"Ancient Artifact" Yahoos Closed Down

The aptly-named Yahoo "Ancient Artifacts" discussion list run as a 'public group' by Tim Haines is at last closing down.

Yahoo Groups is shutting down after more than 18 years, and the Verizon-owned company is deleting all content from the site in mid-December. "Yahoo has made the decision to no longer allow users to upload content to the Yahoo Groups site," the company said in a notice to users. "Beginning October 28, you won't be able to upload any more content to the site, and as of December 14 all previously posted content on the site will be permanently removed. You'll have until that date to save anything you've uploaded." [...] Although the Yahoo Groups site will continue to exist after December 14, "all public groups will be made private or restricted," Yahoo said. Users will continue to "be able to communicate with your groups via email and search for private groups on the site," and admins will retain "limited access to group settings and administration tools," but that's it. [...] Yahoo launched Groups on January 30, 2001, saying in a press release that the site would help users "build relationships, stay in touch, share ideas, and discuss interests through the convenience of popular e-mail and Web-based tools."

In 2010, Yahoo said there were 115 million Yahoo Groups users and 10 million groups, eWeek reported at the time. Yahoo also boasted then that it had contracts with about 100 carriers and handset makers around the world to preinstall Yahoo apps on mobile devices.  [...] Obviously, Yahoo Groups lost prominence as social networks soared, and the Yahoo business in general declined throughout the 2010s. Verizon bought Yahoo's operating business for $4.48 billion in June 2017, forming a new subsidiary called "Oath" that included both Yahoo and AOL.

Oath (now called "Verizon Media") failed to compete effectively against Google and Facebook in the advertising market, and Verizon has responded by repeatedly cutting the division's budget and staff.

Here, before it disappears, is what it says in the blurb about the AA group:

Group Description
eBay is awash fake artefacts: it's a minefield for the inexperienced collector, and all too often even professionals need to compare notes to keep abreast of what's happening in the marketplace. This group came together to fight antiquities fraud on eBay and the Net in general.  We're an open group and very broad based in the range of subjects that we like to talk about, but NO POLITICS PLEASE, since we are a peaceful tribe and greatly dislike flame wars. Any artefact dating from China's Ming Dynasty or earlier is sufficiently 'ancient' to attract our interest. We welcome many new collectors, and have many highly experienced and qualified members willing to offer help and advice, including many of the best antiquities dealers on the net, as well as Phd's, university professors and museum curators. Feel free to ask for help identifying items, ask for approximate values, background information, whatever. If you have some news from the world of antiquities to pass on, this is the place to do it. We are committed to responsible antiquities collecting, and members have compiled a voluntary code of conduct for collectors: http://tinyurl.com/ancientartifacts [dead link for many years]
Dealers and individuals are welcome to post details of their own items for sale here, as well as links to eBay and other sales.
Tim Haines (listowner)

Group Information Members: 3384 Category: Antiques Founded: Jun 7, 2002 Language: English Group Email Addresses Post Message : ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com Subscribe : ancientartifacts-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe : ancientartifacts-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com List Owner : ancientartifacts-owner@yahoogroups.com