The NewsDemon Blog
Cable Company Admits To Data Caps On USENET Users
January 28th, 2013
For years, the key rationale given by broadband providers for implementing data caps was that it was the only way they could deal with “congestion.” Of course, for years, independent researchers showed that this was bogus, and there was no data crunch coming. If you actually caught a technologist from a broadband provider, rather than a business person or lobbyist, they’d quietly admit that there was no congestion problem, and that basic upgrades and network maintenance could easily deal with the growth in usage. But, of course, that took away the broadband providers’ chief reason for crying about how they “need” data caps. The reality, of course, is that data caps are all about increasing revenue for broadband providers — in a market that is already quite profitable. But if they can hide behind the claims that they need to do this to deal with congestion, they can justify it to regulators and (they hope) the public.
Of course, enough people have been calling this explanation out as completely bogus that it appears that even the broadband companies’ own lobbyists may finally be dropping this line of reasoning. Former FCC boss Michael Powell, who is now the cable industry’s chief lobbyist has finally admitted caps aren’t about congestion:
A recent USENET post shows that Michael Powell told a Minority Media and Telecommunications Association audience that cable’s interest in usage-based pricing was not principally about network congestion, but instead about pricing fairness…Asked by MMTC president David Honig to weigh in on data caps, Powell said that while a lot of people had tried to label the cable industry’s interest in the issue as about congestion management. “That’s wrong,” he said. “Our principal purpose is how to fairly monetize a high fixed cost.”
Of course, as USENET notes, Powell is jumping from one myth (congestion) to another (fairness) that is just as ridiculous. If it was true, we’d see at least some prices going down. But we don’t.
Except the argument that usaged pricing is about fairness has been just as repeatedly debunked. If usage caps were about “fairness,” carriers would offer the nation’s grandmothers a $5-$15 a month tier that accurately reflected her twice weekly, several megabyte browsing of the Weather Channel website. Instead, what we most often see are low caps and high overages layered on top of already high existing flat rate pricing, raising rates for all users. Does raising rates on a product that already sees 90% profit margins sound like “fairness” to you?
Data caps are about one thing only: increasing profits for the broadband providers, who already have massive control over the market with limited competition. It’s nice to see them give up on one myth (even if we still see pundits repeating it without criticism), but it would be nice if we could get past the others as well.
NewsDemon.com Newsgroup members, on the other hand, enjoy full speed access to USENET Newsgroups and DOES NOT Throttle connections.
NewsDemon Now Offers 1500 Days Binary Retention
September 30th, 2012
We are thrilled to now provide our customers with 1,500 days of binary retention, allowing our Usenet newsgroup customers to access articles that are over four years old!
This is available to all of our customers no matter how long they’ve been a NewsDemon customer. Whether you signed up long ago or just signed up recently, you can now access articles that are 1,500 days old. We are proud of our premier Usenet newsgroup service and expect our features and benefits to continue to grow.
The higher retention comes at no additional price. Existing customers will not see their price increase, nor will they have to choose a more expensive plan to gain access to the new retention. New customers won’t face any price hike either and can sign up any time for our premier Usenet service.
We continue to offer trusted Usenet newsgroup service at unlimited speeds for premium access to all supported binary newsgroups. Keep an eye out for further announcements of expanded benefits of NewsDemon service!
NewsDemon Offers Header Compression On All Newsgroups
August 11th, 2012
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups now allows header compression on all supported newsgroups and for all news servers, providing a faster USENET newsgroup experience.
A header for USENET articles provides the information of the subject, from and to lines of any given article. When browsing through a newsgroup through your client, the newsreader will load all of the headers for the articles in the newsgroup. Usually, this process takes some time as the majority of the process is downloading a lot of duplicate data.
With header compression enabled on supported newsreaders, the headers are compressed. This allows you to view only the unique data available on any newsgroup. This is especially helpful with the majority of newsreaders that download the full list of headers each time a newsgroup is accessed.
The new header compression will now allow users to download headers up a 100 times faster than downloading without this feature. Less data is downloaded and allows downloads to finish almost 15 times faster.
This option is fully available on all supported servers and over 107,000 newsgroups that NewsDemon.com Newsgroups support. In order to enable this option, configure your newsreader to enable header compression:
NewsLeecher – Automatically turned on. Check to make sure by going to:
Settings -> Adv. Nerdy Tweaks -> Article Download Allow XFEAT Compression
NewsBin – Automatically turned on. Check the settings by going to Utilities->Servers. Make sure “Disable XFeatures” is NOT checked.
News Rover – Automatically turned on.
Microsoft Pulls The Plug On Windows XP
April 10th, 2012
For many who have used a newsreader for a number of years to access newsgroups will remember the transformation many of them made and how capable they grew to be once Windows XP was released. Many still use the most popular OS today as it had been the most stable release Microsoft had achieved by that point.
However, as of today, you have exactly two years left to get support on your Windows XP-powered computers. The same goes for Microsoft Office 2003. Okay, so it’s not exactly time to flip over the sand timer, but it is finally a real milestone that points to the death of an operating system that, for years and years and years, simply would not die. And it means that hordes of companies around the country are finally going to need to upgrade.
Okay, so it isn’t the most radical move we’ve ever seen, but it looks like this time, Microsoft won’t change its mind and end up extending the support deadline.
Microsoft stopped selling retail copies of XP in 2008. Just like XP, support for Office 2003 will also end in April 2014, so Microsoft is also using this occasion to remind these users that Office 2010 is indeed a viable alternative to an office suite that was released.
When Microsoft pulls XP’s plug, it will have maintained the OS for 12 years and 5 months, or about two-and-a-half years longer than its usual practice and a year longer than the previous record holder, Windows NT, which was supported for 11 years and 5 months.
Without a doubt the most significant base that is driving this shift is the enterprise market. For companies and organizations that own hundreds, or even thousands, of computers, upgrading is not an easy or affordable process.
But Microsoft is now finally ending support for XP users, and Windows 7 is much more user-friendly and upgrade-worthy than its predecessors.
New Payment Options Available From NewsDemon.com Newsgroups
February 8th, 2012
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is proud to announce new methods to accept payments from our customers. Our new WorldPay payment options now allows users to pay for any of our subscription or block accounts with either the Australian Dollar or South African Rand.
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups has long offered a variety of convenient methods of payment for our customers. Currently, we provide Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover payments as well as those with PayPal and WorldPay.
With the new payment options available, customers in both South African and Australia will no longer have to pay any conversion fees for payment. With the new WorldPay options, their native currency is accepted without any additional conversion or rate exchange charges.
In order to access these new payment options, select of our USENET access subscription based or block account plans and while at checkout, choose our WorldPay option. Once directed through our secure WorldPay payment page, a selection box will allow customers to pay in US Dollar, Euro, Pounds Sterling, Australian Dollar or South African Rand. For subscription subscribers, these options will save for additional payments made for your monthly accounts.
With industry leading features and services provided by NewsDemon.com Newsgroups and now with more flexible payment options than ever before, we hope to make choosing NewsDemon.com Newsgroups your choice as a leading premium USENET access provider.
If you have any questions or require any assistance, take advantage of our 24/7 customer service where one of our trained associates can gladly assist.
Limited Time Super Unlimited USENET Deal from NewsDemon
February 2nd, 2012
Have you been curious about USENET and wanted to see what it was all about? Newsdemon.com Newsgroups is making it easier and more affordable with our new $7.00 Super Unlimited plan.
Normally $19.95 a month, this heavily discounted special offers Unlimited access to over 107,000 uncensored newsgroups. Without data caps or throttling, you can access all you want in privacy with our 256 bit SSL encrypted connections.
If you’re new to USENET or a longtime user, the current Super Unlimited USENET plan offers everything you need:
- Free pre-configured newsreader helps you get up and going quickly without the hassle of working with other software that might not even work correctly.
- 50 simultaneous connections allow you to access USENET newsgroups quickly and easily.
- Multiple server locations means you get the fastest speeds available and consistently.
- No limits with Unlimited access set your mind at ease without ever having to worry about download caps.
- Customer support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with knowledgeable and friendly technicians that can assist with any questions or issues you may encounter with your account.
The introductory offer of just $7.00 for the first month gives you the opportunity to try NewsDemon.com Newsgroups and find out for yourself why it’s America’s #1 Premium Usenet provider. After the first month, it’s still a low $10.00 a month for the lifetime of the account. That’s an annual savings of $126.40
Additionally with this account, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is offering 30GB of Secure Online Storage from StorageNinja (a $20 a month savings). With your storage account, you can upload, keep and access your files securely anywhere online. This account is FREE for as long as you remain a NewsDemon.com Newsgroups customer.
This special offer is only available for a limited time. So if you’re ready to try out and join the thousands who have made the switch to USENET, get in on this super offer from NewsDemon.com Newsgroups. We’re confident you’ll enjoy our award winning services and support and look forward to having you part of the NewsDemon.com Newsgroups family.
NewsDemon.com Free USENET 5 Hour Special
July 15th, 2011
UPDATE 9:30PM:We are working on all of the requests and have sent out more than a 1/3 of all the requests so far! Please bare with us as we are working diligently in getting your requests approved!
UPDATE 8:00PM: The FREE USENET GIVEAWAY has now been expired! Thank you to everyone who participated. All those that have liked our Facebook Page and have sent a request will be receiving an updated email with their account details. If you’ve missed out on this deal, don’t forget, Check out our limited time offer for our 3 Month Unlimited Account For Only $21.00! THANK YOU!!!!
UPDATE 7:00PM: The first wave of requests have been approved and sent out! We will continue to send out additional accounts as we approve them.
UPDATE 4:10PM: Due to the OVERWHELMING response to our Giveaway, we ask all recipients to please be patient as we are currently working diligently to review, verify and approve all requests. If you have liked our Fan Page and have submitted your credentials, please know that we are in the process or approving all requests. For those that are currently in the process of submitting your request, we please ask you to submit your details via email in the following format:
Subject: Facebook Fan Page Giveaway
Message Body:
Facebook Name: Full Name
Email Address: Full email address (we will use this to send you your account details)
For only 5 hours, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is giving away a FREE 30 day/50 GB account to each new Facebook Fan of NewsDemon.com Newsgroups.
To get your Free 30 day/50GB account, go to our NewsDemon.com Newsgroups Fan Page on Facebook and “LIKE” us. Once you’ve liked the page, send an email to freeusenet@newsdemon.com with your full name (the name that is used on Facebook) and your email address. After being verified as a Facebook Fan, you’ll be sent your username and password with your free account.
No purchase necessary to enter and no credit card to submit! Simply like us on Facebook to get your FREE 30 DAY/50GB account!
The FREE account is valid for either 30 days or reaching the 50GB limit – whichever comes first. You’ll get full access to all 107,000 newsgroups at full speed off of our multiple server locations. You’ll also receive a free copy of the award winning newsreader, NewsRover, which is preconfigured to get you set up and going quickly!
This offer is only available for 5 hours starting at 3PM EST. The offer will expire at exactly 8PM EST on July 15th.
Hurry up and like us now on Facebook and get your FREE 30 DAY/ 50GB USENET account from NewsDemon.com Newsgroups.
Missed the deal? Want More? Check out our limited time offer for our 3 Month Unlimited Account For Only $21.00.
3 Months Unlimited Usenet For $21.00
June 15th, 2011
For a limited time only, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is offering 3 Months of UNLIMITED USENET access for only $21.00.
Starting on June 15th, a limited number of new accounts are available which include uncensored, secure and unlimited access to all 107,000 newsgroups for only $7.00 a month for 3 months.
This one time offer includes all of the membership benefits that are enjoyed by NewsDemon.com Newsgroup members including:
- Blazing fast speeds from our multiple server locations
- Over 1020+ Days of Binary Retention
- 256 BIT SSL Secure Encrypted Connections
- Free Pre-Configured Newsreader (a $29.99 Value)
- 50 Simultaneous Connections
- 99% Completion Rate
- Unlimited Access to over 107,000 Newsgroups
The offer for the Unlimited Usenet newsgroup access is only available for a limited time. Only a set number of accounts are being offered at this price. Once they are gone, so is the offer.
There is no obligation after the 3 months to become a member of NewsDemon.com Newsgroups. Once purchased, your access is immediate and will end after 3 months from your activation date.
The total value of this offer is a savings of $29.85 for our current Unlimited Access subscription package.
Hurry and join in now before this special runs out. This limited time offer is expected to end shortly and will not be available thereafter.
Click Here
NewsDemon Reaches 1000 Days Binary Retention
May 12th, 2011
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is proud to announce another milestone in binary retention which now supports over 1000 days of retention across all supported binary newsgroups.
Recent upgrades to NewsDemon.com Newsgroup servers located in both the US and EU locations now spool over a full 1000 days of binary retention and well over three years of text retention with a full 99.9% completion rate.
USENET Newsgroup retention reflects the length of time that a binary and/or text article is accessible to subscribers. The new increase in retention means that NewsDemon.com Newsgroup subscribers may access binary newsgroup articles that were posted over 1000 days ago! Find out more about USENET newsgroup retention increase here.
It doesn’t stop here! NewsDemon.com Newsgroups expects the retention rate to only increase over time, allowing members even more articles available in all binary and text newsgroups.
With blazing fast access with up to 50 simultaneous connections and a combination of affordable subscription or block plans to choose from, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups 1000 day binary retention increase joins our efforts to consistently provide members with industry leading premium USENET access.
Top 10 Golden Rules of USENET
April 6th, 2011
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups celebrates the diversity of our newsgroups subscribers and the longevity of the thousands of newsgroups that exist on USENET today. In order to facilitate a better USENET experience, there are some rules of USENET that should be considered. Below are 10 of the most important USENET newsgroup rules to abide by.
Thou Shall Not Spam
USENET newsgroup subscribers are pretty crafty. Intelligent too. Spamming newsgroups with products, services or any other material that is both unrelated and unsupportive of any particular newsgroup is greatly shunned upon. Respect the newsgroups you subscribe to and chances are you’ll receive equal respect. By spamming newsgroups, you’ll quickly be dismissed by other subscribers and other penalties can be given, including losing your membership to USENET by the access provider.
Thou Shall Not Troll
A “troll” is someone who deliberately posts a message to cause disruption, argues or otherwise harasses another for either self promotion or to disrespect fellow newsgroup subscribers. It is important to note that this type of behavior is greatly discouraged and should not be engaged at any point in time.
Thou Shall Not Provide Personal Information
Newsgroups are a great place for discussion on a number of topics. As they are one of the oldest and largest community driven portals online, it’s common for them to foster friendships and even trust. However, as a rule of thumb, it’s advised to never divulge any personal information you would not want the world to know. As most USENET newsgroups allow public access, your information may be used in ways that you would not intentionally want to be used against you. Although NewsDemon.com Newsgroups employs secure, 256 BIT SSL connections for secure connections, what you post on newsgroups do not offer the same protection. Therefore, restrain from posting information such as personal financials, residence or other private information to insure your security online.
Thou Shall Not Post Off Topic
The thousands of newsgroups available cater to just about every topic imaginable. Because of this, posting material of any kind that is not relative or on topic to the newsgroup should simply not be done. Off topic messages, especially nowadays, are simply ignored and can also be considered spam. When considering posting a message to a newsgroup, be considerate and take the time to be sure that the newsgroup you are posting to is relative to the material. NewsDemon.com Newsgroups offers an extensive directory of newsgroups that can help you on your way.
Thou Shall Not Write In Caps
DO NOT POST IN ALL CAPS WHEN POSTING TO NEWSGROUPS. Newsgroup subscribers and newsgroups themselves consider this a negative practice and should be refrained upon.
Thou Shall Not Cross-Post
With the thousands of newsgroups available, there are some that are very similar to others. Because of this, in some cases, newsgroup subscribers find the material they want to post relative to a section of newsgroups versus just one. With most newsreaders nowadays, to cross-post to several newsgroups is easy and convenient. Although it may seem like a good idea, be weary. Cross-posting to several newsgroups automatically grow suspicion by subscribers and may flag the post as spam. Before cross-posting, read the FAQ for each newsgroup if available to check the spam policy and the rules of the particular newsgroup. Some newsgroups discourage cross-posting specifically. Try one newsgroup at a time for your material that is most relative. If you receive a positive response, or no response at all after a few days, then cautiously consider posting it again on another relative newsgroup. If you are new to cross-posting, this rule is imperative to make sure your reputation on these newsgroups is saved from subscribers flagging your posts as spam by the veteran subscribers which may result in your access termination.
Thou Shall Not Ignore The Newsgroup FAQ
Each important newsgroup usually entails a sometimes lengthy but all important rules of conduct for subscribers. By adhering to the rules of the newsgroup, a better sense of community is achieved and postings on that newsgroup follow an easy to read format allowing users to best utilize the newsgroup for the topic and content that are posted. It’s important to take a look at and examine the FAQ for each newsgroup you subscribe to and may consider posting to. General posts and replies are especially important in order to follow the certain guidelines that the FAQ sets forth in order to gain the response you are looking for. Most newsgroup communities follow these FAQ terms seriously and so should you.
Thou Shall Not Hijack
With the many threads and posts on newsgroups, it’s encouraged to engage the conversation with relative material. However, using the popularity of these posts to share information that is not relative to the material or to engage subscribers directly is discouraged. Do not use these posts to popularize, grab attention to or bring the subject away from the content of the conversation. Consider what you post and how relative it is to the ongoing messages. If it is questionable whether your material is relative, instead post a new topic of the material in order to gain a proper response.
Thou Shall Not Flood Newsgroups
Flooding newsgroups involves the act of consistently and continuously posting material on newsgroups by one individual. Although there are rare instances where it may considered acceptable, flooding newsgroups with even the most relevant material for a particular newsgroup is not one that should be engaged. This is not an acceptable method of posting on most newsgroups and goes against the policies of the majority of newsgroups FAQ. Refrain from continuously posting the same or relevant information or material. Practice netiquette and allow for some time to pass before posting additional or relevant material from the time your initial post was made. This will allow users to review the content that you have posted and save you from a negative reputation on these USENET newsgroups as it may very well be considered spam.
Thou Shall Not Flame
Everyone has an opinion about something. With the thousands of subscribers on newsgroups, those opinions often times are not the same as others. The culture of newsgroups is to accept, discuss and share these differences of opinions respectfully with either like minded or those with contrasting points of view. It’s important in these newsgroups to respect others with other opinions and not engage in “Flame Wars“. Flame wars are heated arguments online that attack, belittle or otherwise disrespect other USENET newsgroup subscribers. There are strict penalties of engaging in Flame Wars and can result in permanent banning from these newsgroups and by your USENET access provider.
Following these rules of USENET will result in a better experience overall while engaging newsgroup subscribers and create a better community overall. Do you have any other rules that you feel that we’ve missed? Leave a comment below to have us add them along.
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