content to be
moderated for them. Usenet doesn't work that way. It expects the user to
self-moderate, and for those who cannot/will not, it provides filtering
tools to the rest of us, so that we can freely and easily ignore them. In
extreme cases, a moderated newsgroup can be created (something which was
also proposed here).
I'll lament Google Groups inability to fulfill Usenet's original vision,
and it is a bit sad when activity in a newsgroup gets so small that one
errant poster can easily overwhlem it with off-topic posting, but I'd
politely ask you to also consider how your choice in method of access to
Usenet is actually, in part, contributing to your dissatisfaction.
Were people to continue to access newsgroups through traditional
newsreader software, instead of web interfaces, and use filter and
killfiles appropriately, a usenet troll (any troll, not just our current
example) would never be able to gain enough traction to ever become an
issue like they are today... The newsgroup rec.aquaria.mariune.reefs has
roughly the same number of posts by our troll, but without as big a back-
lash in reduced usage. Its activity is about the same, mostly because the
regulars there use newsreader software, or maybe they just do a better job
ignoring the "white noise" ;-)
Yah well, woulda coulda shoulda. *shrug* I'd suggest you choose a good
moderated forum or group, and keep an eye out for this group, if not the
whole rec.aquaria.* hierarchy, to go moderated sometime in the next year or
so.
Regards
DaveZ
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