Re: Curious (SBC)

<ropeyarn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Those who use Google (as I do when traveling) to access newsgroups
(whether its RMAS other others) complain regularly about the interface and
the timeliness of updates.

Yea, the few times I've tried to use Google (when Comcast is having problems
with their Usenet server, which is rare, but does happen occasionally) I was
unimpressed with the interface. Ugly, slow, hard to read. Makes reading a
newsgroup much more work than it's worth.

Comcast offers it's own newserver, and Outlook Express is a good reader. I
suppose, if Comcast follows suit with the rest of these ISPs (they haven't,
so far) I'll get me one of 'em fancy news-server services and a pantsy
newsreader.

But 'til then, Comcast & OE are a nice combo.

As much of a relic as newsgroups may seem (they predate the WWW by many
years; AOL gave them up long ago and other providers are dropping the
binary groups in a hurry), they remain a great source for discussion --and
answers-- on the arcane.

And for everybody in the world reading your posts, from now through
eternity.

That's the thing that bugs me. I don't mind neighbors or old friends
reading my posts. Hell, I welcome it. But nowadays prospective employers
are Google crazy. And with the subject matters that we all talk about here,
let's just say that a screen name and phoney email ID are mandatory
nowadays, unless you never change jobs.

It didn't used to be that way. Backinnaday, you had to know about Giganews
to call up a person's old posts. Thus, you knew that any HR Mgr "Giga'ing"
you was also a Usenet fan. You were being checked out by someone who shared
your enjoyment of good conversation. But nowadays any fool with a computer
can dig up all your posts.

It's frustrating to realize that you could not get a job you were about to
get, because some HR clerk who prolly has a lot worse things going on in his
or her life than your Usenet participation, can (and they do!) reject you,
after reading through some of your old Usenet posts. Frankly, I'm amazed
that Google hasn't been sued over this issue yet.

===================================
Q: What's the difference between Vietnam & Iraq?
A: Bush & Cheney knew how to get out of Vietnam.


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