Google groups closing

[M Kfivethousand]

For the last month they have made it difficult
to post without validating dozens of street lamps, trains, street signs, bridges etc.

They will be suspending the google groups service in February

Posting is hard enough on a tablet with this service, or the only newsreader available from the app store, so I probably will not take the time on usenet anymore

Nice chatting while it lasted

[SteveR]

Sorry to hear that. I've certainly enjoyed your posts!
I read Google Groups on a web browser, MS Edge, and going to groups.google.com. No extra hoops to jump through. Is that not available to you?
SteveR

[M Kfivethousand]

Thanks Steve
I have enjoyed your posts as well

I used to have a great usenet service as part of my isp service, til about two years ago, when they dropped it. I have been toying with getting a provider now for two years, but the only reader for ipad is still not great. I hope to be back some day but what is out there is discouraging

According to google, they will not support future posts.

This is what google have posted on their site

<<Effective February 15, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.>>

They have a linger explanation here

https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538?hl=en

[Kaitlin]

M Kfivethousand wrote in
<80967015-1561-4f66...@googlegroups.com>:

<snip>

> I used to have a great usenet service as part of my isp service,
> til about two years ago, when they dropped it. I have been toying
> with getting a provider now for two years, but the only reader for
> ipad is still not great. I hope to be back some day but what is
> out there is discouraging
>
> According to google, they will not support future posts.
>
> This is what google have posted on their site
>
> <<Effective February 15, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support
> new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and
> new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching
> of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.>>
>
> They have a linger explanation here
>
> https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538?hl=en

That's really unfortunate. There's at least one free Usenet server still
available, maybe two. If you're thinking about a paid service, I can
recommend my provider--they have a range of plans starting at
$2.95/month. The iOS reader *is* pretty awful, but if you have a PC or
laptop, Thunderbird's newsreader is still free and relatively easy to
learn. If you or Steve or anyone else who posts through Google groups is
interested, I'll be glad to point you to the free server(s) or my
provider and give tutorials in how to configure Thunderbird. Just let me
know in an OT post here in this group before Google's deadline.

But if that's the end for the GH Usenet group, thank you for the great
conversations M Kfivethousand, Steve, Laura (if you're still around),
and everyone else who has posted here through the years. It's been fun!
--
K

[Kaitlin]

am.n...@cox.not.invalid wrote in <uls7na$2dq1$1...@dont-email.me>:

<snip>

> I rarely comment but I hope you don't all leave.

I don't post thru Google Groups and don't intend to leave unless many
months go by with zero activity. I check back a few times a week, but
haven't posted lately because there's been no activity and the group
seemed abandoned!

> Thunderbird is an easy
> to use and free newsreader. Eternal September is a free news server.
> Their website has instructions for how to configure Thunderbird and
> other newsreaders to use the site: http://www.eternal-september.org/

Eternal September is the only free one that I know for sure still works.
There's another free one called BlueWorld Hosting that also has
instructions on its site on how to configure newsreaders to use its
servers: https://usenet.blueworldhosting.com/. Haven't tried it, but I'm
guessing it's operating since its web site is still up.

I agree that Thunderbird is free and easy to use. It's also a really
good email client. PC only, no mobile app. Download here:
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/.

--
K

[MummyChunk]

> M Kfivethousand wrote:
> For the last month they have made it difficult
> to post without validating dozens of street lamps, trains, street
signs, bridges etc.
>
> They will be suspending the google groups service in February
>
> Posting is hard enough on a tablet with this service, or the only
newsreader available from the app store, so I probably will not take
the time on usenet anymore
>
> Nice chatting while it lasted

You can still access the group
on other front end sites if you do not want to use a newsreader/nntp
server


This is a response to the post seen at:
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=657496054#657496054

[Kaitlin]

MummyChunk wrote in <-P6dnSYCP_y2vx74...@giganews.com>:

> You can still access the group
> on other front end sites if you do not want to use a newsreader/nntp
> server
>
> This is a response to the post seen at:
> http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=657496054#657496054

Thanks. I wonder if it's actually redistributed Google Groups content.
The site isn't encrypted like the GG site is, so maybe not. Will be
interesting to see if it's still up after Google ends access.
--
K

[guibourc]

Thank you for the eternal-september recommendation. I’m trying it out now.

Sharon S.

[Laura]

Yes, I am trying it too, but so far I have not been able to connect.