Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site Glacier.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!decwrl!Glacier!reid From: reid@Glacier.ARPA (Brian Reid) Newsgroups: net.news Subject: how ubiquitous is Usenet? Message-ID: <2217@Glacier.ARPA> Date: Tue, 8-Jan-85 11:17:34 EST Article-I.D.: Glacier.2217 Posted: Tue Jan 8 11:17:34 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 11-Jan-85 22:48:04 EST Distribution: net Organization: Stanford University, Computer Systems Lab Lines: 20 Last night I was the after-dinner speaker to a group of 100 people at a local (Silicon Valley) church; my assigned topic was something along the lines of how computers are going to change life. I forget exactly what they wanted me to talk about. What I did talk about was computer mail, bboards, netnews, plans for stargate, etc. At the beginning of the talk I wanted to know who my audience was, so I asked a few questions. Question 1 was "how many of you work in the computer industry?" About 80 raised their hands. Question 2 was "how many of you have a home computer?" About 90 raised their hands. Question 3 was "how many of you know what Usenet is?" One person raised his hand. Somehow we collectively nurture this fantasy that Usenet is ubiquitous and universal, yet in this reasonably random sample of computer professionals, only 1% had even HEARD of it. Something to think about. -- Brian Reid decwrl!glacier!reid Stanford reid@SU-Glacier.ARPA