I just recently started reading Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge and it's fascinating that he thought Usenet (or something VERY similar) would be how civilizations communicate with each other across the galaxy.
(Granted, it was written in the early 90s but feels very apropos to see a post about it here on HN)
Given the time lag - even with FTL! - it still seems much more reasonable than Star Trek's flawless, synchronous video with automatic translation that works flawlessly and is never remarked upon (Unless the plot requires it).
(Granted, it was written in the early 90s but feels very apropos to see a post about it here on HN)