will98
@cable.rogers
| From todays Toronto Star
Rogers patrons lose access to Usenet boards
Dwindling interest among factors
Presence of child porn also cited
Nov. 16, 2005. 06:28 AM
TYLER HAMILTON
TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
Rogers Cable is notifying subscribers to its high-speed Internet service that their access to Usenet bulletin boards, a popular hangout for music pirates and traders of child porn, will be shut down on Dec. 15.
Company spokesperson Taanta Gupta said the notice will begin appearing in the bills of Rogers Yahoo customers this month.
Founded in 1979, Usenet is an online network of more than 100,000 different newsgroups that began as an information exchange for scholars, techies and hobbyists. But after America Online began offering access to Usenet in the early 1990s, the network started to get flooded with spam and pornography.
While it still has its loyal users, dwindling interest in Usenet was part of the reason AOL —and now Rogers — decided to drop access to the network.
"Usenet was one of the earliest forms of user discussion on the Internet, but today has largely been replaced by blogs, instant messaging, personal Web pages and other tools," according to the Rogers website. "As a result, fewer and fewer people are accessing Usenet."
Gupta said less than 3 per cent of subscribers — or under 30,000 — are Usenet users. She confirmed that part of the reason Rogers is discontinuing the service is because of its rampant use by traders of child porn.
The company emphasized that customers who still want to read or post Usenet messages are still able do so through Google Groups or through a number of paid services on the Internet.
Some Rogers Yahoo customers aren't happy about the decision. "I use it frequently, and from reading the (Usenet) groups dedicated to Rogers, a lot of other people do," said Rogers' customer Jim Greenwood, adding that Google Groups is limited and doesn't provide many of the newsgroups that people use.
"With this reduction in service comes no price drop, as they claim it was given free. But many people who use their services would disagree with their arguments."
Rogers said services come and go as technology changes. "It is reasonable to expect that new services will displace older (ones). On balance, the total package for Rogers Yahoo customers continues to improve in both scope and depth."
While it's estimated that fewer people are using Usenet, experts say the amount of data flowing through the network is on the rise because its serves as a popular place for trading digital music, movie files and software programs.
Gupta said piracy concerns did not play a role in shutting down access to Usenet, adding that Rogers faced no pressure from the recording industry. |
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justlooking
join:2003-06-10
| Wow, that was really sympathetic. A bunch of music pirates and kiddie porn fans are losing access while Rogers provides other more modern sevices. That article can be the beginning of a national protest. We have Ted Rogers right where we want him, laughing so hard he might get a heart attack. |
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sbrook
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-14
H0H 0H0 | reply to will98
It's certainly disgraceful customer relations. |
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will98
@cable.rogers
| I have to admit to a large extent i have always been very happy with my Rogers service so i have complained little. I have always tried to post some counter points here and certianly could be accused at times of being biased.
I did not see the loss of usenet as a big deal since there are options.
But i have to say.....for Rogers to put for the stance the basically those who complain are child porn consumers and music pirates is way above and beyond. Even the music pirates part i could live with. But labelling someone with anything child porn is a VERY serious acusation. Which is basically what this amounts to for most people reading the article.
Honestly i am shocked by this. |
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Sunfox
join:2003-12-14
Markham, ON
1 edit | "Dwindling interest among factors"
Well, there's a self-fulfilling prophecy. "After we cut our Usenet services back to a mere shadow of its former self, we noticed that customers became disinterested in utilizing that service." |
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bricksterr
join:2004-08-10
| reply to will98
As I mentioned in another posts, Gupta really should watch what she says at the risk of offending more Rogers customers with her next release. She sounds about as informed of Usenet as the average internet user, which wouldn't surprise me at all.
To the average bear, who happened by this article, whether he hears the words "usenet" or "newsgroups" he will now immediately associate it with this very dark, sinister underworld of depravity. He certainly won't think of people who were able to seek out others who shared a common interest in everything from egg painting to motorcycle riding to Disney movies!
I guess what I find even more shocking is that this article was written by Tyler Hamilton. He's the Star's cellphone savvy, internet wise tech guru! He simply parroted Rogers release! Now all Star subscribers have the accusations of Rogers basically reinforced by some abysmal and lazy reporting.
I think Gupta AND Hamilton owe some of us an apology.
What happens when Rogers scales back on their next service? Will Gupta claim that they found that these services were used mostly by pathological liars and wife beaters? And will the Star reports such claims as fact?
Disgusting! |
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AlucardDracula
@cable.rogers | reply to will98
The usenet boards began to fail once they began to cap the connection limit and speeds.
To me, it already died already. |
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wheelman14
@cable.rogers
| yup, Rogers combats evil porn... Taanta Gupta is our hero...
Rogers Cable to offer free porn by Richard Bloom
Source : Globe & Mail
April 28, 2005
TORONTO -- If you are an Ontario Rogers Cable subscriber with a digital set-top box and your kids know the PIN number, watch out: They could be clicking their way to free porn all weekend long.
The cable giant is offering customers free previews of three hard-core adult channels -- a movie channel, an XXX "action clips" channel and a gay-oriented channel called Maleflixxx -- from tomorrow at 8 p.m. to Monday at 2 a.m. in an effort to boost subscribers to those channels, which normally cost $19.95 each a month.
Rogers Cable spokeswoman Taanta Gupta said that the company has offered free viewings of adult channels a few times over the past four years and "have not had any issues."
She explained that unlike free viewings of Fox News Channel, Bloomberg News and MTV Canada -- which can be watched simply by tuning into the channel -- customers have to confirm that they want to watch this weekend's offerings by entering a personal identification number.
Each digital box comes with a preassigned PIN of 0-0-0-0. However, Ms. Gupta said, "We strongly encourage people to put in their own PINs."
PIN numbers must be entered on digital boxes to order pay-per-view events such as professional wrestling, new-release movies and adult flicks. Parents can also use the PIN system to block channels they don't want children to watch.
"That's what PIN numbers are for," Ms. Gupta said.
What's more, Rogers is putting a warning on Channel 85 reminding parents to block the adult-themed programming this weekend.
Despite the protective measures, the programming decision is raising objections.
"Quite frankly, I'm shocked they're [Rogers] going this route," said Susan Shetler, the founder of the Oshawa, Ont., chapter of lobby group Canadians Addressing Sexual Exploitation.
"I don't know what the purpose of this is. If people want that kind of entertainment they know where to get it. . . . I don't think we need it for free viewing."
She later added, "Pictures are worth a thousand words, images like that can stay in a child's mind."
Ottawa-based watchdog Friends of Canadian Broadcasting wouldn't comment on the merits of the preview. However, spokesman Jim Thompson called the move "consistent with Rogers values.
"They're in the business of making money and they're going to make money on whatever programming they think will sell, including this kind of programming," he said.
"It's a long-standing approach of that company."
The Canadian adult video market is estimated to generate more than $500-million in annual sales.
More than $4-billion (U.S.) is reportedly spent each year on adult video sales and rentals, which includes television-based purchases.
Rogers is the largest cable operator in Canada, feeding TVsignals into more than two million homes across Ontario, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, 800,000 of which are digital cable subscribers.
© Globe & Mail |
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will98
@cable.rogers | The reference in the article about usenet was to CHILD PORN. Very different from you legal porn. That was the negative point being made in that article. |
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bland
join:2005-11-16
Canada | reply to will98
I'm sure Globe & Mail just loves to diss Rogers, since the newspaper is owned by Bell.
I wonder if Macleans (owned by Rogers) has anything to say about Bell...:p |
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dl0711
join:2004-06-27
London, ON
| reply to will98
Gupta said less than 3 per cent of subscribers — or under 30,000 — are Usenet users. She confirmed that part of the reason Rogers is discontinuing the service is because of its rampant use by traders of child porn. LOL what a Joke rogers is. if there doing this because of Child Porn then They should not sell internet at all since you can find Child porn on any part of the internet. Rogers try's to make it make seance but rogers where NOT STUPID you retards |
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jackr
join:2004-03-10
Barrie, ON | reply to will98
Interesting.
Everyone complains, but no one's willing to take legal action against Rogers. |
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scott2525
@cable.rogers
| "Everyone complains, but no one's willing to take legal action against Rogers."
If you have the kind of $$$$ to put up to go ahead with that legal action be my guest. Takeing legal action is not a simple or cheap process and i am sure many don't have the time or money to waste. But if you do, go right ahead...... |
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pstewart
Premium,VIP
join:2005-10-12
Peterborough, ON
| reply to will98
What a load of ***t ! I can't believe the person who wrote this article would label Usenet with the words "music pirates" and especially "child porn". To those people who use Usenet, this makes it sounds like anyone using it is into these things.
I'm not saying that possibly there is some of that "material" in Usenet, but there's also a very good use for Usenet. How many people use Google Groups for example? THAT IS USENET!!!
The person who wrote this article probably hasn't even ever used Usenet services and seen what they are capable of..... I'd dump Rogers if I was a customer for this article itself let along the fact they are dumping the service. |
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sbrook
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-14
H0H 0H0
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
Host:
Rogers
Bell Canada
| reply to jackr
said by jackr  :Interesting. Everyone complains, but no one's willing to take legal action against Rogers. The problem is that there IS NO LEGAL ACTION you can take. They've told you the rules in the EUA and AUP and you've agreed to those rules by using the service. In those documents they've stated that they can change the rules simply by letting people know ... and they have ... in the FAQ ... and that is sufficient according to their rules.
Moreover, if you read the EUA, you can't take Rogers to court ... you must go to an arbitrator. (Although someone might be able to challenge that, since the judiciary in Canada don't approve of taking peoples' rights away.)
Yes, you might get a lawyer to stand up to Rogers, but for the lawyer it would simply be money in his pocket because he is unlikely to win and knows it. Even if it did get to a court room, and if you won a case, Rogers doesn't have to have you as a customer, and you can be quite sure that you'd not be welcome as a Rogers customer again. QED. |
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jackr
join:2004-03-10
Barrie, ON
·3 Web
·Rogers Hi-Speed
 ·Acanac
| reply to scott2525
I'm happy with the service. I don't use NNTP, so I have nothing to bitch about.
If you're unhappy with your service though, whining here is not going to solve the problem, and give flat statements like
"Takeing legal action is not a simple or cheap process and i am sure many don't have the time or money to waste" is at best asinine. Unless you've actually gone and talked to a lawyer to see what your options are, there's little but speculation in this thread.
The problem with threads like these, is it show how truly Canadian we are. We're whiners who bitch and bitch, but do little about the real problems, always waiting for someone else to solve it for us, so we can go on with our lives.
Typical..and pathetic.
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sbrook
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-14
H0H 0H0
·Rogers Hi-Speed
Host:
Rogers
Bell Canada
| No, it's not assinine ... it's facing the reality of the situation dealing with monopolies who have far deeper legal pockets than their customers.
You call it a Canadian phenomenon ... It's not. You need to get outside Canada to realize that. |
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jackr
join:2004-03-10
Barrie, ON
·3 Web
·Rogers Hi-Speed
·Acanac
1 edit | "You call it a Canadian phenomenon ... It's not. You need to get outside Canada to realize that."
WTF are you talking about? You don't know me, I don't know you.
{edited for content}
Canadians like to talk the tough fight. I see a lot of pissing and moaning by a lot of people, but, what I don't see is anyone standing up and saying. Well, this is what we should do. That's asinine.
Grow a pair already, or stop talking about it. |
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scott2525
@cable.rogers | Okay JackR, stand up and tell us what we should do? What have you done so far? Have you contacted a lawyer?
Please let use know your progress. |
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GI Suck
I Got Mail Yay
join:2004-01-14
Oshawa, ON | reply to wheelman14
OH SWEET, FREE PORN! I guess I can shut down my bittorrent and not care about Usenet now! *jokes* |
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