Long before Facebook existed, or even before the Internet, there was Usenet. Usenet was the first social network. Now, with Google Groups abandoning Usenet, this oldest of all social networks is doomed to disappear.
These days, Usenet’s content is almost entirely spam, but in its day, Usenet was everything that Twitter and Reddit would become and more.
These messages, also known as articles or posts, were submitted to topic categories, which became known as newsgroups. Within those groups, messages were bound together in threads and sub-threads.
Much of the vocabulary we use today to talk about using the net springs from Usenet. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files, for example, started on Usenet as summaries of information about a newsgroup, so the members wouldn’t need to repeat the basics for newcomers. Flame and flame war, for instance, also started on Usenet.
In many ways, Usenet is a warning about how social networks can go bad. All the same, problems we see today on social networks appeared first on Usenet.
It is really not all unique to Usenet, though. Usenet, like most networks, was better in the beginning, but as more and more masses arrive, moderation is required to keep things civil and on track. As the moderators also move on, some groups/channels devolve into cesspits. All social networks seem to go through these lifecycle stages. And, of course, many people also move onto new networks.
What is fascinating is to see whether older networks have any potential for resuscitation. Can those who really care, if there are enough of them, revive it and rejuvenate the network? I’ve not really seen any old network come in any big way. Yes, Myspace is still around, but it is nothing like it was, and you don’t hear much about it at all. Back in the day, users often went to Usenet and IRC for technical support, but most of the tech organisations today moved to mainstream social networks.
I’m thinking more and more that a massive decentralised federation of networks is more the way to go today. Individual networks can come and go, but the overall federation continues onwards as far as the bigger picture goes.
With centralised individual social networks, their users live or die by the existence of that one network and whatever rules it applies. Usenet is decentralised, and probably explains why it is still around today. Today we all watch the slow demise of a “modern” social network such as X-Twitter.
You can still connect to Usenet today by using Mozilla’s Thunderbird E-mail client. The linked post does suggest some Usenet providers to try for accounts.