Sind Usenet Boards illegal?

No. Usenet boards are no more illegal than Usenet providers or newsgroups in the Internet alternative itself. Nevertheless, you can make yourself liable to prosecution with your activities online - even within Usenet forums. Buying footage, for example, can prove illegal - but for conventional information exchange, the Usenet boards are perfectly suitable.

Usenet Boards - What Are They About?

You don’t just want to surf the Usenet, but also exchange information with other users on the number one Internet alternative? For this purpose, you can use so-called Usenet boards or Usenet forums, which are available in large numbers. However, users are now asking themselves whether these are still usable and legal at all – all because some forums have recently caused legal problems. Here on Alynsmith.com I tell you everything you need to know about forums – and give you important tips on the subject. Because after all, it is important to us that you are able to enjoy full security when it comes to Usenet.

What Are Usenet Boards For?

Usenet boards were originally set up in order to promote information exchange on Usenet and to give users outside the Internet the opportunity to learn everything worth knowing. In short: On Usenet Boards you can acquire extensive knowledge about the use of Usenet, so that you don’t have to struggle with the functions and newsgroups during your paid time on the net. For example, in the forums you can expect:

To have questions answered
To have solutions sought to problems – for example of a technical nature
To be informed about currently discussed topics in certain newsgroups
To be able to message other users directly
To be imparted handy tips and tricks on the way

Such Usenet boards are therefore extremely helpful, especially for beginners, but also for advanced users. Enthusiastic users can share preferences, but also uncover inconsistencies or help each other with problems. What sounds good at first, however, has fallen a little into disrepute in recent years. I’ll be happy to explain why in more detail below.

What happened to the Usenet boards?

Since 2017, Usenet boards such as Brothers of Usenet and House of Usenet have been quiet. Why? Because legal action has been taken against some of the forum operators – and for a variety of reasons. For example, some Usenet boards were accused of providing users with illegal access to movie and music files in exchange for payment. Because this can cost the relevant industries large sums of money, the whole thing was prosecuted. In the process, it also came to light: Even data of users who operated illegally in the forums were passed on. This also created fear among other users to continue using the Usenet boards.

Nevertheless, most Usenet boards are active and accessible again today, so you don’t have to worry about their disappearance. Although some operators have voluntarily closed their forums, the exchange of information continues in most of the known forums elsewhere. So you can find sufficient places to go if you want to exchange information with other Usenet users – for example, on Usenet providers.

For which Usenet forums can you register?

USENET BOARD	REGISTRATION POSSIBLE?	THE TIME ONLINE?
Brothers of Usenet	Currently no New applications accepted	Forum is online and can be used by registered users as be used as usual
House of Usenet	Registrations currently possible	Currently online & usable
Usenet4all	Registrations possible	Online
NZBGeek	Registrations possible	Online
NZBPlanet	Registrations possible	Online

In addition to these well-known Usenet boards, there are of course other forums that are certainly worth a look or two. For example, there is Newz Complex – a board with an extremely large number of members that is not only online, but also accepts registrations. So you can be sure: You don’t have to do without the benefits of Usenet boards at the moment – despite a recently tense situation online.

International or German Usenet Boards?

NZBGeek and also UsenetCrawler are popular, international Usenet forums. The other variants I mentioned are from German-speaking countries. So you can choose which board to register with based entirely on your preferences. If you are proficient in English, I recommend registering with a national provider and international board at the same time – this way you can exchange information with more users at the same time and possibly also benefit from a broader knowledge of the users in case of problems. Because one thing is the same on all Usenet boards: people are happy to help each other. Whether you have questions about Usenet providers, want to find out about the best newsreader, or more – they’re sure to be happy to lend you a hand.

FAQs On Usenet boards - and my Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Precisely because uncertainties have recently arisen regarding Usenet boards, I would like to leave no question unanswered and respond below to all open questions that are more frequently asked about virtual forums. So you can learn more before you register with your favorite board.

Are Usenet Boards illegal?

No. Usenet boards are no more illegal than Usenet providers or newsgroups on the number one Internet alternative itself. Nevertheless, you can make yourself liable for prosecution with your activities online – even within Usenet forums. Buying protected footage, for example, can prove illegal – but for conventional information exchange, Usenet boards are perfectly suitable.

Which Usenet boards are still online?

As you can see, some Usenet boards are still online. Popular boards like Brothers of Usenet or Usenet4all can still be found online and are usable if you are already registered. In most forums you can actually register and hope to be accepted even without an invitation. So if you are still looking for the right Usenet boards, you will quickly find them.

Which Usenet boards are no longer online?

Some Usenet boards have not managed to reopen their doors to users after uncertain times. Providers such as Ghost of Usenet, for example, have gone offline and have also been out of sight for a long time, so there is no hope of a revival. However, since there are plenty of alternatives to be found, this doesn’t mean any disadvantages for you.