I don't think Usenet failed. It declined.
It was a platform for "first hour" internet users, the early "internet natives", mostly nerds, like us.
When the masses appeared on the "intarwebs" the web would be the place to go, with all it's flashy hypermedia and uniform way of use (no separate client needed, same philosophy, etc.)
Each time I search for something, the first two, three pages, maybe even more, are just shops and affiliate link sites, that offer the thing I want information about. At least, if thing is a product. Not a single forum reference. I need to add the keyword "forum" in order to get such results. To me that is typical corporate degeneration and decline. Too big to fail, to trashy to be relevant any longer, instead, however, omnipresent.
It's not. It's much more simple, than anything else I know. XPath, and its higher-up XQuery make it a breeze! XSD, while not perfect, can be easily displayed as a graphical diagram. What you, however, need, and there is no way around it, is a specialized XML IDE or an IDE, that has "understood" XML.
In 2003, right before a few new nations entered the European Union, the EU had set up several websites, where people from the new, soon to be, member nations could inform themselfes about each of the current EU member states.
The document describing Germany mentioned, under the chapter "Employment", that 80% of all jobs in Germany get distributed via social connections. Now I am still in shock and it may be, that this includes the employment office, but the chances to get a good job, as either an immigrant or a socially marginalized person, is low.
So, bringing socioeconomics into play is totally acceptable.
I do not think one should reject any social privileges one has, but one also should respect, that this is not the case for everybody and do something about it.
It sounds good to say "we should do something about it," but that ignores the fact that there will always be inequality.
Steve J. and Steve W. knew each other. They knew some other people. They used their social connections to found Apple. As a result of that, bears in the jungles of Darkest Peru can now typeset Dennis Ritchie's thesis in full-color on a supercomputer that fits under their hat next to their marmalade sandwich.
Putting barriers up to prevent this sort of thing in the name of some airy-fairy equity ideology to make people "feel good" isn't the progress some think it is.
I said:
> I do not think one should reject any social privileges one has
to which you replied:
> Putting barriers up to prevent this sort of thing
If you reread my comment, you may find, that I mentioned explicetly, not to put barriers on "this sort of thing" but instead respecting the fact, that some people just have no chance to enter a group, without the group taking additional steps in finding them.
It sounds good to say "we should do something about it," but that ignores the fact that there will always be inequality.
Steve J. and Steve W. knew each other. They knew some other people. They used their social connections to found Apple. As a result of that, 20 people a year jump to their death in Taiwan alone.
Putting barriers up to prevent this sort of thing in the name of some airy-fairy equity ideology to make people "stay alive" isn't the progress some think it is.
In other words 20% of jobs were distributed via the much less efficient and risky approach of job adds, formal applications, HR scanning CVs for buzzwords and credentials, lengthy interview vetting process, etc.
I agree with OP. It is empowering that you can achieve more when working with people you know well and trust.
You mention that this makes it harder for immigrants. Of course it does. Immigration is disruptive to once life. It only makes sense to migrate, if the prospects at the new place are much better, despite effectively loosing access to your existing network at home. Of course it will take time, to re-build such a network.
I've moved within a Canadian province (about 750km) and it was pretty disruptive.
Friends and family are far, kids are challenging without that village, nobody knows you from around, etc. Like you say, though, the new place looked much better than the old one.
Couldn't imagine doing it from half a planet away.
