Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
PaulAndMuttley
Enthusiast - Level 3

I just read on the newsgroup sci.electronics.design that Verizon will be discontinuing all newgroup access in September. I know that recently it was limited to the Big 8, but now the word is that all access will be eliminated. If that is true, I am very disappointed and I feel it is a substantial reduction of the value that I agreed to pay for when I signed my FIOS contract in June. I never got any communication about this in the emails I have received from Verizon. Please tell me it isn't so!

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
PaulAndMuttley
Enthusiast - Level 3

It seems that the Verizon News server still works as of 9/25/09, but I have signed up with www.teranews.com for a free Usenet account which requires only a single $3.95 one time setup fee. They also have a 100% free public server and they offer various levels of higher bandwidth and monthly usage limits for reasonable rates. So I guess it's not such a big deal, and now I also have access to the full gamut of usenet including alt and binaries. It's just a hassle to change once again to a new server.

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
SlicerDicer
Enthusiast - Level 2

Most are doing away with them like AT&T did... I guess you will have to pay for premium if you want it still.

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
Justin46
Legend

@PaulAndMuttley wrote:

Please tell me it isn't so!


Well, apparently it is so, here is a link to the Verizon announcement: Link

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416, IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
keshlam
Enthusiast - Level 1

Anyone have the address of Verizon's top brass handy?

Dear Sirs:

I am in receipt of http://www.verizon.net/promo/email_promos/tpe/newsgroup_discontinued/index.html, saying Verizon plans to discontinue Usenet (newsgroup) service. I want to register my displeasure in the strongest possible terms.

The "new services" (facebook et al) exist alongside Usenet, and are IN NO WAY a replacement for it, especially in the technical areas. I require Usenet access for business purposes, as well as for personal discussions in communities which existed long before the invention of the World Wide Web and which still maintain active nesgroups.

THIS IS ONE OF THE SERVICES I AM PAYING YOU FOR AS A VERIZON FIOS CUSTOMER. DISCONTINUING IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

Anyone have the address of Verizon's top brass handy?

Dear Sirs:

I am in receipt of http://www.verizon.net/promo/email_promos/tpe/newsgroup_discontinued/index.html, saying Verizon plans to discontinue Usenet (newsgroup) service. I want to register my displeasure in the strongest possible terms.

The "new services" (facebook et al) exist alongside Usenet, and are IN NO WAY a replacement for it, especially in the technical areas. I require Usenet access for business purposes, as well as for personal discussions in communities which existed long before the invention of the World Wide Web and which still maintain active nesgroups.

THIS IS ONE OF THE SERVICES I AM PAYING YOU FOR AS A VERIZON FIOS CUSTOMER. DISCONTINUING IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

***

Perhaps use http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Support/ContactUs/

?

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
MsFjordstone
Enthusiast - Level 2

This is {word filter avoidance}.  I just spoke to someone at customer service and asked them how much they were going to be adjusting my bill, since they were reducing my services, and 1) no one I spoke with even knew what the heck newsgroups (or Usenet) were; and 2) they seem to think they are justified in declaring that since we are not paying for it as a separate service item, it's not worth anything to us, and therefore we are not due any reduction on our bills.

I have a call into Presidential Resolutions right now.  I'm sure they'll get back to me, but I'm equally sure we're not going to get them to budge on this.  Verizon {word filter avoidance}

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
NielsBohr
Enthusiast - Level 3

I don't use newsgroups any more but isn't this all available on the web?  Can't you use something like Google Groups?

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
MsFjordstone
Enthusiast - Level 2

GoogleGroups is a barely adequate way, at best, of accessing the newsgroups.

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Re: Verizon discontinuing all Usenet Newsgroup services?
PaulAndMuttley
Enthusiast - Level 3

Google groups is certainly a poor option, especially with so much spam in Newsgroups. And there are some technical newsgroups that I rely on, such as the one where I first saw this announcement a full day before my official email from Verizon. I think Verizon should be required to maintain any services they offer for at least a year from the date of first notice of discontinuation. After all, I signed up with a one-year commitment in June, and they would hit me with a hefty cancellation fee if I broke the terms of my contract in September. So they, too, should pay a cancellation fee if they discontinue something I understood was included at the time I signed my contract. Separate usenet access is about $20 per year, so I should be able to deduct about $1.80 per month for the reduced value of my service. Perhaps I will have my attorney contact them. [edit] What happens if I just send them $1.80 less than the total each month?

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USENET: Where to complain?
dpbsmith
Enthusiast - Level 1

I do not understand and do not like Verizon's announcement that they are discontinuing USENET service effective September 30th. Anyone have any idea what would be the best channel for complaining?

ISP means "Internet service provider," not a "Web-only service provider" and USENET service is just one of many protocols and services an ISP should provide. I completely fail to see why I should pay extra money for some independent USENET service when USENET has been understood to be part of ISP's customary services for over a decade. Their argument about "reduced demand" makes no sense, because reduced demand means reduced load on their servers and less cost to them. 

Dropping USENET support is like dropping email SMTP support and saying "well, use gmail or buy SMTP service at extra cost from some other vendor."