Usenet (discussion groups) what happened to alt.drugs.hard etc ?

[Chip (OP)]

Basically they become a target for spammers and seem to have lost most of their value.

There have been a few electronic discussion systems around like the BBS'es (Bulletin Board Systems) of old (that you dialed in via a modem through the phone line), Listservers (mailing lists that you had to subscribe to and everyone got copies of other people's responses) but one of the the oldest is Usenet - it is like a BBS or forum as it's threaded but it's also anonymous - which is why it has died, i would guess. Follow the link below to see what they look like these days.

What you are using now to read this right now takes ideas from all those different systems and is the current state-of-the-art.

I never used Usenet but it's as "old as the web" sort of (cicra 1980) because i was never interested ... don't know why tho'.

Anyway, I found an index/FAQ to those old groups that came before us so if you want an index to 3 of them, you will find them at:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/drugs/



BBS article: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/11/the-lost-civilization-of-dial-up-bulletin-board-systems/506465/



Web-based BBS directory: http://telnetbbsguide.com/

[waseembakr]

The forum discussion on Drugs-and-Users appears to focus on harm reduction experiences, drug effects, and user-shared knowledge about substance use, safety, and personal outcomes.

Members typically exchange detailed insights, cautionary advice, and personal stories to better understand risks, interactions, and effects related to different substances. This type of thread highlights how online communities discuss sensitive topics while emphasizing awareness and shared experiences.