We live in an age of media moderation. Platforms such as Reddit and Facebook (Meta) control colossal amounts of online discussion. Because of this central control over the data, users face issues with data permanence and privacy.
Posts/data can be deleted, accounts can be suspended, and access to valuable information may be lost or limited due to changes in rules/regulations or algorithm updates. Also, information that we consume on a daily basis is highly malleable and can be influenced or censored (e.g., government or political bias) to the point that you wouldn’t know what truth is or what is false.
The solution – Usenet servers. Usenet is a decentralized platform that was created back in the ‘80 that allows users to access vast archives of information without the above-mentioned concerns. In this article, we look at how Usenet servers have come to be a solution to these issues today. Let’s go!
Why Usenet Servers are a Treasure Trove of Information?
Usenet servers are the backbone of a decentralized network that stores and distributes information across numerous and diverse newsgroups. Usenet operates on independent servers managed by different providers. Users can access these servers via clients that download articles (posts) directly onto their devices, which bypasses the need for a web-based interface. This also enhances both security and privacy for the user.
Newsgroups on Usenet are organized by topic (think forums) with an extremely long retention period. Thanks to the 15.8-year retention, users can find data dating back decades. Moreover, retention rates across providers vary, but most Usenet servers ensure 99.9999999% (aka “nine nines”) data durability. This means that data will remain intact and will be accessible at all times (over the retention period) with minimal to no loss.
Naturally (as you can imagine), due to that, an astronomical amount of data lies there, all easily and readily accessible. To top all of this off, Usenet servers use a SSL (256-bit) encryption to protect user activity. This proves an amazing value for those who handle sensitive data.
4 Benefits of Using Usenet Servers for Information Access
Usenet servers long-term access to a diverse pool of information across multiple newsgroups because of these 4 unique advantages. And while any of these four features may not be pioneered or strictly unique to Usenet, it is the combination of them that sets Usenet servers apart. Let’s start with the firsts one:
Privacy & Security
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Usenet servers is privacy and security. Usenet servers use 256-bit SSL encryption to protect all data exchanged between users and servers. This level of encryption is commonly used in financial transactions and is extremely difficult to break and is thus an excellent choice when handling sensitive information.
Not to be sidelined, the decentralized nature of Usenet servers means that there is no central moderation. And while data can be limited (e.g., if illegal), decentralization reduces the risk of data being monitored or censored by a single entity.
Long-Term Data Access
Modern platforms are being censored and regulated left and right, depending on the current governance of where they operate. This regulation can lead to deleted data or restricted access to data. Many (reliable and trusted; e.g., “the Big 8”) Usenet providers offer retention periods of up to 15.8 years.
This means that any user can access any newsgroup or articles from a long time ago. This feature has effectively transformed Usenet servers into massive libraries with decade-old archives. With data security and long-term data access, users have the assurance that important information will always be available when needed.
A Cost-Effective Solution
Storing data (cloud or on-premise) on servers is costly. Storing data on servers long-term is even costlier. Usenet servers provide a solution to this expensive issue (especially if you’re a business that handles massive amounts of information).
Usenet servers offer an affordable (pennies on the dollar affordable) alternative while still bringing extreme security and lengthy retention to the table.
Diverse Range of Topics
Usenet newsgroups cover an incredibly broad array of topics – from niche hobbies to technical and scientific discussion to academic debates and entertainment. It is not far-fetched to say that you can find anything there.
Usenet takes pride in the thousands of active newsgroups that explore almost all interests (specific or non-specific), allowing people to access information and articles from anywhere, at any time, about anything; and all that, in a secure manner.
And the decentralized nature of Usenet ensures that the diversity of information will remain available regardless of any limitations imposed by any centralized governing bodies, algorithms, or current curation.
Conclusion
If you are looking for long-term, reliable, and secure access to a wide range of information, then Usenet servers are what you want. The solutions that Usenet servers offer are hard to match. Regardless of whether you are a user simply looking for niche discussions on a specific topic, or are looking to store your data long-term, Usenet remains the go-to platform.
Especially when you think of how the world is shifting towards increased regulation of free speech, historical events are often reprinted/altered, and scientifically proven facts face challenges. Usenet servers remain a decentralized and precise way of portraying what the world looks like in a non-political, non-biased way.
