The Eternal September

In the history of the Internet, September 1993 is often referenced as a turning point, a seemingly innocuous moment that fundamentally altered the dynamics of online communities. This phenomenon is famously referred to as The Eternal September.

In the winter of 1993, long-time users of USENET¹ clashed with a cohort of newcomers from America Online (AOL).² Unfamiliar with norms and practices, the newbies seemed to overrun the network, clogging newsgroups with poorly formatted posts and repetitive questions. In response, exasperated USENET users took out the metaphorical flamethrowers, blasting America Online subscribers with caustic replies, blocking the aol.com domain, and venting in newsgroups like alt.aol-sucks. Within a few months, the flames died down, but it is considered that the golden days of the Net were over.

The Era of Usenet (Pre-1993)

Before 1993, the Internet was a smaller, more insular space. One of its primary hubs was Usenet, a network of discussion forums (called newsgroups) where people exchanged ideas, debated topics, and shared files. Usenet, founded in 1980, was accessible primarily to university students, researchers, and a select group of tech-savvy enthusiasts who had access to these networks. Each September, a wave of new college students would flood Usenet as universities granted freshmen access to the Internet. It became a yearly ritual where experienced users would patiently (or sometimes impatiently) guide these newcomers through the etiquette³ and rules of online interaction, teaching them the norms of discussion and debate.

Colloquially known as “September,” it represented a brief period of disorganization and chaos on Usenet until the newbies either adapted or left. However, once the new users acclimatized, things would always return to normal.

September of 1993 - the Influx

In September 1993, AOL, one of the largest and most popular internet service providers, decided to offer its users full access to Usenet. Unlike previous September waves, which were limited to university students, AOL introduced millions of everyday internet users—many of whom had never experienced online forums—into the Usenet ecosystem.

Usenet veterans quickly realized that the usual cycle of newcomers arriving in September and adapting had changed. The sheer volume of new participants, most of whom were unfamiliar with the previously established norms, disrupted the careful balance that had existed on Usenet. Unlike before, this wave never receded. As the months rolled on, the disorganization didn’t subside.

September 1993 never ended.

That’s when “The Eternal September” was coined, initially as a tongue-in-cheek comment about the endless stream of users who didn’t adhere to Usenet’s standards. It marked the beginning of a continuous cycle of new users overwhelming existing communities, a pattern that would become a hallmark of the Internet age.

Cultural Impact

Online communities that had once been small and self-regulating suddenly found themselves inundated with users who didn’t understand or respect their norms. Flame wars, trolling, and off-topic posts became more common. Veteran users lamented the decline of what had once been a “civilized” place for discussion.

The Eternal September was a harbinger of things to come. Just as Usenet was transformed by the influx of AOL users, the broader Internet would undergo similar transformations in the following years. The growth of platforms such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit echoed the same pattern: a small, insular community would proliferate rapidly as the platform became more popular, leading to changes in the community’s culture and norms.

“It’s moot now. September 1993 will go down in net.history as the September that never ended.” — Dave Fischer

The Eternal September is a landmark event in the history of the Internet, symbolizing the moment when online communities became more inclusive, diverse, and chaotic. While some lamented the loss of the “good old days,” this shift was inevitable as the Internet moved from an academic tool to a mass medium.

What began as a flood of new users in 1993 has continued ever since, with the Internet growing more dynamic, unpredictable, and varied as time goes on. The Eternal September never really ended—and it probably never will.