So what is usenet?

Follow the link above for extreme detail (go ahead, I'll wait), but in layman's terms, it is basically a file-sharing service (that offers discussion of topics, much like a message board). If you haven't heard of it, that's ok. It's not quite as popular as Bittorrent or Kazaa or Limewire. But if you know what you are doing, it's even better. As a downloader, you are generally anonymous. As an uploader you can take simple steps to make yourself anonymous. So what's the catch? Well, you can't find everything. The server you use to connect to the usenet content is your choice (unless you use your isp's server, which I would not recommend for many reasons) and you should study this part heavily. The basic things to look for in a server are:

1. Retention (how long they store their content)
2. Completion (how well they store that content)
3. Speed (how fast you can get that content)
4. Anonymity (what they log)

Fortunately the first three are easy to find out, as most usenet providers advertise this on their homepage. The last may or may not be clear, so you may need to read their terms of service (tos) and usage agreements. Most are pretty much anonymous, but will say they log what you upload (just to keep spammers in line). Also most providers offer a trial period that may or may not be free. This is good, because sometimes even the seemingly best service may not be the best for you. What I mean here is that speed might be an issue, from provider to you. These usenet servers are located in many different places and may have to take a long route to reach you (so pay attention to where their server is based). The longer the route, the slower your download speed. Also, they may cap their speed depending on the level of service you paid for (or possibly your internet service provider may cap your speed as well). Anyway, I'll try to make a chart the covers the popular providers and rates them (and I'll try to keep it up to date). If you want to advise me on a new service (or correct me on something I said), comments are very welcome. Expect more to come! (Can you tell I'm excited to get this thing going?)