The most important feature of a Usenet provider is retention rate. While it is not the only factor that should be considered when subscribing to Usenet, it is the most straightforward measure of how much data will be available to you and can directly impact completion rates. Higher retention rates result in more complete searches and less missing articles.
What Are Usenet Retention Rates?
Usenet retention rates are a measure, in days, of how long a provider keeps a post on their servers. When something is posted to Usenet, it is stored on servers operated by the providers. During the early days of Usenet, in order to keep storage costs down, posts were deleted from servers after a certain period. The amount of time that a post was retained was called a “retention rate.”
Over time, retention rates have increased from a handful of weeks to 5736+ days on several providers.
Why Retention is So Important
There are a lot of reasons why retention rates are crucial.
The pivotal advantage gained by selecting the best Usenet providers lies in their commitment to storing a complete Usenet feed with full retention, meaning they meticulously archive every article without filtering based on popularity. This comprehensive approach is crucial because some providers opt only to retain widely accessed articles, leading to a scenario where users might find older, less popular content missing. Our recommendations are exclusively for full retention providers to ensure you have unrestricted access to the entirety of Usenet’s vast resources.
“Full retention” means that there are no holes in the stated retention period. A provider might claim a particular retention rate, but only store the most popular articles from that period. Similarly, the retention rate might refer only to text newsgroups and the binary retention is actually much lower.
This full retention policy is not just about quantity; it significantly enhances the user experience. With a more extensive archive, you gain access to a broader range of articles, ensuring that your searches are more thorough and your completion rates are significantly higher. Furthermore, a complete retention strategy means that searches can index articles that might have been overlooked or removed by other services, offering a more accurate and comprehensive search experience.
Beyond the immediate benefits to users, full retention serves a more profound, historical purpose. Much of Usenet’s early history was lost due to inadequate retention policies in its formative years, severing our link to a vital segment of internet heritage. Providers that implement spooling retention, increasing their stored content day by day, are not only facilitating current access but are also preserving a complete archive of Usenet history. This effort in archiving is invaluable, benefiting not just today’s users but ensuring that future generations have a window into the evolution of online communities.
Average vs. Extraordinary Retention
Usenet retention periods aren’t one-size-fits-all. The average is around 4,000 days, but some providers like Newshosting, Eweka, Easynews, and UsenetServer, go above and beyond with a whopping 5736+ days of spooling retention. Moreover, you can get these extended retention rates without burning a hole in your pocket!
Text vs. Binary Posts
Not every provider has a consistent retention rate. Many will have different rates for text posts vs binary posts. Text articles on Usenet are relatively small, so it’s easier to store those for long periods of time. Binary posts, which can be several hundred gigs in some cases, take up a lot more digital real estate, so providers looking to save money on storage will often set those retention rates lower.
This differentiation in retention policies underscores the importance of diligently reviewing a provider’s retention rates for both text and binary posts before committing. This practice can reveal discrepancies where a provider advertises a high overall retention rate, which might primarily apply to text posts. Meanwhile, their binary post retention, potentially more relevant to users interested in accessing large articles, may only span a few hundred days, reflecting a relatively recent operational backend.
Being aware of this distinction helps in making an informed decision, ensuring that the chosen Usenet service aligns with your specific needs, whether you’re more interested in the textual discussions or in accessing binary articles in newsgroups. Always look for transparency in retention policies to avoid any surprises regarding access to older content.
What Else You Should Consider
While retention might be the most important factor to consider when signing up for Usenet, there are other facets to this hidden gem.
- Speedy Transfers: Nobody wants to wait to access a Usenet article, so be sure that you get a provider that offers fast transfer speeds. Pay attention to any speed caps that might be attached to a particular plan.
- Strong Security: A solid security solution is vital to protecting yourself online. Your Usenet provider should at least offer SSL connections, and it’s a great bonus if you also get access to a VPN, antivirus, or ad blocking.
- Included Newsreaders: Some providers throw in built-in newsreaders, making your browsing experience that much better. Unless you are fairly experienced, it’s a good idea to start with any included newsreaders until you understand Usenet better.
- Usenet Search: Searching Usenet is a little different from searching the Web, so it helps if your provider includes a form of Usenet search to simplify the process.
- Price: While it would be nice to not have to worry about cost, most of us do have to balance what we want with what we can afford. That’s why we’ve collected the best Usenet deals to help you stretch your Usenet budget a bit further.
Bottom Line
We cannot stress enough how important retention is to your Usenet experience. Getting a provider with a high retention rate will significantly improve how you interact with Usenet. When you’re looking for a provider, be sure that you keep retention top of mind.