初代社交媒体平台 Usenet 兴衰记
Usenet
![](/data/attachment/album/202312/22/230306tbnbd7e0ernej6g4.jpg)



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> 当谷歌决定停止支持 Usenet，使得这个最早的社交网络平台又少了一个主要的入口。
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在脸书还未成立，甚至在互联网出现之前，[Usenet](https://nordvpn.com/blog/what-is-usenet/) 就已经存在了。作为首个社交网络，Usenet 的存在时光超越了一切。但如今，随着谷歌群组的 [撤离](https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538)，这个最久远的社交网络岌岌可危。


谷歌发表声明：



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> 从 2024 年 2 月 22 日起，您将无法继续使用谷歌群组（[groups.google.com](http://groups.google.com/)）发布内容至 Usenet、订阅 Usenet 的群组，或是查看新的 Usenet 内容。但您可继续在谷歌群组上查看并检索至 2024 年 2 月 22 日前发布的 Usenet 的历史内容。
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有些人可能会说现在是时候了。正如同谷歌所说，“在过去的几年里，随着用户转向更现代的平台和格式，如社交媒体和基于互联网的论坛，文字形式的 Usenet 群组的合法活动已明显减少。目前很多通过 Usenet 分发的内容已变为二进制（非文字）的文件分享，这是谷歌群组无法支持的，此外还有垃圾邮件等。”


诚然，虽然如今的 Usenet 几乎完全充斥着垃圾信息，但在其黄金年代，它所涵盖的几乎是今日的 Twitter 和 Reddit，甚至有过之而无不及。


### 一切的开端


在 1979 年，杜克大学的计算机科学研究生 Tom Truscott 和 Jim Ellis 萌生了搭建一个按主题分类的消息共享网络的想法。这些消息，也被称为文章或帖子，分别提交到各个主题类别中，这些类别后来就被人们称作“新闻组”。


在这些组中，消息按主题和子主题组织在一起。就比如，关于历史上最佳 NFL 四分卫的讨论可能会有一系列主题（即讨论），来分别支持 Tom Brady、Joe Montana、Peyton Manning 等人。


听起来是不是熟悉？你会 [想起](https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/before-the-web-online-services/) 80 和 90 年代的 CompuServe、GEnie、Prodigy 等在线服务的网络新闻论坛，或者后来的 Reddit 及其子版块？它们的形成和发展都深受 Usenet 的影响。


在 1980 年，Truscott 和 Ellis 携手北卡罗莱纳大学创建了最初的 Usenet 节点，使用的是 “Unix 对 Unix 的复制协议（[UUCP](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/22754/unix-to-unix-copy-uucp)）”。从那时开始，它就在还没出现互联网的 [ARPANet](https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET) 和其他早期网络中迅速蔓延。


这些消息会被存储起来，然后可以在新闻服务器上检索。服务器间建立了“对等”连接，以便新闻组的消息能在服务器和用户之间共享，你的消息能在几小时内传遍整个网络世界。Usenet 进化出了自己的网络协议，即“网络新闻传输协议（[NNTP](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-news-transfer-protocol-nntp/)）”，以加快消息传递的速度。


如今，社交网络 [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org/) 就采用了类似的办法，使用 [ActivityPub](https://activitypub.rocks/) 协议。而其他的社交网络，如 [Threads](https://www.threads.net/)，正在研究如何使用 ActivityPub 协议与 Mastodon 和其他支持 ActivityPub 的社交网络建立联系。


有句老话说得好，万物皆有轮回。


事实上，我们今天在谈论互联网使用的大部分词汇都源自 Usenet。例如，“<ruby> 常见问答 <rt>  Frequently Asked Questions </rt></ruby>”（FAQ）文件就是在 Usenet 上首次出现的，作为给新闻组会员参考的信息摘要，让他们无需为新成员重复解释基本信息。


然而，并不是所有的短语都有趣。比如 “<ruby> 网络攻击 <rt>  flame </rt></ruby>” 和 “<ruby> 网络战争 <rt>  flame war </rt></ruby>”，它们也起源于 Usenet。遗憾的是，我们始终无法和谐相处。但同时，我们也一直努力温柔以待。这就是被称为“<ruby> <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/ten-rules-of-netiquette-22285">  网络礼仪 </a> <rt>  netiquette </rt></ruby>”的概念。然而至今，这个准则往往存在于口头，鲜有人在实践中遵守。


<ruby> 垃圾邮件 <rt>  Spam </rt></ruby> 的诞生也始于 Usenet。尽管我们都知道 “垃圾” 这一术语起源于 <ruby> 蒙提·派森 <rt>  Monty Python </rt></ruby> 的荒诞剧，但是垃圾邮件首次被大规模商业化利用还要追溯到 1994 年，当时 Laurence Canter 和 Martha Siegel 律师夫妇在 Usenet 上大肆发布移民法律服务的广告。他们后来会有些愧疚地说，是我的早期文章让他们想到了使用互联网进行广告发布。我……


早期的 Usenet 不仅让人们能够相互交流，其价值远不止于此。例如，Linux 就是从一条发给 comp.os.minix 新闻组的著名信息开始诞生的：



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> Linus Benedict Torvalds
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> 1991 年 8 月 25 日，下午 4:57:08
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> 各位正在使用 minix 的朋友们，大家好 -
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> 我正在制作一款（免费的）操作系统（只是一个爱好，没有像 GNU 那样庞大和专业的野心）以供 386（486）AT 机型使用。我撰写这个操作系统已经酝酿好几个月了，而且现在看起来准备得差不多了。关于 minix 的优缺点，我想听听大家的反馈，因为我的操作系统在某些方面（例如，出于实用原因导致的文件系统布局等）跟它很像。
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Usenet 从来不是一个有组织的社交网络。每个服务器的所有者都可以制定自己的规则，也的确这样制定了。


不过，需要指出的是，Usenet 在最初阶段的确有某种形式的组织。最早的 “主流” Usenet 群组 —— 即 comp、misc、news、rec、soc 和 sci 顶层，一直被广泛接受和传播，直至 1987 年。然后，受到新群组数量激增的冲击，一个新的命名计划应运而生，被称为 “<ruby> 大更名 <rt>  Great Renaming </rt></ruby>”。这引发了众多争端，并催生出 talk 顶层。这个顶层和最初的六个顶层共同构成了 “<ruby> 七大顶层 <rt>  Big Seven </rt></ruby>”。接着，一段自由言论的抗议推动了 alt 群组的诞生。此后，可以访问所有新闻组的 Usenet 站点变得越来越少，取而代之的是，维护者和用户需要决定他们要支持哪些新闻组。


如果你觉得这有些类似于埃隆•马斯克对 Twitter 一番操作后产生的分裂情况，没错，就是这样。


多年来，随着 Usenet 上的讨论被垃圾邮件和网络战争所取代，它开始衰落。尽管马斯克声称无限制的自由言论是种优势，但结果却往往是恶劣信息的无尽倾泻。


### Usenet 的今天


在许多方面，Usenet 警示我们社交网络会如何走向败坏。尽管如此，我们现在在社交网络上看到的问题，在 Usenet 上早就已经出现过了。


大量被称为 “二进制” 群组的 Usenet 新闻组几乎没有任何讨论。它们用来分享文件，其中一部分文件是合法的，但也有不少就不怎么合法了。而这些用户中，那些利用这些群组进行盗版电影、游戏等的人数，可能超过实际使用讨论群组进行对话的人数。


确实，有人试图改革 Usenet。比如，在多年无人监督后，2020 年成立的 “[Big 8](https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Main_Page)” 管理委员会开始管理这些新闻组，但进展甚微。


进一步说，如果你想将继续关注 Usenet 的未来变化 —— 毕竟，奇迹总会发生 —— 你需要从一个 Usenet 提供商那里获取一个账户。我推荐的有 [Eternal September](https://www.eternal-september.org/)，它提供免费访问讨论类的 Usenet 群组；[NewsHosting](https://www.newshosting.com/)，以每月 9.99 美元的价格提供访问所有 Usenet 群组的服务；[EasyNews](https://www.easynews.com/)，价格为每月 9.98 美元，提供高速下载和优质的搜索引擎；以及 [Eweka](https://www.eweka.nl/)，每月 9.50 欧元，只提供欧盟服务器。


你还会需要一个 Usenet 客户端。其中一款免费且颇受欢迎的客户端是 Mozilla 的 Thunderbird 邮件客户端，其同时也是 Usenet 客户端。EasyNews 也提供了自身的客户端作为服务的一部分。如果你只关注下载文件，那么 [SABnzbd](https://sabnzbd.org/) 值得一试。


*（题图：DA/751f9b47-becd-40e3-af2d-b670ee77c1e3）*




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via: <https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-rise-and-fall-of-usenet-how-the-original-social-media-platform-came-to-be/>


作者： [Steven Vaughan-Nichols](https://www.zdnet.com/meet-the-team/steven-vaughan-nichols/) 译者： [ChatGPT](https://linux.cn/lctt/ChatGPT) 校对： [wxy](https://github.com/wxy)


OK
# The rise and fall of Usenet: How the original social media platform came to be

![steven-vaughan-nichols](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/e27b3953df87b835a77deeeec01f311aa283a5ec/2022/08/05/e2171bd1-84f6-4ca8-9801-2abdeb61a365/steven-vaughan-nichols.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)

![sad pebble](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/2369b32844719e7aabf3acd5ea34b8dc1df1ae23/2023/10/24/5bd9e4ff-0bb8-4235-9a97-72c425051b8c/gettyimages-927949688.jpg?auto=webp&precrop=2123,1193,x0,y66&width=1280)

Long before Facebook existed, or even before the Internet, there was [Usenet](https://nordvpn.com/blog/what-is-usenet/). Usenet was the first social network. Now, with [Google Groups abandoning Usenet](https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538), this oldest of all social networks is doomed to disappear.

Google declared:

Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content. You can continue to view and search for historical Usenet content posted before February 22, 2024, on Google Groups.


Some might say it's well past time. As Google declared, "Over the last several years, legitimate activity in text-based Usenet groups has declined significantly because users have moved to more modern technologies and formats such as social media and web-based forums. Much of the content being disseminated via Usenet today is binary (non-text) file sharing, which Google Groups does not support, as well as spam."

**Also: How Google Workspace just made it easier for others to pronounce your name**

True, these days, Usenet's content is almost entirely spam, but in its day, Usenet was everything that [Twitter](https://twitter.com/?lang=en) and [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/) would become and more.

## How it all started

In 1979, Duke University computer science graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived of a network of shared messages under various topics. These messages, also known as articles or posts, were submitted to topic categories, which became known as newsgroups.

Within those groups, messages were bound together in threads and sub-threads. For example, a discussion about the best NFL quarterback of all time would have threads, that is, discussions, defending Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, etc.

**Also: Why your Threads posts will soon be accessible on Mastodon**

Does that sound like the [online news forums of the online services of the 80s and 90s, such as CompuServe, GEnie, or Prodigy](https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/before-the-web-online-services/), or, more recently, Reddit and its subreddits? It should. Usenet was the model they were all based on.

In 1980, Truscott and Ellis, using the [Unix to Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP)](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/22754/unix-to-unix-copy-uucp), hooked up with the University of North Carolina to form the first Usenet nodes. From there, it would rapidly spread over the pre-Internet [ARPANet](https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET) and other early networks.

These messages would be stored and retrieved from news servers. These would "peer" to each other so that messages to a newsgroup would be shared from server to server and to user to user so that within hours, your messages would reach the entire networked world. Usenet would evolve its own network protocol, [Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-news-transfer-protocol-nntp/), to speed the transfer of these messages.

Today, the social network [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org/) uses a similar approach with the [ActivityPub](https://activitypub.rocks/) protocol, while other social networks, such as [Threads](https://www.threads.net/), are exploring using ActivityPub to connect with Mastodon and the other social networks that support ActrivitiyPub.

As the saying goes, everything old is new again.

Indeed, much of the vocabulary we use today to talk about using the net springs from Usenet. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files, for example, started on Usenet as summaries of information about a newsgroup so the members wouldn't need to repeat the basics for newcomers.

Other phrases aren't as much fun. Flame and flame war, for instance, also started on Usenet. We've always been, I'm sorry to say, mean to each other. At the same time, we've also tried to be kinder to each other. The concept is called [netiquette](https://www.verywellmind.com/ten-rules-of-netiquette-22285). Then, as now, it's always been more honored in the breach than in practice.

Spam also got its start on Usenet. While we all know Monty Python came up with the term, the first major commercial use of spam dates to 1994 when husband and wife lawyers Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel started posting ads for their immigration law services on Usenet. Mea culpa later, they would say my early articles about the Internet gave them the idea. I'm sorry!

Early on, Usenet was valuable for more than just enabling people to talk with each other. [Linux](https://www.zdnet.com/topic/linux/), for instance, got its start from a now-famous message to the comp.os.minix newsgroup:

Linus Benedict Torvalds

Aug 25, 1991, 4:57:08 PM

Hello everybody out there using minix -

I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).


Usenet was never an organized social network. Each server owner could -- and did -- set its own rules.

Mind you, there was some organization to begin with. The first 'mainstream' Usenet groups, comp, misc, news, rec, soc, and sci hierarchies, were widely accepted and disseminated until 1987. Then, faced with a flood of new groups, a new naming plan emerged in what was called the Great Renaming. This led to a lot of disputes and the creation of the talk hierarchy. This and the first six became known as the Big Seven. Then the alt groups emerged as a free speech protest. Afterward, fewer Usenet sites made it possible to access all the newsgroups. Instead, maintainers and users would have to decide which one they'd support.

If that sounds like the kind of splitting up that happened after Elon Musk started after he put his stamp on Twitter, you're right it is.

**Also: AI in 2023: A year of breakthroughs that left no human thing unchanged**

Over the years, Usenet began to decline as discussions were replaced both by spam and flame wars. Group discussions were also overwhelmed by flame wars. While Elon Musk can claim that unlimited free speech is a virtue, it actually ends up with endless floods of vile messages.

## Usenet, today

In many ways, Usenet is a warning about how social networks can go bad. All the same, problems we see today on social networks appeared first on Usenet.

Many Usenet newsgroups, the so-called binary groups, don't have discussions at all. Instead, they're used to share files. Some of these files are legal, others… less so. More users probably use these groups to pirate movies, games, and the like than use the discussion groups for conversations.

**Also: AI adds new fuel to autonomous enterprises, but don't write off humans**

There have been attempts to reform Usenet. For example, after years of no oversight whatsoever, the [Big 8 Management Board](https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Main_Page) was created in 2020 to manage the groups themselves. Little has changed, though.

If, going forward, you want to keep an eye on Usenet--things could change, miracles can happen--you'll need to get an account from a Usenet provider. I favor [Eternal September](https://www.eternal-september.org/), which offers free access to the discussion Usenet groups; [NewsHosting](https://www.newshosting.com/), $9.99 a month with access to all the Usenet groups; [EasyNews](https://www.easynews.com/), $9.98 a month with fast downloads, and a good search engine; and [Eweka](https://www.eweka.nl/), 9.50 Euros a month and EU only servers.

You'll also need a Usenet client. One popular free one is Mozilla's [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/) E-Mail client, which doubles as a Usenet client. EasyNews also offers a client as part of its service. If you're all about downloading files, check out [SABnzbd](https://sabnzbd.org/).

[Editorial standards](/editorial-guidelines/)