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Newsgroups: Top Searches In 2009
November 30th, 2009
First out of the veritable search engine gates this year, Bing has posted its top searches for 2009. Each year, the big three give us a reveal on what most of us have been looking for all year long.
Here are 2009 top search results from Bing:
1) Michael Jackson - No surprise that the death of the one glove entertainment goliath topped the list.
2) Twitter – The USENET inspired service gained a curious look by many this year – few REAL people joined.
3) Swine Flu – Achoo.
4) Stock Market – Achoo.
5) Farrah Fawcett – Charlie lost an angel this year.
6) Patrick Swayze – Although Ghost and Dirty Dancing brought him fame, he earned the online world respect early with Road House.
7) Cash for Clunkers – A government incentive program to encourage US citizens to purchase foreign cars.
8) Jon and Kate Gosselin – Talk of divorce clogged both the interwebs as well as many USENET newsgroups for the reality television couple with 100 kids.
9) Billy Mays – But wait, there’s one more:
10) Jaycee Dugard – Kidnapped as a child, Jaycee was discovered alive after 18 years from her disappearance, also with a child.
The search trends tend to coincide with the popularity of these topics on newsgroups. Each of these top 10 either have a dedicated newsgroup to the matter or at the very least – a newsgroup related to the topic.
According to Bing, other searches were prominent this year:
“Not surprisingly, we saw a lot of folks using Bing for quick access to favorite sites like Facebook, MSN, Youtube and Craigslist. We also saw a lot of more complex searches such as product related queries in which people used Bing to help decide what MP3 player to buy and travel searches to help find the best deals on a tropical vacation.”
Separate from “Top Trending Topics”, the most popular searches is a general category of search terms that gained the most interest. Top Trending Topics is another list compiled by Bing which mostly covers celebrities. This year, the top three were Megan Fox, Robert Pattinson and holding in at number one – Perez Hilton.
Google has its own trends section will allow users to see real time results on popular searches. Yahoo and Google both are expected to have their own 2009 top 10 searches coming out soon. The Bing results are only gathered from US results and do not include a UK edition. To find out more, many Microsoft and search engine newsgroups provide discussion groups on the matter.
UPDATE:
Google and Yahoo have both released their top 10 results. In each, Michael Jackson takes hold of the charts in each. However, looking closely at the rest is where all the similarities apparently end:
- michael jackson
- tuenti
- sanalika
- new moon
- lady gaga
- windows 7
- dantri.com.vn
- torpedo gratis
Yahoo
1) Michael Jackson
2) The Twilight Saga
3) WWE
4) Megan Fox
5) Britney Spears
6) Naruto
7) American Idol
8) Kim Kardashian
9) NASCAR
10) Runescape
Newsgroup Spotlight: Mac Newsreaders
November 20th, 2009
Apple is more popular than ever. With new software becoming available for the Mac almost every day, an unusual amount of variety is now starting to sprout. No surprise that the mac newsreader arena is one of them. Here are our top three newsreaders for Mac that stand out from the bunch.
3) Hogwasher – Made by Asar, the mac only newsreader has been around for a while. It maintains multiple server support, integrated media viewing features and complete email support. It should be able to run on Snow Leopard without issue, but we were not able to test that. The trial period is 60 days and $49.00 thereafter. Set up Instructions for Hogwasher
2) BinBot – Originally designed and created for Linux machines, this newsreader is one of the very few that actually support all three – Linux, Windows and OS X systems. Also feature rich, BinBot automates a lot of the processes involved with USENET. You have a full 30 days before committing to a $19.95 cost to buy the program.
1) Unison – The parent company, Panic, makes other programs but one of the most popular has and continues to be the Unison newsreader. One of the longest running newsreaders for Mac in the market today, Unison continues to be updated and supported for most Mac machines. Unison definitely has the most users than any other Mac newsreader we’ve found, which makes it helpful when needing to get support especially. If you like it after 30 days, keep it for $24.95 for each full release. Set up instructions for Unison
All three of these newsreaders are quite capable all on their own. The real difference is really how intuitive and complicated each one can be. Hogwasher and BinBot take a little bit more time to configure and get used to. Unison on the other hand, is much more straightforward and fairly simple.
It’s a good bet to just try out each to find what works best for you. With a good trial period for each one, they all allow for you to test them out thoroughly and figure out how they function. If you have an experience you’d like to share, add them here to our comments. We’d like to know what you think.
Also, if you’re using an iPhone, you do have options. NewsTap is the most popular newsreader for the iPhone and iTouch and is routinely updated and maintained.
Newsgroup Spotlight: Nobel Prize Categories
October 15th, 2009
As many in the United States discussed Barack Obama for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace, there are other notable awards that were handed out for other categories. Multiple awards were given to groups and individuals that had been responsible for some amazing achievements.
All of these fields that these people had won in share at least one thing in common; dedicated discussion newsgroups on USENET. Thousands over time have contributed, shared and/or discussed the same topics that continue to this day for the same common goal: advancement in knowledge and application.
It wouldn’t be surprising if each of these awarded individuals had some sort of background with USENET. As the premier and prominent online source for communication and sharing ideas, it’s very possible that one, if not some, used USENET as a resource.
Here are the other winners of the Nobel Prize this year:
In the Physiology and Medicine category, the award had gone to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, a group responsible for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and an enzyme.
In Physics, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith shared one half of the award for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor - as the other half went to Charles K. Kao for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication, which could lead to astonishing speeds in data transmission.
In the ever changing world of Chemistry, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath shared the award for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome, which are complexes of RNA and protein that are found in all cells.
In the Economics front, it was Elinor Ostrom for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons and Oliver E. Williamson for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm that won them the rights to share the prize equally.
Lastly, in the world of Literature, Herta Müller from Germany won who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.
The achievements each of them have been able to make have been due to the same elements that can be found on USENET: research, discovery and knowledge. With these at our disposal, future advancements are not only possible, but likely.
As many in the United States discussed Barack Obama for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace, there are other notable awards that were handed out for other categories. Six awards in all were given to groups and individuals that had been responsible for some amazing achievements.
All of these fields that these people had won in share something in common; dedicated discussion newsgroups on USENET. Thousands over time have contributed, shared or discussed the same topics that continue to this day for the same common goal: advancement in knowledge and application.
It wouldn’t be surprising if each of these awarded individuals had some sort of background with USENET. As the premier and prominent online source for communication and sharing ideas, it’s very possible that one, if not some, used USENET as a resource.
Here are the other winners of the Nobel Prize this year:
In the Physiology and Medicine category, the award had gone to Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, a group responsible for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and an enzyme.
In Physics, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith shared one half of the award for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor - as the other half went to Charles K. Kao for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication, which could lead to astonishing speeds in data transmission.
In the ever changing world of Chemistry, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath shared the award for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome, which are complexes of RNA and protein that are found in all cells.
In the Economics front, it was Elinor Ostrom for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons and Oliver E. Williamson for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm that won them the rights to share the prize equally.
Lastly, in the world of Literature, Herta Müller from Germany won who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.
The achievements each of them have been able to make have been due to the same elements that can be found on USENET: research, discovery and knowledge. With these at our disposal, future advancements are not only possible, but likely.
Banned Books Week Announced On Newsgroups
September 26th, 2009
On many arts and literature newsgroups, the main topic of discussion this week is all about the ALA’s Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event which celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the United States First Amendment. Always held during the last week of September, BBW highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. This form and attempt of censorship is something very familiar as well with many newsgroups on USENET.
Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, BBW was created primarily by bookstores and libraries, headed by The American Library Association.
More than a thousand books have been challenged since then. People have challenged books that they say are too offensive for one reason or another: sex, violence, profanity, slang, racial or religion for the most part. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.
Some of the mainstream titles that have been banned are:
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
- Forever – Judy Blume
- The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
- In The Night Kitchen – Maurice Sendak
- Beloved – Toni Morrison
Others include: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “Charlotte’s Web.” “The Sun Also Rises.” “As I Lay Dying.” “Kim.” “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Over the years, groups and communities have taken it upon themselves to determine what books are worthy of being stacked on library shelves and what should be kept from the public. Many libraries and bookstores have answered back that access to such works, no matter what their content, is one of the precious traditions that should be defended.
In response, The American Library Association’s designated an annual Banned Books Week – now in its 28th year – to answer this cause. Many books challenged by communities as being inappropriate for public dissemination or that were targeted for banning have survived because of BBW as it brings librarians, teachers, booksellers and the media to rally and create public opposition to such moves.
Much like the freedoms of USENET, intellectual freedom, while not an explicit freedom guaranteed by the United States First Amendment, sits at the heart of our democracy; it is the freedom to access information and express ideas—even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event which celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the United States First Amendment. Always held during the last week of September, BBW highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. This form and attempt of censorship is something very familiar as well with many newsgroups on USENET.
Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, BBW was created primarily by bookstores and libraries, headed by The American Library Association.
More than a thousand books have been challenged since then. People have challenged books that they say are too offensive for one reason or another: sex, violence, profanity, slang, racial or religion for the most part. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.
Some of the mainstream titles that have been banned are:
· Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
· Forever – Judy Blume
· The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
· Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
· In The Night Kitchen – Maurice Sendak
· Beloved – Toni Morrison
Others include: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “Charlotte’s Web.” “The Sun Also Rises.” “As I Lay Dying.” “Kim.” “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Over the years, groups and communities have taken it upon themselves to determine what books are worthy of being stacked on library shelves and what should be kept from the public. Many libraries and bookstores have answered back that access to such works, no matter what their content, is one of the precious traditions that should be defended.
In response, The American Library Association’s designated an annual Banned Books Week – now in its 28th year – to answer this cause. Many books challenged by communities as being inappropriate for public dissemination or that were targeted for banning have survived because of BBW as it brings librarians, teachers, booksellers and the media to rally and create public opposition to such moves.
Much like the freedoms of USENET, intellectual freedom, while not an explicit freedom guaranteed by the United States First Amendment, sits at the heart of our democracy; it is the freedom to access information and express ideas—even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
Microsoft Copies NewsDemon.com Newsgroups Student Discount Offer?
September 18th, 2009
It appears that NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is not alone in trying to help out Students. In a Twitter posting last night, as well as postings on various Microsoft newsgroups, Microsoft stated that U.S. College students will be able to get the software license for a discounted $29.99.
It’s a good time to be a student, thanks in part to NewsDemon.com and a sweet Windows 7 discount from Microsoft.
Microsoft newsgroups points the deal to the win741.com site, a recently launched site from Microsoft. The site proclaims: “For a limited time, eligible college students can get the sweetest deal on Windows 7 – for only $29.99 USD. That’s less than most of your textbooks! Hurry — offer ends January 3, 2010 and 12 a.m. CST.” After that, it may go back up to $120 or Microsoft could extend the offer. There are no set deadlines for the NewDemon.com offer.
Noting that to avail the offer students would require a valid college e-mail address, a Microsoft representative said: “This offer is specifically designed for those students who are not planning to purchase a new PC this year, but would still like to take advantage of what Windows 7 offers.”
Also, just like the NewsDemon.com Newsgroups Student Discount offer, to buy the student version of Windows 7 Home Premium customers need to provide a valid .edu e-mail address or an e-mail address from one of a number of listed educational institutions that do not provide .edu e-mail addresses. With the Microsoft offer, some customers may also have to provide current proof of enrollment.
On Wednesday of this week, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups had announced a similar approach, offering college and university students discount access to all subscription based plans. Two days later, Microsoft announces this new special. Coincidence?
This smart move clears as a path as Apple does have Microsoft beat on standard prices, with a copy of Home Premium (upgrade) retailing for $120 and $200 for a Professional upgrade (versus $29 for Snow Leopard). With the price bar set nearly four times as high as Apple’s, the pressure is on Microsoft to deliver a dynamite product .
Microsoft Windows 7 is getting closer to its October 22 launch date. With improved security, better compatibility, and a slick new look, the OS should please owners of both powerful and underpowered machines alike.
Microsoft also intends announcing similar offers in Canada, Australia, Mexico, Germany, France, and Korea, though at different prices.
Discount USENET Access To All Educators And Students
September 8th, 2009
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is now offering discounted USENET access on all of its subscription based plans to all students and faculty that belong to a college or university.
It’s no surprise that education has a become a hot topic issue across the world. In response, NewsDemon.com is assisting by offering affordable access to that resources USENET provides to assist with higher learning.
More than 107,000 newsgroups are supported by NewsDemon.com Newsgroups. Many of these newsgroups provide large communities exist to share and discuss particular topics.
Newsgroup access provides educators and students a forum to cooperatively discuss ranging topics that newsgroups provide.
In order to qualify, you must have a “.edu” email address (example: you@school.edu). After selecting your subscription based plan, enter in your .edu email address, submit, and the USENET access discount will automatically be applied.
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups Releases USENET Tester Tool
July 24th, 2009
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups today is proud to present a new software release, the NewsDemon.com Newsgroups USENET Tester. The USENET Tester tool is designed to assist in testing and verifying any USENET access account.
The USENET tester is a desktop application that allows the user to input the address, username, password and newsgroup to run a series of tests. The tests will provide results on whether the account is active and if the newsgroup is carried by the USENET access provider.
The announcement is part of NewsDemon.com Newsgroups ongoing pursuit to help customers simplify their USENET experience.
The USENET Tester also includes other functions. This tool is especially helpful to determine if a particular newsgroup is carried by a USENET provider as well as providing a header count for the newsgroup.
The program works with Windows XP, Vista and 7 RTM. For more information and instructions about the USENET tester, visit http://www.newsdemon.com/usenet_tester.php .To get the USENET tester program, click here to download.
UPDATE: We are receiving reports of errors using the software. We are aware of the problem and will be reissuing a corrected version shortly. We appreciate your patience.
UPDATE 8/20: We have a new improved version with added functionality that should resolve any problems our previous released version had encountered. Please use the link above to download v5.56
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups Announces New Website Redesign
June 29th, 2009
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups is pleased to announce the unveiling of the new website design. The URL remains the same, however, www.newsdemon.com has literally a new face in the world with the introduction of the NewsDemon.com Newsgroups mascot.
Alongside the addition of the new mascot, the re-designed website allows both members and visitors to more easily navigate and find information faster.
The website navigation was simplified and content was reorganized to better meet the needs of our customers. The changes to the website are the result of comments and suggestions from all of our members and visitors. The site is an effort to take NewsDemon.com Newsgroups to the the next level in terms of technology and functionality.
NewsDemon.com Newsgroups new website design is part of the overall collective movement to bring awareness on the valuable resources USENET is able to provide to its community. As a leading provider of USENET access, NewsDemon.com Newsgroups provides premium services to its members to thousands of uncesored newsgroups.
Newsgroup Spotlight: Animation and Comic Book Newsgroups
June 10th, 2009
Recently and upcoming, movie studios have been pushing and putting emphasis on a range of animation and comics book adaptations. From Wolverine: Origins to G.I. Joe and Watchmen, the recent and predicted success of these movies seem to indicate that only more are destined to hit the box office this decade.
Before this recent push, these movies were few and far in-between, receiving luke warm responses in the past. A large source of why these movies have suddenly received more accolade can be directly linked to the activity and discussions of all things related to animation and comic book online.
One of the largest sources of these discussions have been animation and comic book newsgroups. These newsgroups have been some of the world’s leading portals and resources for news, information and community activities for animators, comic book fans and artists.
Newsgroups like comp.graphics.animation and rec.arts.animation have long been home to discussions of the technical aspects and technique of computer animation by industry insiders and fans alike. Where rec.arts.comics covers the superhero realm and an abundance of discussion of hero specific movies.
Many of these newsgroups have been responsible for running events where animation professionals are free to network with each other and discuss future collaborations. Comic book newsgroups and animation newsgroups both provide updates, news and events that affect animators and the animation world, including comic books.
Discussions are guided by a variety of figures from the animation and comic book world – from animators and directors, to the likeness of the comic book guy from The Simpsons.
Whether you are new or long experienced with the world of Animation and Comics, if you haven’t checked out the corresponding Usenet newsgroups on the matter, chances are you don’t know the full story.
Microsoft’s Bing Time Thing Lacks Usenet NewsGroups
June 1st, 2009
Microsoft has replaced Live Search with a new brand: Bing. The new Microsoft search destination is in part an overhaul of Live Search and in part a renovation of Microsoft’s search technology. According to Microsoft, Bing lets you find Web content fast and excels at refining searches so that you can unearth the lowest airfares, discover reviews of neighborhood boutiques, or track down reliable health information.
Microsoft’s research shows only one in four searches are satisfactory on the first try. Most others force users to repeatedly refine their queries or to click around on the Web before locating what they need.
Bing’s goal is to improve the search experience, and it does that well overall in an incremental way, but especially in four key categories – shopping, travel, local, and health; by tailoring the experience in much the same way as Usenet newsgroups to specific goals associated with those categories.
Why Bing? CEO Steve Ballmer admits: “I am not what you would call the creative side of life. Short matters. Being able to verb up can be helpful.” But he also says, “We wanted something that unambiguously says search.” At least they’re not calling it Microsoft Windows Live Search Ultimate Professional Business Search Engine Edition 2009 V 1.01.060109.
We tested to see if older messages posted on the Microsoft newsgroups would appear as Google Group messages do with Goole search terms. The Microsoft Discussion Newsgroups are not indexed on Bling nor does there seem to be any integration as they are with competitor Google as part of the search results.
It’s too soon to say if the site will result in sucess or failure, but either way, it has sent a great number of conversations going on microsoft related newsgroups such as microsoft.public.msn.search.
