Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!
prov.
[Usenet] Since {Usenet} first got off the ground in 1980--81, it has
grown exponentially, approximately doubling in size every year. On the
other hand, most people feel the {signal-to-noise ratio} of Usenet has
dropped steadily. These trends led, as far back as mid-1983, to
predictions of the imminent collapse (or death) of the net. Ten years
and numerous doublings later, enough of these gloomy prognostications
have been confounded that the phrase "Imminent Death Of The Net
Predicted!" has become a running joke, hauled out any time someone
grumbles about the {S/N ratio} or the huge and steadily increasing
volume, or the possible loss of a key node or link, or the potential
for lawsuits when ignoramuses post copyrighted material, etc., etc.,
etc.
Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!
<messaging> Since {Usenet} first got off the ground in
1980-81, it has grown exponentially, approximately doubling in
size every year. On the other hand, most people feel the
{signal-to-noise ratio} of {Usenet} has dropped steadily.
These trends led, as far back as mid-1983, to predictions of
the imminent collapse (or death) of the net. Ten years and
numerous doublings later, enough of these gloomy
prognostications have been confounded that the phrase
"Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!" has become a running
joke, hauled out any time someone grumbles about the {S/N
ratio} or the huge and steadily increasing volume, or the
possible loss of a key node or link, or the potential for
lawsuits when ignoramuses post copyrighted material etc.
[{Jargon File}]
(1998-09-24)