Changes

* alt.* Anyone can create a newsgroup, though convention encourages discussion in the newsgroup alt.config first* free.* Anyone can create a newsgroup, no such convention exists

There are also minor hierarchies created for other purposes, such as [[Pennsylvania|pa]].* (for the state of Pennsylvania) and [[microsoft]].* (created by Microsoft and formerly an official means of discussion-based technical support)

Prior to the opening of the Internet to commercial activity in the 1990s, the Internet was academic and professional in nature. New students at colleges would be taught the proper way to act when being given access to Usenet. When [[AOL offered ]] began to offer Usenet as a benefit, it was called "the Eternal September", as non-professional use by "[[the common man]]" began.

[[Spam]], "cross-posting" messages between to unrelated groups, [[trolling]], and [[flame wars]] became problems, as there is no built-in technical restriction on Usenet. This uncensored nature enabled posts containing [[mental illness]] and [[racism]] to exist as well. Eliminating unwanted posts requires the use of "killfiles", which are difficult for non-technical people. As a result, the use of Usenet for discussion purposes has greatly declined in favor of a growing amount of easier commercial alternatives (such as blogs and [[social networking]]).

As these groups are not moderated or controlled, one is likely to find liberalism and heated [[Debate|debates]].

==LinksPrescient Quotes on Police State Wiki Surveillance==* "The progress of [[science]] in furnishing the [[big government|government]] with means of [[espionage]] is not likely to stop with [[wiretap]]ping. Ways may some day be developed by which the [[Police state|government]], without removing papers from [[hard disk|secret drawers]], can reproduce them in [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court|court]], and by which it will be enabled to expose to a [[jury]] the most intimate occurrences of the home. Advances in the [[computer science|psychic and related sciences]] may bring means of exploring unexpressed beliefs, thoughts and emotions. 'That places the [[liberty]] of every [[citizen|man]] in the hands of every [[tyrant|petty officer]]' was said by James Otis of much lesser [[tyranny|intrusions]] than these. 1 To Lord Camden a far slighter intrusion seemed '[[subversive]] of all the comforts of society.' Can it be that the [[Constitution]] affords no [[Right to Privacy|protection]] against such invasions of [[Fourth Amendment|individual security]]?"** [[Louis Brandeis]]''' (1856-1941), [[United States Supreme Court]] [[Associate Justice]] Dissenting, ''[[Olmstead v. United States]]'', 277 U.S. 438 (1928).