What’s the Difference Between Usenet and Facebook?

The internet has made it easier than ever to connect with people worldwide who enjoy the same interests, whether cooking or cars; social networks allow you to find vast amounts of information and opinions on nearly any topic imaginable. 

Facebook is one of the most popular sites worldwide, but it has also been rife with controversy over the years, including sharing information with advertisers and market research companies. For those who are deeply concerned with privacy but who want to find great discussions about their favorite topics, there is a venerable alternative: Usenet, which has been around since 1980 and remains a vibrant community today. 

What’s the difference between these two social networks, and how do you get started with Usenet? Today, we’ll examine how Facebook and Usenet differ, as well as provide a brief guide on how to begin enjoying the internet’s first social network. 

Usenet is Decentralized, While Facebook is Centralized

In brief, Usenet comprises a decentralized network of systems to access a central hub of servers, where the Usenet data is stored. You can think of it a bit like buying a ticket at one movie theater to watch a movie that’s also been shown at cinemas across the country: the Usenet provider you choose permits you access to the information, which is similar to the information that others can download from their own provider. 

In contrast, Facebook is all accessed through the same centralized hub; everything is stored by one company, Meta, and there is only one way to get its information. This makes it much more vulnerable to attacks and data breaches, and it also means that you don’t have much say in what information is stored about you or how it is used.  

You Can Be Assured of Privacy With Usenet

Security should be a major concern for everyone who connects to the internet, whether that is by protecting their devices from hackers or using a VPN to keep their information safe. Unfortunately, many of the social media sites that we love to use are quite concerning from a security perspective, as they gather a large amount of our personal information that can be compromised with a click of a button. 

Popular Science has developed a guide to show how to lock your Facebook profile down, and it truly reveals the breadth of data that the company and its parent company Meta actually have on you: everything from your primary location to what kinds of devices you use is kept in their databases. 

In contrast, Usenet collects minimal information on you, making it very secure for those concerned about their privacy. The network itself, Usenet, has almost no data on you as a user; your Usenet provider has all your information, which means that if a different provider experiences a security breach, you will have no concerns whatsoever. Most providers also have a no-log policy, meaning they don’t keep track of your ISP or what you search for.

Algorithms Shift the User Experience

Another thing about Usenet, as opposed to Facebook, is that there is no algorithm: you are in complete control of your experience and can choose what information you see. Many Facebook users complain that they follow a page or account and never actually see it on their feed; for example, if they interact more with “Baking in Tennessee” than “Persian Cat Memes,” they will almost never see the cat page on their feed. This makes the user experience quite stale and, frankly, disappointing.

In contrast, with Usenet, you’ll see everything from a newsgroup you follow. You curate your experience by choosing what to subscribe to, and then you will get a digest of each of these newsgroups every time you download information from your provider. This means that, as long as that newsgroup is relatively active, you will always have fresh discussions to review. 

Usenet Has a Slight Learning Curve

However, it must be noted that you can’t simply log on to Usenet as you would for Facebook, Twitter, or another social media site: you will need to choose a good Usenet provider, who will then provide you access to the Usenet network. Many of these also have built-in newsreaders, which is what you use to download articles to review at your leisure; if you pick a provider who does not have their own newsreader, you will have to select one. In addition, if you want to browse for newsgroups or find older articles, you can use an indexer, a search engine specifically engineered for Usenet. 

This can seem complicated at first, especially when compared to common social media, but it only takes an hour or two to get familiar with, and there are plenty of great guides available, both on Usenet newsgroups and the internet as a whole, that can help guide you as you explore the vast amount of information in newsgroups.

Facebook and Usenet both have the same underlying purpose, which is to help you find discussions and information that you care about, but they have different setups and policies which you should be aware of as you prepare to get involved in great discussions. Give Usenet a try to better understand its unique qualities; you may find yourself far more enticed by this network’s privacy, security, and diversity.

Feature Photo by James Yarema on Unsplash