Informally known as 'csa8', this Usenet newsgroup is devoted to all Amstrad 8-bit machines, including the PCW range, GX4000 and NC100/200.
The group came into being in 4th August 1994. The RFC and CFV were written by Emmanuel Roussin after an idea by David Long and Marco Vieth.
Since then, most traffic has consistently been CPC-related. Contributors have included Cliff Lawson from Amstrad and Richard Clayton from Locomotive Software, numerous demo coders and fanzine editors, and several magazine writers.
Established at a time when there were few CPC websites and no discussion boards, the group enabled CPC news to be broadcast instantly (such as the closure of Amstrad Action) and even, in a modest way, played its own part in CPC affairs in later years (such as the resignation of Paul Dwerryhouse from WACCI).
Though traffic is reduced from its heyday, the newsgroup is still active. Traffic can go up and down in an unpredictable manner; sometimes days will pass by without a single message, sometimes there'll be several messages within the same day. So don't ever assume it's dead - it's merely resting.
A spin-off IRC channel, #csa8, was briefly in existence.
Posters
Like any other newsgroup, csa8 has had its fair share of trolls, kooks and just plain nutters. Perhaps the best known was RCKCLMR13, a militantly American poster who would frequently post long tirades of "Brit"-baiting. His comments relating to the CPC were usually restricted to unfavourable comparisons with the Commodore 64.
According to Google, the most prolific posters since the group was founded were Brian Watson, Richard Fairhurst, Cliff Lawson, David Cantrell, Simon Matthews, and Phil Stewart.