Alternative to Google Groups

[Marco Moock]

This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
newsgroup using Google Groups.

Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.

For those who do not know Usenet:

Usenet is a distributed communication system consisting of many servers.
Google Groups is only one of them that closes down - other servers will
stay available, but people need to use another server to read and post
here.

There are alternatives to it
You need a newsreader and a news server (NNTP).

As an NNTP server, some free services exist where you can register:
https://www.eternal-september.org/
https://solani.org/
https://www.i2pn2.org/

For using it, you need a newsreader.

Some examples are:
https://www.thunderbird.net
https://www.betterbird.eu/
https://claws-mail.org/
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

You then need to configure a newsgroup account, sometimes also
called NNTP.

For most servers, authentication must be enforced in the newsreader's
settings.

For Thunderbird, a tutorial is available here:
https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Getting_Started_with_Usenet

For questions about configuring those readers, feel free to ask in
the group news.software.readers.

[Andy Burns]

Marco Moock wrote:

> This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
> newsgroup using Google Groups.

I can't tell who reads, but as best as I can see, the number of people
who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only

Robert Bernardo
and Lars Brinkhoff

I hope everyone finds alternate ways and means in time, otherwise they
will find it even quieter on the google-only side of the fence ...

[Julieta Shem]

Marco Moock <mm+use...@dorfdsl.de> writes:

> This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
> newsgroup using Google Groups.
>
> Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.
>
> For those who do not know Usenet:
>
> Usenet is a distributed communication system consisting of many servers.
> Google Groups is only one of them that closes down - other servers will
> stay available, but people need to use another server to read and post
> here.
>
> There are alternatives to it
> You need a newsreader and a news server (NNTP).
>
> As an NNTP server, some free services exist where you can register:
> https://www.eternal-september.org/
> https://solani.org/
> https://www.i2pn2.org/
>
> For using it, you need a newsreader.
>
> Some examples are:
> https://www.thunderbird.net
> https://www.betterbird.eu/
> https://claws-mail.org/
> https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Let me contribute with Sylpheed. It's a pretty nice client.

https://sylpheed.sraoss.jp/en/

I believe Claws Mail is actually based on Sylpheed.

[D.J.]

On Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:50:05 +0100, Marco Moock
<mm+use...@dorfdsl.de> wrote:
>This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
>newsgroup using Google Groups.
>
>Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.

So what happens to the archives they said they would maintain ?
--
Jim

[Andy Burns]

D.J. wrote:

> Marco Moock wrote:
>
>> Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.
>
> So what happens to the archives they said they would maintain ?

Nothing, the archives will remain, but won't grow with future usenet
postings.

Google groups will continue to exist, but the interchange to/from usenet
will cease.

[Ahem A Rivet's Shot]

On Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:37:12 -0300
Julieta Shem <js...@yaxenu.org> wrote:

> Let me contribute with Sylpheed. It's a pretty nice client.
>
> https://sylpheed.sraoss.jp/en/

It's been my choice for a long time now.

> I believe Claws Mail is actually based on Sylpheed.

Forked about 15 years ago IIRC when Paul got fed up with Hiroyaki
turning down patches.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
For forms of government let fools contest
Whate're is best administered is best - Alexander Pope

[Robert Bernardo]

On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 2:25:52 AM UTC-8, Andy Burns wrote:

> ...as best as I can see, the number of people

> who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only
>
> Robert Bernardo
> and Lars Brinkhoff

I've been trying to find an easy way to access the groups.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

[Scott Lurndal]

Robert Bernardo <rber...@iglou.com> writes:
>On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 2:25:52=E2=80=AFAM UTC-8, Andy Burns wrote:
>
>> ...as best as I can see, the number of people=20
>> who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only=20
>>=20
>> Robert Bernardo=20
>> and Lars Brinkhoff=20

>
> I've been trying to find an easy way to access the groups.

Hi Robert,

https://rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic.narkive.com/4VMcGemC/ot-configuring-thunderbird-for-eternal-september

hope that Amiga 1000 you got from me is still working!

[Andy Burns]

Robert Bernardo wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>
>> ...as best as I can see, the number of people
>> who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only
>>
>> Robert Bernardo
>> and Lars Brinkhoff
>
> I've been trying to find an easy way to access the groups.

If push comes to shove, and you want a web-based method, you could try this

<https://www.novabbs.com/computers/thread.php?group=alt.folklore.computers>

[D.J.]

On Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:53:05 +0000, Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Thanks. There some things in another group I want to look up.
--
Jim

[Peter Flass]

NewsTap for iOS users. Works well for me. Available on the app store, if it
isn’t free it’s very inexpensive and well worth it.

--
Pete

[Peter Flass]

Eternal September, at least, expires articles after some period of time
(days? weeks?), so if I want to find something older I go to GG, and
possibly reply from there.

--
Pete

[Ciarán Ainsworth]

On 2024-01-30, Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> NewsTap for iOS users. Works well for me. Available on the app store, if it
> isn’t free it’s very inexpensive and well worth it.

This looks good! I've been thinking about getting a client for my phone,
and this should fit the bill. Thanks!

--
Ciarán Ainsworth

[Charlie Gibbs]

On 2024-01-30, Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> wrote:

I used to read Usenet through Newsguy, which cost about $100/year.
One day it just disappeared; the company went bankrupt. However,
I found an old account I once had on Astraweb (news.astraweb.com).
I've never been billed by them; there must be a free option.
Anyway, it's still working fine for me. They claim 4000 days
retention.

For a newsreader, I use slrn. Plain, text-only, and effective.

--
/~\ Charlie Gibbs | The Internet is like a big city:
\ / <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> | it has plenty of bright lights and
X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | excitement, but also dark alleys
/ \ if you read it the right way. | down which the unwary get mugged.

[Dave Yeo]

Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> I found an old account I once had on Astraweb (news.astraweb.com).
> I've never been billed by them; there must be a free option.
> Anyway, it's still working fine for me. They claim 4000 days
> retention.

I use Astraweb, paid $10 many years back (15?) for 5 GB's of traffic, or
basically a lifetime reading text newsgroups. Been happy with them.
Charlie, perhaps you signed up for the $10 account way back. I know at
the time there didn't seem to be a free option.
Dave

[maus]

On 2024-01-31, Charlie Gibbs <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
> On 2024-01-30, Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Julieta Shem <js...@yaxenu.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Marco Moock <mm+use...@dorfdsl.de> writes:
>>>
>>>> This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
>>>> newsgroup using Google Groups.
>>>>
>>>> Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.
>>>>
>>>> For those who do not know Usenet:
>>>>
>

> For a newsreader, I use slrn. Plain, text-only, and effective.
>

Me Too.

--
grey...@mail.com
Is There not even one Influencer here to torment?

[Marco Moock]

On 30.01.2024 um 15:00 Uhr Peter Flass wrote:

> Eternal September, at least, expires articles after some period of
> time (days? weeks?), so if I want to find something older I go to GG,
> and possibly reply from there.

You can't reply from there in future.
So choose another service to post.
You can still use GG as an archive for the old stuff, but no new
articles will arrive there.

--
kind regards
Marco

Send spam to muel...@cartoonies.org

[D]

On Wed, 31 Jan 2024, maus wrote:

> On 2024-01-31, Charlie Gibbs <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2024-01-30, Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Julieta Shem <js...@yaxenu.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Marco Moock <mm+use...@dorfdsl.de> writes:
>>>>
>>>>> This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
>>>>> newsgroup using Google Groups.
>>>>>
>>>>> Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.
>>>>>
>>>>> For those who do not know Usenet:
>>>>>
>>
>> For a newsreader, I use slrn. Plain, text-only, and effective.
>>
>
> Me Too.

I use alpine. Not as smooth as the dedicated newsreaders, but since alpine
is my main email program, it's just so easy to use it for news as well
despite that fact that some things are a bit clunkier.

[Scott Alfter]

In article <gcjuN.292662$PuZ9....@fx11.iad>,

Charlie Gibbs <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>I found an old account I once had on Astraweb (news.astraweb.com).
>I've never been billed by them; there must be a free option.
>Anyway, it's still working fine for me. They claim 4000 days
>retention.

They have options to buy a certain transfer volume: $10 for 25 GB, $25 for
180 GB, $50 for 1000 GB. For reading newsgroups such as this one, even the
$10 option would effectively be a lifetime purchase. Maybe you bought one
of those in the past.

--
_/_
/ v \ Scott Alfter (remove the obvious to send mail)
(IIGS( https://alfter.us/ Top-posting!
\_^_/ >What's the most annoying thing on Usenet?

[Charlie Gibbs]

Maybe that's what it was. It was a long time ago, and I got the account
as an alternate back when I was downloading lots of binaries from Usenet
using Pan. When Newsguy died, I dug up the Astraweb settings in Pan,
blew off the dust, plugged it into slrn, and I was back in business.

[Robert Bernardo]

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:18:10 AM UTC-8, Andy Burns wrote:

> If push comes to shove, and you want a web-based method, you could try this
>
> <https://www.novabbs.com/computers/thread.php?group=alt.folklore.computers>

It works! Thank you very much!

Truly,
Robert Bernardo

[Robert Bernardo]

On Friday, February 2, 2024 at 2:08:56 AM UTC-8, I wrote:

> It works! Thank you very much!

Though it works, it's not perfect. It finds alt.folklore.computers and my other groups, comp.sys.cbm, comp.sys.amiga.misc, and rec.games.video.classic. However, it comes up blank on alt.c64

Truly,
Robert Bernardo

[Robert Bernardo]

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:08:38 AM UTC-8, Scott Lurndal wrote:

> hope that Amiga 1000 you got from me is still working!

Yes, it is! :)

Truly,
Robert Bernardo

[Julian Macassey]

On 31 Jan 2024 08:33:53 GMT, maus <ma...@deb2.org> wrote:
> On 2024-01-31, Charlie Gibbs <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>> For a newsreader, I use slrn. Plain, text-only, and effective.
>>
>
> Me Too.
>

You can add me to the list of slrn users.


--
The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with faith to
fight for it. - Aneurin Bevan

[Julieta Shem]

Julian Macassey <jul...@n6are.com> writes:

> On 31 Jan 2024 08:33:53 GMT, maus <ma...@deb2.org> wrote:
>> On 2024-01-31, Charlie Gibbs <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:
>>> For a newsreader, I use slrn. Plain, text-only, and effective.
>>
>> Me Too.
>>
> You can add me to the list of slrn users.

Sorry---the list is full. We'll add you to the waiting list.

[David Lesher]

Robert Bernardo <rber...@iglou.com> writes:

>On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 2:25:52=E2=80=AFAM UTC-8, Andy Burns wrote:

>> ...as best as I can see, the number of people=20
>> who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only=20
>>=20
>> Robert Bernardo=20
>> and Lars Brinkhoff=20

> I've been trying to find an easy way to access the groups.

Get a shell account on Panix.com....


--
A host is a host from coast to coast...............wb8foz@panix.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

[Rich Alderson]

David Lesher <wb8...@panix.com> writes:

> Robert Bernardo <rber...@iglou.com> writes:

>> On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 2:25:52=E2=80=AFAM UTC-8, Andy Burns wrote:

>>> ...as best as I can see, the number of people

>>> who post here from G2 is very limited, perhaps only

>>> Robert Bernardo
>>> and Lars Brinkhoff

>> I've been trying to find an easy way to access the groups.

> Get a shell account on Panix.com....

I second this recommendation.

--
Rich Alderson ne...@alderson.users.panix.com
Audendum est, et veritas investiganda; quam etiamsi non assequamur,
omnino tamen proprius, quam nunc sumus, ad eam perveniemus.
--Galen

[Marco Moock]

This is only relevant for those people who read or post in that
newsgroup using Google Groups.

Google will discontinue Groups in Feb 2024.

For those who do not know Usenet:

Usenet is a distributed communication system consisting of many servers.
Google Groups is only one of them that closes down - other servers will
stay available, but people need to use another server to read and post
here.

There are alternatives to it
You need a newsreader and a news server (NNTP).

As an NNTP server, some free services exist where you can register:
https://www.eternal-september.org/
https://solani.org/
https://www.i2pn2.org/

For using it, you need a newsreader.

Some examples are:
https://www.thunderbird.net
https://www.betterbird.eu/
https://claws-mail.org/
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

You then need to configure a newsgroup account, sometimes also
called NNTP.

For most servers, authentication must be enforced in the newsreader's
settings.

For Thunderbird, a tutorial is available here:
https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Getting_Started_with_Usenet

For questions about configuring those readers, feel free to ask in
the group news.software.readers.