David Pearson wrote:

Whilst I agree with the arguments advanced here, I just wanted to log
the (sad) fact that few Internet users are frequenting newsgroups these
days - I know of other groups lamenting a steady decline in activity. So
frankly, I suspect that for many people, pukka websites are what they
expect to find or frequent (and Google's newsgroup access is no real
substitute). I rather suspect that, even without Messrs Bennett and
Kemper, this group would anyway now be a shadow of its original self.

uk.rec.climbing is a shadow of its former self for (AFAICT) those
reasons. No particular cancer on the group, folk just drifted off to
web forums (with Work Of Stan user interfaces that aren't a shadow of a
good newsreader).

Others have fared better: uk.rec.cycling continues to thrive and grow,
uk.rec.walking seems to be sustaining very well too.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/