Since almost 30 years the Usenet stands for worldwide communication and discussion. Long before the Internet became popular; three American students had the idea of connecting the computers of their universities in order to communicate in a faster way than before. As time goes by, more and more universities were connected to the Usenet, until even private computers were able to access. This was the starting point to one of the greatest discussion platforms of the world. Even now, in the ages of web forums and social networks, the Usenet still has millions of members, talking about thousands of different issues around the world. And how is it structured? And how can I access the Usenet? These are some questions we would like to answer to you in this post.

Structure

The Usenet is a discussion platform for thousands of different topics. Because of this great amount of issues, it is important that the Usenet is structured in an understandable and adaptable way. You have eight main categories, the so called “Big 8”. They are separated in the topics: computer, humanities, newsgroups, recreation, science, social discussions, talk and miscellaneous. Consequently if you want to join a discussion about the newest hardware you have to search in the computer section. A special category is the alt-hierarchy. Inside this hierarchy, users are able to attach files which other users can download afterwards.

How can I get access to the Usenet?

Access to binary newsgroups has been limited in the past. Nowadays, this process is much easier by signing up with commercial providers, like UseNeXT or Usenet.nl.

But when choosing your provider, you have to consider that the offers of providers differ significantly. One of the important aspects is whether the provider offers a download client of its own.  Moreover the download volume and pricing vary greatly. Users should look for a provider that suits best their download habits. Offers range from 1GB to unlimited volume per month with prices varying accordingly. You have to watch carefully for the download speed, too, which is limited with some providers.

With millions of new users the Usenet became a rapidly expanding platform for news and files. Many Usenet providers are offering a free trial access to Usenet, allowing you to try it out for up to two weeks and to compare the different offers.