Hi cheregi! Usenet is an ancient system that allows users to create discussion
groups such as RMCR. It was created by computer professionals in 1980 and has
a less friendly interface compared to what is available today, so Google
provided a way to conveniently access Usenet through their Google Groups
interface which follows the interface conventions folks are used to these
days.
For whatever reason, Google will no longer support full access to Usenet as of
the 22nd - old posts will still appear through Google Groups but no new
threads or posts will be there - so there will be no ability to start topics
or reply.
In order to continue access, you will need to acquire a separate app on your
PC or phone that allows access to Usenet - this is called a client. You will
also need to configure the client to point to a Usenet server.
There are many Usenet servers, some of them allow free access, but most have a
monthly charge.
sci.space created a separate thread which provides more
detail: "OT - Replacement for Google Groups, recommendations?"
I'm going to now post this explanation there - please feel free to reply there
with any or all questions you have!
And thank you for all of your well written posts on early music, world music,
and contemporary music - the dialog between you and Todd is definitely one of
the highlights of RMCR!