Google has ferreted some interesting Usenet posts from bygone days to highlight the integration of 20 years of Usenet archives into Google Groups.

The search engine firm has compiled memorable articles and threads in a timeline (http://www.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html) which features Tim Berners-Lee's announcement of what became the World Wide Web (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=6487%40cernvax.cern.ch) (August 1991) or Linus Torvalds' first post about his "pet project" (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=1991Oct5.054106.4647%40klaava.Helsinki.FI) (October 1991).

Going further back there's a record of the first mention of Microsoft (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=anews.Aunc.850) in May 1981 and the first review of the IBM PC (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=anews.Aucbvax.2735) in August 1981. World events such as Usenet reaction to the Challenger space shuttle disaster are recorded, but the list also finds time to highlight lighter material - like the first BOFH posting (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=1992Jun10.091440.8536%40waikato.ac.nz) (in June 1992).

Google now offers access to more than 700 million messages dating back to 1981, making it what is believed to be the most complete collection of Usenet articles ever assembled. ®

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External links

Google's timeline of Usenet postings over the last 20 years (and how to contribute interesting Usenet items) (http://www.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html)

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