From: J@M   
      
   On Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:36:23 -0700, jerk-o  wrote:   
   >Does this mean the Eternal September will finally come to an end?   
      
   not likely, since the phrase "the eternal september" (popularized after its   
   namesake usenet article was posted 1994-02-09 <2j9vhj$hms@whale.st.usm.edu>)   
   reflected the consensus that the flood of mischief-makers was already never   
   ending thirty-one years ago . . . operation eternal september, infiltration   
   and occupation of usenet newsgroups (collectively known as the "troll farm")   
   has thus continued with relentless attacks on active newsgroups to this day   
      
   aol's new (in 1994) "usenet gateway" encouraged everyone to join in the fun   
   and along with other isps usenet access via the internet became commonplace,   
   but aol's historic contribution is indelible . . . freeware newsreaders and   
   public (nntp) news servers also made usenet increasingly popular by the y2k,   
   after which the signal-to-noise ratio tended to skyrocket, and googlegroups   
   (after absorbing dejanews 2001-02-12) made it that much easier for everyone   
   with a web browser to participate (but after around 2004-11-29, gg's "beta"   
   made it progressively less reliable and more difficult to use for searching   
   usenet archives), but by then usenet was mostly saturated with "troll farm"   
   activity . . . even so, usenet was initially designed to withstand calamity   
   so it has remained popular, mostly for its plain text and binary newsgroups   
   that are unmoderated, so if you like the untamed wild west, usenet is ideal   
      
   (using Tor Browser 14.5.6)   
   https://duckduckgo.com/?q=america+online+shut&ia=web&assist=true   
   >AOL is shutting down its dial-up internet service after 30 years, with the   
   >discontinuation set for the end of September 2025. This marks the end of an   
   era   
   >for many users who experienced the early days of the internet through AOL's   
   >services. Yahoo The Guardian   
   >AOL Shutting Down Dial-Up Internet Service   
   >Overview   
   >AOL, originally known as America Online, is discontinuing its dial-up internet   
   >service after 30 years. This decision marks the end of an era for many users   
   who   
   >experienced the early days of the internet through AOL's distinctive dial-up   
   >connections.   
   >Key Details   
   >  Shutdown Date: The dial-up service will officially cease operations on   
   >  September 30, 2025.   
   >  Historical Significance: AOL was a pioneer in providing internet access to   
   >  millions of Americans, especially during the 1990s and early 2000s. At its   
   >  peak, it had over 30 million subscribers.   
   >  Decline of Dial-Up: The rise of broadband and wireless internet has led to a   
   >  significant decline in dial-up users. As of 2023, only about 163,401   
   >  households in the U.S. relied solely on dial-up, representing just over   
   0.13%   
   >  of all internet subscriptions.   
   >Company Evolution   
   >  Founding: AOL was founded in 1985 as Quantum Computer Services and rebranded   
   >  in 1991. It became known for its iconic "You've got mail" notification.   
   >  Ownership Changes: AOL has undergone several ownership changes, including a   
   >  merger with Time Warner in 2000 and later acquisitions by Verizon and Apollo   
   >  Global Management.   
   >  Service Changes: In addition to shutting down dial-up, AOL has previously   
   >  discontinued its Instant Messenger service in 2017 and continues to offer   
   >  email and other online services.   
   >This shutdown reflects the broader trend of moving away from older internet   
   >technologies as faster and more reliable options become the norm.   
   >Yahoo Wikipedia   
   [end quoted "search assist"]   
      
   (neodome's sporadic [s***] tag, sometimes it doesn't, but other times "spam")   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)