It didn't fail, it's just that GUI chat UIs like AOL and later web forums were more visually attractive, and were able to incorporate graphics. Usenet relied on uuencode for any sort of binary attachment which was a pain in the ass. There was also a high degree of snobbishness that made it unwelcoming to new users, who naturally went to other fora where they weren't treated like children.
The other problem was spam. Usenet had excellent moderation/blocking capabilities for the time ('welcome to my killfile' was the last thing many trolls heard from a person), but relied on a general consensus that spam is cancer. Then Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel single-handedly broke usenet in one afternoon nearly 30 years ago, and I still feel annoyed whenever I think of them. People like this exemplify everything that is toxic about capitalism.
The other problem was spam. Usenet had excellent moderation/blocking capabilities for the time ('welcome to my killfile' was the last thing many trolls heard from a person), but relied on a general consensus that spam is cancer. Then Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel single-handedly broke usenet in one afternoon nearly 30 years ago, and I still feel annoyed whenever I think of them. People like this exemplify everything that is toxic about capitalism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Canter_and_Martha_Sie...