messaging Since Usenet first got off the ground in

1980-81, it has grown exponentially, approximately doubling in

size every year. On the other hand, most people feel the

signal-to-noise ratio of Usenet has dropped steadily.

These trends led, as far back as mid-1983, to predictions of

the imminent collapse (or death) of the net. Ten years and

numerous doublings later, enough of these gloomy

prognostications have been confounded that the phrase

"Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!" has become a running

joke, hauled out any time someone grumbles about the S/Nratio or the huge and steadily increasing volume, or the

possible loss of a key node or link, or the potential for

lawsuits when ignoramuses post copyrighted material etc.