Article 12251 of comp.society.futures:
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From: [email protected] (David Sewell)
Newsgroups:
alt.culture.usenet,news.misc,alt.culture.internet,alt.amateur-comp,alt.cyberspace,comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: The Emergence of a Global Public Commons: Internet and Usenet:
Date: 9 Oct 1996 23:21:01 -0700
Organization: Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona
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In article <[email protected]>,
Michael Hauben <[email protected]> wrote:
>Following is an introductory proposal for research concerning the
>Internet and Usenet as a growing global public space.
[...]
>   Internet and Usenet: The Emergence of a Global Public Commons
>
>With the development of Usenet and other public computer
>communication forums, a new public space is emerging. This public
>space or commons is different from past public squares and forums
>in that there are no geographic boundaries or limitations. The
>speakers soapbox is no longer rooted in a particular corner of a
>particular public square.

Usenet, at least, is a square whose circumference is nowhere and
whose soapboxes are everywhere.

Michael, I think that to some extent the furor over government control
and corporate pressure in shaping the Net, and Usenet in particular, is
misguided. Neither of those has anything to do with the fact that the
particular newsgroup where I found your post, alt.culture.usenet, was a
fine public space to visit three years ago (it was newgrouped in June
1992), but today is a hellhole dominated by peevish ranters with
borderline personality disorders, megalomaniacs who think that their
obsessive flame wars with three or four mockers deserve months of
attention in newsgroups whose original purposes they despise, and the
dozens of MMF, sex-spam, and hate-speech posters who are currently
blundering about from newsgroup to newsgroup. And the same is true, to
one degree or another, of most newsgroups whose topic identifies them as
"idea" groups rather than pragmatically focused ones.  (Most of the
non-"advocacy" comp.* groups are still comparatively useful.)

I found 99 unread articles in alt.culture.usenet this evening. Breakdown
follows, and I was being generous in my awarding of "on-topic" status.
Bill Gates and Senator Exon have plenty of sins to answer for, but the
despair that any rational creature should feel on surveying this list of
subject lines--at the stupidity, venality, and all-around cussedness of
the loudest members of the human race--can't be blamed on them.

              ====== Depressing Exhibit #1 Follows =====

alt.culture.usenet          99 articles

ON-TOPIC, 8 articles, (8%)

1  >How to Create a New Usenet Newsgroup
2  >Cabal membership...
1  The Emergence of a Global Public Commons: Internet and Usenet:
1  >The Source Was: Boursycancel
   1  >Boursycancel
1  Anonymous posting in usenet newsgroups
1  >Posting email?

OFF-TOPIC, 91 articles, (91%)

10  >Palmer "Peals" Peevish Leek! (A)
   5  >Palmer "Peals" Peevish Leek (B)
   1  >Palmer "Peals" Peevish Leek (B)..
11  Wotan: The Mealy Rat (T.S. Eliot Parody)
1  THE DEBATE
7  >monarchies are idiotic forms of governments
1  Dejanews connection????
1  GALS Club Newsletter for September 28, 1996.
4  >"The Gentleman" is vulgar and not a gentleman
   1  >Tiny Timmy and the Freedom Knights Was: The Aftermath
1  >Netical Medication
1  >The Gentleman has no name Was: Evading Sanford's filters
   1  >FBI Still at panix.com Was: The Gentleman has no name
2  >*** MAKE BIG MONEY FAST!! NO JOKE OR SCAM!! ***
1  >War has begun
   1  >crossposting was clinton +cigars
   1  >Build a model castle
1  >Gray hair? Liver Spots? Arthritis? Learn why, and wha...help yourself.
5  >SHIT HEADS
   1  >to all ->Re: SHIT HEADS
   1  >SHIT HEAD
8  >PROPHECIES FULFILLED!!!
   2  >PROPHECIES FULFILLED!!! - NOT!!!!!!!!!
   1  >FAITH
1  >you're both missing point
1  >Public Apology for Previous Post
7  >HEAD LIBRARIAN theme
2  >GAY-CHRISTIAN-REPUBLICAN-GOD LOVES ME!...
3  Woof Busted Stacking Deck!
   3  >Has "Card-Sharp" Mutt Pulled Stakes?
1  >No-Talent Dumpster Rodent Swipes Song!
   1  >No-Talent Dumpster Rodent Swipes Song!..
1  Christianity, Prophecies, the Bible, and zen
2  >Typo-Pouncing Baboon Sits on Own Post!

--
David Sewell  *  [email protected]   | "Where the earth is dry,
the
Dep't of Geosciences, Univ. of Arizona          |  soul is wisest and best."
WWW: http://packrat.aml.arizona.edu/~dsew/     |           --Heraclitus