(using Tor Browser 13.0.6)
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/15/google-groups-is-dropping-usenet-support-and-that-is-a-good-thing/
>Google Groups is dropping Usenet support, and that is a good thing
>Martin Brinkmann
>Dec 15, 2023
>Google
>Listen to article 2 minutes
>Google announced this week that it plans to cut the ties to the Usenet in
>Google Groups. Starting February 22, 2024, Google Groups users can no longer
>post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet groups or view Usenet
>content published after February 22.
>Native Google Groups content and communities continue to be available, as the
>change does not impact them. Google notes further that it will disband its
>Usenet infrastructure. These servers can not be used anymore to interact with
>the Usenet according to the announcement.
>Google explains that activity in text-based Usenet groups has declined over
>the years. Large parts of the userbase have moved on to "more modern
>technologies and formats". The majority of content that is available on the
>Usenet is either binary files or spam, according to Google.
>The Spam problem
>While Google mentions that spam is a problem, it fails to point out that most
>of the spam posted to text-based Usenet groups originates from Google Groups.
>In fact, many Usenet regulars started to use filters to weed out anything
>that comes from Google Groups as a method to eliminate spam in their
>subscribed groups.
>The tie cutting is therefore a welcome change for many Usenet users who are
>subscribed to text-based groups on the Usenet. Come February 2024, spam will
>drop to levels that are significantly lower than current levels.
>What users can do about it
>The shutting down of the news server is the main problem for users. They need
>to find another service that offers newsgroup access. One free option to
>access text-based groups is provided by Eternal September.
>Besides having to find a new provider, users need to find a new client as well.
>Several free clients are available, including Mozilla Thunderbird, which
>supports newsgroups. You can check out Wikipedia's list of Usenet readers here.
>Content posted before February 22, 2024 continues to be available on Google
>Groups, according to Google.
>Closing Words
>Google ending support for Usenet in Google Groups and disbanding its
>infrastructure is certainly disruptive for users who used the service to
>interact with the Usenet. On the other hand, it resolves a long-standing spam
>problem that Google did nothing about.
>Now You: do you use the Usenet?
[end quote]

e.g. just a simple double-click on <news:alt.astronomy> works great using
a dedicated newsreader, but experts say this does not work in Thunderbird;
also, many usenet news servers have retained all or part of "googlegroups"
posted articles, so they too will have "content posted before 22 february
2024" and with the looming spam void expected after google cuts the chord,
some spam has always come from other servers so who can predict that they
won't do their level best to pick up the slack? troll farms are pervasive

D <nobody@yamn.paranoici.org> wrote:
> (using Tor Browser 13.0.6)
> https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/15/google-groups-is-dropping-usenet-support-and-that-is-a-good-thing/
>>Google Groups is dropping Usenet support, and that is a good thing
>>Martin Brinkmann
>>Dec 15, 2023
>>Google
>>Listen to article 2 minutes
>>Google announced this week that it plans to cut the ties to the Usenet in
>>Google Groups. Starting February 22, 2024, Google Groups users can no longer
>>post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet groups or view Usenet
>>content published after February 22.
>>Native Google Groups content and communities continue to be available, as the
>>change does not impact them. Google notes further that it will disband its
>>Usenet infrastructure. These servers can not be used anymore to interact with
>>the Usenet according to the announcement.
....

Google has long wanted to get rid of the bother of collecting what seemingly
is a tiny amount of data these days. Its various explanations maybe have
a glimmer of truth but we suspect it's just that it is too lazy. It doesnt
do much else in the backward compatability sphere. It keeps dropping support
for old browsers every now and then and I guess anyone with gmail that
uses 2000s versions of encryption are lucky they can still connect to any
service at all.
All the businesses Google takes over semm to go the same way. Eventually
you have to keep upgrading your h/w and s/w just to connect to the service
and you spot increasing levels of "spurious material" going back and
forth between your laptop and google HQ.

Maybe 10 years back my then ISP dropped USENET support. At one point it
was free. Even Twitter at one point was free.
Its "explanation" for why it was dropping USENET was "this is no longer
a commercial service" (given they didnt change then they cant be
talking about themselves) they then suggested you go to a subsription
service and pay for it -- seeming admitting it was a commercial
service.

If a natural language AI can't deal with self-contradictory text it is dead
in the 21st century.