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# Usenet
Usenet (User's Network) is an ancient [Internet](internet.md) discussion network -- a [forum](forum.md) -- that existed long before the [World Wide Web](www.md). At the time it was very popular, it was THE place to be on the Internet (for those who actually were on the Internet, that is), but nowadays it's been forgotten by the mainstream, sadly hardly anyone remembers it.
Usenet (User's Network) is an ancient digital discussion network -- a [forum](forum.md) -- that existed long before the [World Wide Web](www.md). At the time it was very popular, it was THE place to be, but nowadays it's been forgotten by the mainstream, sadly hardly anyone remembers it.
Back in the day there were no [web browsers](browser.md), there was no web. Users of the Internet could communicate e.g. by [email](email.md) or by directly connecting to servers and leaving messages for others there -- these servers were called [BBS](bbs.md)es and were another popular kind of [social network](social_network.md) at the time. Usenet was a bit different as it was [decentralized](decentralization.md) -- it wasn't stored or managed on a single [server](server.md), but on many independent servers that provided users with access to the network. This access was (and is) mostly paid (to [lurk](lurk.md) for free you can search for Usenet archives online). To access Usenet a **newsreader** program was needed, it was kind of a precursor to web browsers (nowadays newsreaders are sometimes built into e.g. email clients). Usenet was lots of time not moderated and anonymous, i.e. kind of free, you could find all kinds of illegal material there.
Back in the day there were no [web browsers](browser.md), there was no web. Many users were also **not connected through Internet** as it was expensive, they normally used other networks like [UUCP](uucp.md) working through phone lines. They could communicate by some forms of electronic mail or by directly connecting to servers and leaving messages for others there -- these servers were called [BBS](bbs.md)es and were another popular kind of "[social network](social_network.md)" at the time. Usenet was a bit different as it was [decentralized](decentralization.md) -- it wasn't stored or managed on a single [server](server.md), but on many independent servers that provided users with access to the network. This access was (and is) mostly paid (to [lurk](lurk.md) for free you can search for Usenet archives online). To access Usenet a **newsreader** program was needed, it was kind of a precursor to web browsers (nowadays newsreaders are sometimes built into e.g. email clients). Usenet was lots of time not moderated and anonymous, i.e. kind of free, you could find all kinds of illegal material there.
Usenet invented many things that survive until today such as the words *[spam](spam.md)* and *[FAQ](faq.md)* as well as some basic concepts of how discussion forums even work.