Usenet, at its inception in 1980, used to be all about data sharing. One user posts a message, and other users read them, kind of like a BBS or a host of modern day internet forums. The difference, however, is that the information is distributed over a number of servers rather than one central server.

Fast forward to today and you will find that Usenet providers are first and foremost data storage providers while still retaining the news sharing features. The software company Golden Frog has developed Dump Truck, a WebDAV file sharing service, specifically for Diamond-level Giganews Usenet account holders, putting the cloud to good use.

No Data Deduplication

Unlike other storage providers out there, DumpTruck does not check your data against any other users. Normally, the system will perform a check against all other data to see if there is a duplicate. If so, they will only store one of the many, saving space on the system for other data. This makes your storage space exclusively yours, which I'm sure many people will like.

Your data is also secure thanks to 256-bit SSL, comparable to the encryption a bank would use. This is the same encryption level whether you are uploading or downloading. They also don't use third parties to aid in storing users' data. Both of these points combined should make users feel confident that their data doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

Why DumpTruck?

Yes, some still turn to Usenet to share news. However, it's the file sharing that is a big deal. With the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House (SOPA Act), users could face some big problems. The bill was expected to pass on Friday, but for some reason the vote has been pushed to December 21. Those in favor of the bill believe it will put an end to the piracy of music, movies, and books, while others feel it will give Big Brother a bit more control over what we are able to see online.

This means that Usenet as it was once known could be turned upside down, and is why DumpTruck is a great addition to Giganews, securing data on servers untouchable by the government or anyone else. For obvious reasons, Dumptruck will have many functions and purposes to many different types of people and employers all over the world. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the SOPA Act and Dumptruck play out in the long run.

Additional Information

DumpTruck is available to Giganews users at various levels. 5GB is provided to all users for free, and with a Diamond account ($24.99/month for the first three months, 34.99 after that) the user ups their storage to 30GB. From there, users can opt to add more storage. 50GB for 9.99/month, 100GB for 19.99/month, 500GB for 69.99/month, and 1TB for 99.99/month. Future additions to the service include iOS/Android apps, opting to share certain files with others, and apps for Windows/Mac, making access as simple as clicking a drive icon.