From: mpconmy@gmail.com   
      
   Sir Tim  wrote:   
   >   
   > The above Usenet service has announced that it will be discontinued as from   
   > 30th September 2027. Current users can continue to use it until then   
   > without further payment.   
   >   
   > In the event that I am still alive (I’m 87) and still compos mentis I shall   
   > have to look for a new server (if Usenet itself continues to exist).   
      
   For many years, I've used "eternal september"* (eternal-september.org),   
   and it's been very reliable.   
      
   * It's an in-joke from back when the Internet was basic and pretty much   
   reserved to the universities. The usenet groups were pretty civilised   
   with a good signal-to-noise ration...except when you got a bunch of new   
   users who didn't understand the etiquette. You really noticed September   
   as a lot of new students would flood onto Usenet and be annoying for a   
   while. In 1993, someone observed that with AOL and the much wider access   
   to the Internet (a good thing), there was now a constant stream of new   
   users which mean it was like we were living through a never-ending bunch   
   of newbies and, hence, an eternal September.   
      
   Of course, Usenet was one of the big games in town (along with things   
   like archie and online forums and MUDs) as the web was just bursting   
   onto the scene (and very basic) and ecommerce wasn't a thing. Now, I'm   
   astounded Usenet still clings on.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)