---
wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September
tags:
  - culture
---
> **Eternal September** or the **September that never ended** refers to a cultural phenomenon during a period beginning around late 1993 and early 1994, when [
> Internet service providers began offering [Usenet](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet "Usenet") access to many new users. Prior to this, the only sudden changes in the volume of new users of Usenet occurred each September, when cohorts of university students would gain access to it for the first time. The periodic flood of new users overwhelmed the existing culture for online forums and the ability to enforce existing norms. [AOL](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOL "AOL") began their Usenet gateway service in March 1994, leading to a constant stream of new users. Hence, from the early Usenet hobbyist point of view, the influx of new users that began in September 1993 appeared to be endless.