> I don't buy it. The web forums that largely replaced Usenet also had significant barriers to entry;
Not really. The fact alone that anyone could create their own web forum is already leaps and bounds ahead of what Usenet users could ever do.
Those interested in setting up their web forum had to endure the technical and financial hurdles of getting it and running just to sidestep the artificial and byzantine barriers to entry required by Usenet's self-described guardians.
Afterwards, services like Reddit and the like further simplified the process of creating a web forum, and thus virtually the whole world jumped onboard.
> "(...) although you could get a PHPBB hosting account pretty easily you would then have to drive traffic to your site*
There is nothing simple about setting up a full blown web server. Let's not fool ourselves.
This is something that some software engineers never done nor have experience in what is required to get it up and running from start to finish. This is certainly not something at the reach of any person with a hobby or even personal interest.
Not really. The fact alone that anyone could create their own web forum is already leaps and bounds ahead of what Usenet users could ever do.
Those interested in setting up their web forum had to endure the technical and financial hurdles of getting it and running just to sidestep the artificial and byzantine barriers to entry required by Usenet's self-described guardians.
Afterwards, services like Reddit and the like further simplified the process of creating a web forum, and thus virtually the whole world jumped onboard.
> "(...) although you could get a PHPBB hosting account pretty easily you would then have to drive traffic to your site*
There is nothing simple about setting up a full blown web server. Let's not fool ourselves.
This is something that some software engineers never done nor have experience in what is required to get it up and running from start to finish. This is certainly not something at the reach of any person with a hobby or even personal interest.