Quote:
Originally Posted by JonDuke
I know this is the "tech talk" category but does anyone else feel as dumb as I do after reading that? Wow. I'm sure this is a fantastic post, but I don't understand 80% of it. Well done!
All I know is I use Supernews, and then used nxbmatrix to find whatever I was looking for. I'm still using supernews, because I know not any other way, but is there an alternative to the other?
Or, (the only part I actually did comprehend) what is a better protocol for this?
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In order to share files you had three issues to deal with:
1. Usenet was created for text conversations. You need to convert the file to text and back again.
2. There is a limit to how big a file can be and still be transferred successfully. Because of this they have to be split into several parts.
3. When files are uploaded to usenet they "spread out" to all of the various servers that host them. Parts of the files can be lost in the process. Repair files (or PARs) are required to fix them.
All three issues require extra bandwidth and CPU cycles compared to a direct download.
There are other issues, such as file retention. They aren't really a problem if you subscribe to a decent service, but that costs money.