Newsgroup Headers and Bodies.
Janet Wider
In my many, many years of using TBird and Mozilla Suite for a
newsreader, this has never come up for me.
I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
with big usage charges.
I checked all the tools and other fields on TB and can't find anywhere
that says "download headers only".
May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
TIA
--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.
Good Guy
>
> May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
> will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
>
>
Yes for all newsgroups, only the headers are downloaded. You can prove
this by going to any newsgroups and download the headers first by
clicking on the newsgroup name. Then unplug your broadband cable from
the router or from the telephone point. then try to open any message in
the newsgroup you have just downloaded. You will get the message on the
screen that your machine cannot connect to the internet.
However, if you try to read the old message which you have already read
when you had the connection, it should open up as normal because it is
already on your system.
hth
Janet Wider
Thank you.
clay
> I know this is a stupid question, but I would appreciate an answer.
>
> In my many, many years of using TBird and Mozilla Suite for a
> newsreader, this has never come up for me.
>
> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
> like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
> with big usage charges.
>
> I checked all the tools and other fields on TB and can't find anywhere
> that says "download headers only".
>
> May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
> will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
>
> TIA
You'll be able to read the headers but likely won't be able to combine
and decode multi-part binaries with Thunderbird... Won't be able to d/l
the file(s).
Also, just the headers for binary groups can be gigs of download.
There are (free) websites that catalog binary groups and allow you to
search, and create .nzb files to download binaries using a application
that supports nzb.
Rob Graham
> I know this is a stupid question, but I would appreciate an answer.
>
> In my many, many years of using TBird and Mozilla Suite for a
> newsreader, this has never come up for me.
>
> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
> like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
> with big usage charges.
>
> I checked all the tools and other fields on TB and can't find anywhere
> that says "download headers only".
>
> May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
> will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
>
> TIA
While on the topic, have you got any advice on which free newsgroup
service to use? I'm having problems accessing mine.
Rob Graham
Mike Easter
> Janet Wider wrote:
>> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
>> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
>> like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
>> with big usage charges.
> While on the topic,
Since you didn't trim to isolate the 'topic' by context, it isn't clear
whether *your* (as opposed to Janet's) topic is related to a news server
for text groups or one for binary groups.
> have you got any advice on which free newsgroup
> service to use? I'm having problems accessing mine.
My advice about (free) text group access is very different from my
advice about (free) binary group access.
My first choice for text is the 10 euros/y news.individual.net and my
second choice is the free eternal-september.org.
My first choice for binaries is giganews provided to me free thru' my
connectivity provider's outsourcing arrangements and my second choice is
one of the non-free services which sells non-expiring blocks cheaply, ie
usenet-news.net.
Personally I think it is too much trouble to do much with binaries by
just using free news servers, but it can be done.
http://usenet-news.net/
http://www.individual.net/
http://www.eternal-september.org/
--
Mike Easter
Janet Wider
The server I use is not quite free. It cost me $10 for the rest of my
life, if I only do text and maybe an ocassional binary (which I have
never done before). I use Astraweb.
I bought the 25G for $10 in 2005. I haven't used even 1 G yet. They
support it very well and I am quite happy with the service.
Keith Nuttle
> While on the topic, have you got any advice on which free newsgroup
> service to use? I'm having problems accessing mine.
I use the free site news.eternal-september.org You must register, and
then confirm you information.
It seems to have most of the newsgroups that were on SBCglobal and Yahoo
before they became PC and eliminated all newsgroups.
Like you I only use the text newsgroups.
Mike Easter
> On 3/9/2011 2:35 PM, Janet Wider wrote:
>> While on the topic, have you got any advice on which free newsgroup
>> service to use? I'm having problems accessing mine.
Janet Wider didn't say that. She cited Rob Graham saying it.
> Like you I only use the text newsgroups.
Janet Wider did say earlier, in part:
> <JW>
> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks.
> I'd like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get
> hit with big usage charges.
Because JW has an account with a NSP news service provider which
provides both text and binaries, she can subscribe to groups of either
type with her provider; as opposed to those who only use providers such
as eternal-september and NIN news.individual.net which are text-only
providers.
Her rate of gig usage will go up when she downloads ebooks compared to
her participation in text only groups, but she can have tons of ebooks
before using up 25 gigs.
--
Mike Easter
Janet Wider
do find a book I'd like, I hope I can download it properly.
Good Guy
I am using
<news://nntp.aioe.org>
<news://news.aioe.org>
For Microsoft newsgroups and some linux stuff. I don't deal with
binaries so I am not sure if they have any but you can try to search
them. Just click on any of the links above and they should open in your
TB and you can then search in the normal way. There is no signing or
logging required and you can post anonymously.
The other one is news.albasani.net but you need to register first with
them. Try this website:
<http://www.albasani.net/index.html.en>
hth
Good Guy
> Oh Goody! So far I haven't seen anything interesting to download. When
> I do find a book I'd like, I hope I can download it properly.
>
With binaries newsgroups, you are likely to get lots of porn and
illegal/pirated software so you have to be very careful. You don't want
any porn on your system especially if it involves minors. Be very
careful indeed because these newsgroups don't tell you or warn you about
anything and there is no check whether you yourself is minor or not.
Janet Wider
Thank you. I understand that. The only minor here is a toy Poodle <g>,
but I will have grandchildren visiting.
The binary sites I subscribed to were recommended by a trusted person
who has been downloading e-books for quite a while. While I don't doubt
that many of these e-books found on binary sites are infringing on
someone's copyright, I do think it would be difficult and costly to
prosecute and most probably the person who scanned the book and posted
it, would be the first in line for a penalty.
I am planning to send for library cards in some distant cities where
they loan e-books. None of the libraries here do.
Good Guy
>
> I am planning to send for library cards in some distant cities where
> they loan e-books. None of the libraries here do.
>
Libraries? Are there still around on this planet? We in UK are closing
our public libraries because our government is bankrupt after spending
all the money on war which we have nothing to do with! Iraq and
Afghanistan of course! Now we are provoking other ME countries and this
involves some more spending when our own people are becoming homeless
and jobless!
Janet Wider
that we should be in Iraq or Afghanistan, either. We have plenty of
homeless and jobless here, just no one wants to talk about publicly.
I am so sorry about your losing libraries. I believe that Public
Libraries are the ultimate symbol of a free and intelligent society.
Can't you close a few sorts venues and save your libraries?
Ralph Fox
news://news.mozilla.org:119/UsWdnTrb-LJz4-jQ...@mozilla.org
Janet Wider wrote:
> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101207 Thunderbird/3.1.7
> In my many, many years of using TBird and Mozilla Suite for a
> newsreader, this has never come up for me.
>
> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
> like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
> with big usage charges.
>
> I checked all the tools and other fields on TB and can't find anywhere
> that says "download headers only".
>
> May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
> will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
In my experience, on Vista or Win7, your version of Thunderbird *will*
automatically download bodies, unless you remove the check-mark from the
setting
Tools >> Options >> Advanced >> General
[_] Allow Windows Search to search messages
I don't know whether this also goes for Win-XP, which you are running.
The downloaded bodies are stored in individual *.wdseml files where
Windows Search can search them.
Another way in which bodies can be automatically downloaded is if the
group is selected "for offline use" in Thunderbird. The default for
*this* setting is not selected, which will not cause bodies to be
downloaded without being selected.
--
Kind regards
Ralph
Mike Easter
> Mike Easter wrote:
>> she can have tons of ebooks before using up 25 gigs.
>>
>>
> Oh Goody! So far I haven't seen anything interesting to download. When I
> do find a book I'd like, I hope I can download it properly.
Well, Tbird isn't the newsreader for binaries. Most importantly, it
cannot combine and decode, an essential requirement for downloading
binaries which are almost always multipart.
For learning about how to deal with binaries I encourage you to
familiarize yourself with Slyck's site.
http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide "Our quickstart guide is designed
to get you up and running with the newsgroups as fast as possible in the
least complicated way."
Before you decide that Slyck's is too advanced for someone who just
wants a few e-books because it seems to be oriented toward serious
binary downloaders, you should at least look at the page which has an
overview of 8 different suggested newsreaders for binaries, as opposed
to his top 3 selections seen on the quick overview link above
http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide_NewsReaders "There have been
tremendous advancements in news reader technology since the turn of the
millennium."
There are a lot of e-book groups. A couple of examples of busy ones are
alt.binaries.e-book.flood and alt.binaries.e-book, but if you use the
search string 'book' you will see there are dozens using ebook or e-book
or e-books or ebooks.
Maybe I should crosspost this to .general and put the followups there,
since downloading binaries isn't really ontopic for Tb.
--
Mike Easter
Janet Wider
> On Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:57:20 -0600, in message
> news://news.mozilla.org:119/UsWdnTrb-LJz4-jQ...@mozilla.org
> Janet Wider wrote:
>
>> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US;
>> rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101207 Thunderbird/3.1.7
>
>> In my many, many years of using TBird and Mozilla Suite for a
>> newsreader, this has never come up for me.
>>
>> I never have subscribed to binary groups. I only subscribe to text
>> groups. A friend told me about a few where one can download ebooks. I'd
>> like to subscribe to one of these groups, but I don't want to get hit
>> with big usage charges.
>>
>> I checked all the tools and other fields on TB and can't find anywhere
>> that says "download headers only".
>>
>> May I safely assume that I only have headers downloaded and the bodies
>> will only download if I click on the header to open the message?
>
> In my experience, on Vista or Win7, your version of Thunderbird *will*
> automatically download bodies, unless you remove the check-mark from the
> setting
>
> Tools >> Options >> Advanced >> General
> [_] Allow Windows Search to search messages
>
> I don't know whether this also goes for Win-XP, which you are running.
There is no such box for XP. I looked.
>
> The downloaded bodies are stored in individual *.wdseml files where
> Windows Search can search them.
>
>
>
> Another way in which bodies can be automatically downloaded is if the
> group is selected "for offline use" in Thunderbird. The default for
> *this* setting is not selected, which will not cause bodies to be
> downloaded without being selected.
>
--