web based replacement for Google Groups

[Lynn McGuire]

Is there a web based replacement for Google Groups ?

Thanks,
Lynn

[VanguardLH]

Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Is there a web based replacement for Google Groups ?

Some Usenet providers have web gateways (NNTP to HTTP), but those are
paid providers. They do not operate as an archive, but have their own
retention term. While they may offer web access to read Usenet, they
may not offer write access.

https://www.newsgroupreviews.com/web-usenet.html

There are forums that operate NNTP-to-HTTP gateways. I filter out some
of those for the same reasons I filter out Google Groups (primarly the
uber-boobs). EasyNews gives a 14-day trial. They're not cheap. For
what they charge per month, I can get almost a year with individual.net
using NNTP. It's infinitely more expensive when compared against free
Usenet providers (e.g., Eternal-September, Solani). You're posting
using Thunderbird, so you have a desktop platform where you're using it.
Why not continue using Tbird, or some other NNTP client, on the desktop?

https://www.easynews.com/features/
https://help.easynews.com/kb/article/314-how-to-get-started-with-easynews-3-0/

I've never used EasyNews to know if they present a GUI representative of
what you see in NNTP clients. For a cursory check, looks like their web
UI is as clumsy as using Google Groups' web UI. You can find some
EasyNews tutorials at:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=easynews

Why bother with a web access method when there are free and paid Usenet
providers providing NNTP access? With web access, you're stuck with
their forum design. Often web forums are smashed flat: there is no
hierarchy to the post. Some may show hierarchy by quoting parent posts,
and may even squash the quoted portion into a collapsible/expandable
section, but they show all the posts in a flat list instead of a
hierarchy as you see in NNTP clients. In the past, some web-based
Usenet providers fucked up the References header. It is required to
provide the hierarchy (who said what to whom). When they submit, they
are missing the References header. That means a reply starts a new
thread instead of placed in the proper hierarchy indentation. Hopefully
EasyNews is not one of those dunces that don't honor or include the
References header. However, all I see about EasyNews is how to find
stuff already in Usenet. No idea if you can post (submit) to Usenet
using EasyNews.

Unable to post via EasyNews
https://help.easynews.com/kb/article/64-unable-to-post-via-easynews/

You need their permission to post articles. There are read-only NNTP
servers, too, but those seem a waste of time to setup and use when you
can use NNTP servers that let you both read and write.

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <uocabl$2pguu$1...@dont-email.me> at Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:56:53,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes

>Is there a web based replacement for Google Groups ?
>
>Thanks,
>Lynn

Since you're using Thunderbird anyway, why not set up its news ability?
For example:
http://www.eternal-september.org/RegisterNewsAccount.php?language=en to
register (you have to wait for the email reply, from the real person
Wolfgang who runs it)
http://www.eternal-september.org/index.php?showpage=techinfo will give
you the information you will need to set up TB's news capability.

You can use E-S without registering, but you will only see E-S
newsgroups - which includes this one; that should let you get used to
how Thunderbird presents news.
--
J. P. Gilliver

[Sn!pe]

J. P. Gilliver <G6...@255soft.uk> wrote:

> In message <uocabl$2pguu$1...@dont-email.me> at Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:56:53,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
> >Is there a web based replacement for Google Groups ?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Lynn
>
> Since you're using Thunderbird anyway, why not set up its news ability?

Lynn is already on E-S, JPG, see the OP.

> For example:
> http://www.eternal-september.org/RegisterNewsAccount.php?language=en to
> register (you have to wait for the email reply, from the real person
> Wolfgang who runs it)
> http://www.eternal-september.org/index.php?showpage=techinfo will give
> you the information you will need to set up TB's news capability.
>
> You can use E-S without registering, but you will only see E-S
> newsgroups - which includes this one; that should let you get used to
> how Thunderbird presents news.

--

^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

[Sn!pe]

Novabbs have a Rocksolid webportal with limited groups:
<https://news.novabbs.org/rocksolid/index.php>

Otherwise, I think Ray is working on E-S's own Rocksolid portal,
no doubt to be available RSN.

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <1qnk6s9.1ig1xyu1ppwoarN%snip...@gmail.com> at Fri, 19 Jan
2024 02:34:13, Sn!pe <snip...@gmail.com> writes

>J. P. Gilliver <G6...@255soft.uk> wrote:
>
>> In message <uocabl$2pguu$1...@dont-email.me> at Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:56:53,
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
>> >Is there a web based replacement for Google Groups ?
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >Lynn
>>
>> Since you're using Thunderbird anyway, why not set up its news ability?
>
>Lynn is already on E-S, JPG, see the OP.

[]
My apologies.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

offensive speech is something to be protected, not celebrated.
- "yoni", 2015-8-5

[Ray.Banana]

Sn!pe wrote:

> Otherwise, I think Ray is working on E-S's own Rocksolid portal,
> no doubt to be available RSN.

As soon as I have finished implementing a single sign-on for
the web client and the news server. Still one month left before
Google Groups kicks the bucket.

--
Пу́тін ― хуйло́
https://www.eternal-september.org

[Lynn McGuire]

My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am on
the road with just my phone.

I already use E-S with Thunderbird on my office and home PCs.

Thanks,
Lynn

[Lynn McGuire]

On 1/18/2024 11:52 PM, Ray.Banana wrote:
> Sn!pe wrote:
>
>> Otherwise, I think Ray is working on E-S's own Rocksolid portal, no
>> doubt to be available RSN.
>
> As soon as I have finished implementing a single sign-on for
> the web client and the news server. Still one month left before
> Google Groups kicks the bucket.

Sweet !

Thanks,
Lynn

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <uof8jq$3clne$1...@dont-email.me> at Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:45:29,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
[]

>My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am on
>the road with just my phone.
>
>I already use E-S with Thunderbird on my office and home PCs.
>
>Thanks,
>Lynn
>

I know people who use an Android client - I forget its name - though it
may be on a tablet rather than a 'phone. But of course, Ray's
replacement may be better! If I can, though, I'll ask my friends what
what they use is called.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

live your dash. ... On your tombstone, there's the date you're born and the
date you die - and in between there's a dash. - a friend quoted by Dustin
Hoffman in Radio Times, 5-11 January 2013

[Dave Royal]

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6...@255soft.uk> Wrote in message:

> In message <uof8jq$3clne$1...@dont-email.me> at Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:45:29,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
> []
>>My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am on
>>the road with just my phone.
>>
>>I already use E-S with Thunderbird on my office and home PCs.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Lynn
>>
> I know people who use an Android client - I forget its name - though it
> may be on a tablet rather than a 'phone. But of course, Ray's
> replacement may be better! If I can, though, I'll ask my friends what
> what they use is called.

See also my posts here:
Newsgroups: news.software.readers
Subject: Newsreader for Android
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:44:54 +0100

I'm using a tablet though.
--
Remove numerics from my email address.

[Marco Moock]

Am 19.01.2024 um 19:45:29 Uhr schrieb Lynn McGuire:

> My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am
> on the road with just my phone.

Clients for phone operating systems exist, but you can't sync the read
state between the devices.

[Daniel65]

Marco Moock wrote on 20/1/24 9:25 pm:

But, if Lynn has read every item up-to (Date/Time) on Device A, then,
maybe, when she gets on Device B, she can 'Mark as Read' every post
up-to (Date/Time) on Device B, leaving just the newer/unread items.

And Vice Versa!
--
Daniel

[Nuno Silva]

What about syncing a .newsrc file? Is that possible with some of the
Android clients?

--
Nuno Silva

[VanguardLH]

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6...@255soft.uk> wrote:

> In message <uof8jq$3clne$1...@dont-email.me> at Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:45:29,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
> []
>>My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am on
>>the road with just my phone.
>>
>>I already use E-S with Thunderbird on my office and home PCs.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Lynn
>>
> I know people who use an Android client - I forget its name - though it
> may be on a tablet rather than a 'phone. But of course, Ray's
> replacement may be better! If I can, though, I'll ask my friends what
> what they use is called.

I remember hearing of PhoNews.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.cmg.android.phonews

I also remember hearing of users complaining that it isn't a great
newsreader; i.e., nowhere near as good as their desktop client. It only
gets a 2.9 out of 5 star rating. There is a pro payware ($1.49) version
that is lightly better rated at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmgapps.android.phonewspro

The author's web site is at:

https://www.cmgapps.com/

There is no more info on the app at their web site than at the Play
Store app page. I saw no mention of filters, so you likely see
everything, including trolls, malcontents, uber-boobs, etc, rather than
what you want to see.

Ray said he's getting a web-based client setup in maybe a month. He's
trying to come up with one before Google dumps Usenet around Feb 24.
Since Rocksolid was mentioned in another subthread, that reminded me of
their web portal at novabbs.com. I don't see many newsgroups there
(https://www.novabbs.com/common/grouplist.php), but they may carry what
the OP wants. Maybe the OP has to register to see more newsgroups.

[Ray Banana]

Thus spake VanguardLH <V...@nguard.LH>

> Ray said he's getting a web-based client setup in maybe a month. He's
> trying to come up with one before Google dumps Usenet around Feb 24.
> Since Rocksolid was mentioned in another subthread, that reminded me of
> their web portal at novabbs.com. I don't see many newsgroups there
> (https://www.novabbs.com/common/grouplist.php), but they may carry what
> the OP wants. Maybe the OP has to register to see more newsgroups.

I'm registered at novabbs and the number of newsgroups is the same as
for unregistered users. There is a resource issue or maybe a bottleneck
with RS Light and a large number of groups on one page. I tested with
8000 alt.* groups and the web site became completely unresponsive (server
timeout).
Currently, I have the Big8 (split in 8 segments) and some NLS
hierarchies (de.*, fr.*, pl.* and uk.*) available in the web frontend
and there are no performance issues at all. I will probably have to
split alt.* into multiple sections in order to keep the group lists
responsive.

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <$UNRHsPI...@255soft.uk> at Sat, 20 Jan 2024 07:06:48,
J. P. Gilliver <G6...@255soft.uk> writes

>In message <uof8jq$3clne$1...@dont-email.me> at Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:45:29,
>Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes
>[]
>>My question for access to a usenet web based client is for when I am
>>on the road with just my phone.
>>
>>I already use E-S with Thunderbird on my office and home PCs.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Lynn
>>
>I know people who use an Android client - I forget its name - though it
>may be on a tablet rather than a 'phone. But of course, Ray's
>replacement may be better! If I can, though, I'll ask my friends what
>what they use is called.

I have asked them: what they use is called newstap, which they use on
their iPads; they say they couldn't on their iPhones, but I suspect that
might be because they both have eyesight problems. I'd forgotten they
were iOS rather than Android.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

By the very definition of "news," we hear very little about the dominant
threats to our lives, and the most about the rarest, including terror.
"LibertyMcG" alias Brian P. McGlinchey, 2013-7-23

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <QV2K3CWj...@255soft.uk> at Sat, 20 Jan 2024 18:08:35,

J. P. Gilliver <G6...@255soft.uk> writes

[]

>I have asked them: what they use is called newstap, which they use on
>their iPads; they say they couldn't on their iPhones, but I suspect
>that might be because they both have eyesight problems. I'd forgotten
>they were iOS rather than Android.

I have asked them, and they say their daughter (who is I think in her
20s or 30s) "rattles away with it on her iPhone".

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I know people who worry more about the health consequences of drinking a coffee
at breakfast than a bottle of urine at dinner
- Revd Richard Cole, RT 2021/7/3-9