> Spam, and the inability to address it adequately, was a big part of what killed USENET.
Spam was a nuisance, but not a relevant or even significant one at a technical standpoint. Client-side spam filters and the flimsiest of moderation solved that problem.
Claiming that spam killed Usenet makes as much sense as claiming that spam killed email.
Spam accelerated the centralisation of email, certainly. Setting up your own server incurs problems in both directions, both deliverability and spam blocking.
Spam was a nuisance, but not a relevant or even significant one at a technical standpoint. Client-side spam filters and the flimsiest of moderation solved that problem.
Claiming that spam killed Usenet makes as much sense as claiming that spam killed email.