From: gazelle@shell.xmission.com   
      
   In article ,   
   Adam H. Kerman  wrote:   
   >John M.  wrote:   
   ...   
   >>I'm also seeing far fewer posts.  I also use a newsreader and   
   >>subscribe to a newsserver for access so it's not an artifact of using   
   >>other means of access.  Google pulling out did a lot of damage (Well,   
   >>it depends on your point of view I guess.).   
      
   I've definitely noticed an increase in the signal-to-noise (SN) ratio in   
   the past month, in many/most of the groups I follow.  That's a Good Thing.   
      
   To be fair, there is less total signal, which is a loss, but far less   
   noise.  In particular, one particular group that I follow got taken over by   
   gmail/google trolls several years ago.  It has recovered nicely since   
   Google pulled out.  It is actually readable now.  So, that also is a Good   
   Thing.   
      
   >Somebody in every single active newsgroup told Google Groups users to   
   >become users on genuine News servers and to use newsreaders. Plenty   
   >didn't. It's not like people weren't trying to help them change their   
   >posting habits.   
      
   And, presumably, the skilled ones did, the less skilled ones switched to   
   novabbs (or similar) (*) and the unskilled ones just left.  That also, is a   
   Good Thing.   
      
   (*) Including, incidentally, Mr. BS.   
      
   >Their decision to leave Usenet   
      
   Sometimes, circumstances force decisions.   
      
   >I've had to change News servers many many times in the decades I've been   
   >on Usenet. So has almost everyone else. It's just one of those things.   
   >There is no reason why Google Groups users couldn't.   
      
   There is a reason.  It all comes down to skill levels.  See above.   
      
   --   
   In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue.   
   -- Barack Obama --   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)