Google Groups is Dead

[Spiral]

Looks like some people here will need to learn how to use a newsreader
instead of a browser to access this group.

And for those who still don't get it, ASHNV-C is not going bye-bye, only
google is.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/03/08/172217/google-groups-has-been-
left-to-die

[Nyssa]

Fine with me. I avoid as much of Google as I can anyway
and never used their web interface. I always thought they
were over-reaching calling Usenet *their* groups in the
first place like they own them or control them or whatever.

There are plenty of free or low-cost news servers out there.
And several easy to learn newsreaders too.

Maybe a side benefit of Google leaving the arena will be
fewer spam and other irritating posters who aren't capable
of learning/using real servers and news software.

Yep, good riddance!

Nyssa, who never understood why people would want to read
Usenet via a website anyway that only adds bloat to the
low bandwidth and elegant plain text ease that makes up
most of Usenet

[Spiral]

On Fri, 10 Mar 2023 09:47:41 -0500, Nyssa wrote:

> Spiral wrote:
>
>> Looks like some people here will need to learn how to use a newsreader
>> instead of a browser to access this group.
>>
>> And for those who still don't get it, ASHNV-C is not going bye-bye,
>> only google is.
>>
>> https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/03/08/172217/google-groups-has-been-
>> left-to-die
>>
>>
> Fine with me. I avoid as much of Google as I can anyway and never used
> their web interface.

God, yes. Can't wait for a reasonable Linux phone to reach the market so I
can dump Android.

> I always thought they were over-reaching calling
> Usenet *their* groups in the first place like they own them or control
> them or whatever.

Over-reaching is the polite word for it. Today's modern focus group would
call it corporate arrogance. Comes with having billions (think: Mrs.
Howell). Irked me so much it made me feel cheap.

> There are plenty of free or low-cost news servers out there.
> And several easy to learn newsreaders too.

A recent list would help some here, if you have it. It's about time I stop
paying 10 bucks per month, too.

> Maybe a side benefit of Google leaving the arena will be fewer spam and
> other irritating posters who aren't capable of learning/using real
> servers and news software.

Interesting thought. Hopefully, Nigerian princes, ketamine orgy organizers
and French Bulldog breeders don't use newsreaders.

> Yep, good riddance!
>
> Nyssa, who never understood why people would want to read Usenet via a
> website anyway that only adds bloat to the low bandwidth and elegant
> plain text ease that makes up most of Usenet

Agreed. A summary spoken like a lawyer. Or do you just play one on Usenet?
Cheers

By the way, you're still running Knode? Hasn't been supported since 5 B.C.
(before covid). Used to be my favorite, including Kmail before that got
weird. Sorry if I dragged you through this conversation before...

[andyJH]

In article <YYucnaaMgIqlypb5...@supernews.com>,
te...@invalid.com says...

> > There are plenty of free or low-cost news servers out there.
> > And several easy to learn newsreaders too.
>
> A recent list would help some here, if you have it. It's about time I stop
> paying 10 bucks per month, too.

https://www.eternal-september.org/ (text only) works for me.

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
www.avast.com

[Nyssa]

No, I'm not a lawyer, but I did grow up watching Perry
Mason. ;)

Yep, still using knode. I started out back in the command
line days using rn, then un-threaded trn on a shell
system. I've tried a few other Linux newsreaders, but
couldn't stand Thunderbird or Pan, so have stuck with
knode although their lack of a working kill file is
maddening at times.

As for newsfeeds, eternal-september is free plus as
a pretty good filter for some of the worst of the spammers.
Aoie is okay and I have it as a backup.

IIRC there is a German-based newsfeed that only charges
10 Euro/year that's been around a long time. A search
could probably track it down. Newsguy is another subscription
newsfeed that's reliable. Again, a few searches should
probably turn up a few more.

Nyssa, who was pointed to Usenet back ~1986 by someone
who later became a Usenet legend on several newsgrojups
including talk.bizarre and some comp groups

[Visiblink]

On Fri, 10 Mar 2023 16:13:44 +0000
Spiral <te...@invalid.com> wrote:

> A recent list would help some here, if you have it. It's about time I
> stop paying 10 bucks per month, too.

I use eternal-september.org too. They don't mind if you leave them a
donation occasionally.

My favourite newsreader is claws-mail. It's easy to set up and easy to
use. Seamonkey still does newsgroups too, so that's a simple to set up
option.

In the terminal, I like slrn, but setting it up was a frustrating
exercise.

[Nyssa]

I use sylpheed (non-claws) for mail.

I use the SeaMonkey browsers (multiple versions with
multiple profiles) for. well, browsing.

I try to avoid software that tries to add on other stuff
that it wasn't originally designed for. I prefer software
that does one thing and does it well over stuff that tries
to add on other things instead of trying to juggle other
things.

Thunderbird is an example of trying to do more than one
thing and doing neither very well.

I'll stick to knode unless something better Linux-y
comes along...or I'll go back to rn in shell mode.

Nyssa, who started out with everything being command
line and text and can go back to that whenever needed

[Greg Carr]

You care about bandwidth in 2023?