OT - Replacement for Google Groups, recommendations?

[sci.space]

According to the banner message on top of my Google Groups page, Google will not support Usenet in 9 days. I began using Google for Usenet after my ISP dropped Usenet years ago. I used to follow just over a dozen groups, but all but two have effectively stopped a couple years ago. Even RMCR has dropped to well under 10 new or updated topics per day.

Can anyone recommend a free Usenet service? RMCR is not worth my spending $5-10 (US) per month. Alternatively, is there another forum on the web which is similar to RMCR?

I am not a fan of Youtube videos or pianos (except as percussion instruments). New release or re-release info on RMCR is sparse. Last time I ordered something based on RMCR info was the Biggs historic organ box, still waiting for it. I cannot recall when I ordered something before that through an RMCR recommendation. Most of the time I find old LPs at a used book store. A recent treasure was Bartok's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion in a performance conducted by Stokowski, completely different from my other recordings..

[Notsure01]

There are two parts needed to replace Google Groups: a server to provide
the content, and then a client to present it on your device.

If you want something free as a server, there is Eternal September:
https://www.eternal-september.org

For a free client you could use Thunderbird:
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Here are good instructions on configuring Thumderbird with Eternal
September: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.usage.english/c/NgImZXOS8oM

Both of these are free and supported by contributions. Here is a review:
https://www.newsgroupreviews.com/eternal-september.html

Eternal September generally works well, but is sometimes slow or even
unresponsive. Thunderbird is needlessly complicated but is absolutely
perfectly usable - once you get the hang of it.

If you are willing to spend five dollars and up a month, there are any
number of services available, generally with both the server and a
client provided. newsgroupreviews.com has a good list.

You might want to get a better client for a one time charge. Usenapp was
suggested here, and it is somewhat more flexible than Thunderbird:
https://www.usenapp.com About $30 US dollars.

The downside of all this is that the free stuff was designed by
programmers for programmers. As a retired one myself, I know we don’t
perceive the world like normals and the interfaces are cluttered with
extraneous detail. You just got to get used to these products - but RMCR
is worth it!

Hope this helps!

[Notsure01]

And just to comment on the state of RMCR, I hesitate somewhat - since I will
again be scolded for preaching - but I promise to not belabor the point again.

There are several alternative fora, but none of them have as many really
knowledgable and provocative participants as RMCR. Being obsessed as I am with
music and the endless varieties of interpretation, I’ve found RMCR to be a
fantastic resources for years. It is a shame that some folks resort to name
calling and squabbling which drives people away, but there still seem to be
plenty of interesting people who now just drop by periodically and don’t
really participate.

There is one solution to keep RMCR alive - one that is sure to help -
participate!

Share your new discoveries - ask for suggestions - critique performances -
share interesting websites.

Reply to other folks - just to agree or disagree.

Start new topics - revive interesting old ones!

Participate!!!!

[Frank Berger]

Unless I am mistaken, Stokowski conducts the accompanying Goeb Symphony, not the sonata, which is performed by a couple of fellas named Yessin and Viola.

[Frank Berger]

On 2/13/2024 12:17 PM, Notsure01 wrote:
> On 2/13/24 10:20 AM, sci.space wrote:
>> According to the banner message on top of my Google Groups page, Google will not support Usenet in 9 days.   I began using Google for Usenet after my ISP dropped Usenet years ago.  I used to follow just over a dozen groups, but all but two have effectively stopped a couple years ago.    Even RMCR has dropped to well under 10 new or updated topics per day.
>>
>> Can anyone recommend a free Usenet service?     RMCR is not worth my spending $5-10 (US) per month.  Alternatively, is there another forum on the web which is similar to RMCR?
>>
>> I am not a fan of Youtube videos or pianos (except as percussion instruments). New release or re-release info on RMCR is sparse.  Last time I ordered something based on RMCR info was the Biggs historic organ box, still waiting for it.

My order of the Biggs box from Grooves was shipped on 1/31. Unfortunately, I accidentally used my address from 13 years ago when I lived in Dallas. Dumb. I have no idea what will become of it. I've contacted Grooves about it, but they have not responded. I may have no alternative but to order another one.

[Todd M. McComb]

In article <cba98ae0-3f9a-4807...@googlegroups.com>,

sci.space <harris...@gmail.com> wrote:
>RMCR is not worth my spending $5-10 (US) per month.

The pay services are often about people who want to download binaries.
Text-only Usenet requires very modest resources these days, such
that basically any typical computer & internet connection could
host a full server. So there are many free servers. You can search
web pages reviewing them....

There are various discussions of this around, but unfortunately
most tend to include a lot of noise as well, so I don't have a ready
place to point the curious at the moment, but I assure you the
number of free servers is only increasing....

[Dan Koren]

On Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 7:20:37 AM UTC-8, sci.space wrote:
> According to the banner message on top of my Google Groups page,
> Google will not support Usenet in 9 days. I began using Google for
> Usenet after my ISP dropped Usenet years ago. I used to follow just
> over a dozen groups, but all but two have effectively stopped a couple
> years ago. Even RMCR has dropped to well under 10 new or updated
> topics per day.

I can definitely post more than 10 topics per day. So can do Mandryka
and Marc S and Ray and even Melmoth.

> Can anyone recommend a free Usenet service? RMCR is not worth my
> spending $5-10 (US) per month. Alternatively, is there another forum on
> the web which is similar to RMCR?

One can always set up one's own usenet server(s) and client(s). The
basic software for handling usenet servers and clients and message
topics is built into every Unix version.

Cheers

[mswd...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 9:20:37 AM UTC-6, sci.space wrote:
> According to the banner message on top of my Google Groups page, Google will not support Usenet in 9 days. I began using Google for Usenet after my ISP dropped Usenet years ago. I used to follow just over a dozen groups, but all but two have effectively stopped a couple years ago. Even RMCR has dropped to well under 10 new or updated topics per day.

I think the premise here is false. Google is stopping support of usenet content: it will not engage with the legacy content of the Usenet internet architecture. Google groups is still a healthy concern. I just created a Google Group, and you are welcome to join and discuss things there:
https://groups.google.com/g/21st-century-classical-recordings

[Oscar]

On Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 5:15:06 PM, Dan Koren wrote:
>
> One can always set up one's own usenet server(s) and client(s). The
> basic software for handling usenet servers and clients and message
> topics is built into every Unix version.

Yes, but can _you_ build a piano. Of course not.

[Graham]

Although Eternal September is free, I experienced too many problems
with it. Sometimes it would be offline for several days.
Taking advice of others on a different group, I spent about $8 a few
years ago and bought umpteen gigabytes of downloads from
blocknews.com which I download using Thunderbird.
Graham

[Graham]

On 2024-02-13 8:20 a.m., sci.space wrote:

[Todd M. McComb]

In article <%XVyN.285679$Ama9....@fx12.iad>,

Graham <g.st...@shaw.ca> wrote:
>I spent about $8 a few years ago and bought umpteen gigabytes of
>downloads from blocknews.com which I download using Thunderbird.

I guess that's the other thing about the services geared mainly
toward binaries: If they let you buy by the gig, it will take a
very very long time to use a gig on the text here....

[Martin Schöön]

Den 2024-02-13 skrev sci.space <harris...@gmail.com>:
>
> Can anyone recommend a free Usenet service?
>

Not free but cheap enough I think: news.individual.net

Works for me.

/Martin

[sci.space]

> Unless I am mistaken, Stokowski conducts the accompanying Goeb Symphony, not the sonata, which is performed by a couple of fellas named Yessin and Viola.

The RCA LP, LM1727, rear cover states that Stokowski conducts the Bartok in the Side 2 listing. The label also credits him as conductor.

[Notsure01]

Some background information:

Usenet is an ancient system that allows users to create discussion groups such
as RMCR. It was created by computer professionals in 1980 and has a less
friendly interface compared to what is available today, so Google provided a
way to conveniently access Usenet through their Google Groups interface which
follows the interface conventions folks are used to these days.

For whatever reason, Google will no longer support full access to Usenet as of
the 22nd - old posts will still appear through Google Groups but no new
threads or posts will be there - so there will be no ability to start topics
or reply.

In order to continue access, you will need to acquire a separate app on your
PC or phone that allows access to Usenet - this is called a Usenet client. You
will also need to configure the client to point to a Usenet server.

There are many Usenet servers, some of them allow free access, but most have a
monthly charge. see earlier in this thread for more detail.

Please feel free to reply with any or all questions you have!

And thank you for all of your well written posts on early music, world music,
and contemporary music - the dialog between you and Todd is definitely one of
the highlights of RMCR!

[Notsure01]

More historical background info (from
https://hiverhq.com/blog/alternative-google-groups):

"Say you’re a vermiculture enthusiast and you’re looking to find fellow
vermiculture enthusiasts. Today, you could simply head to r/vermiculture on
Reddit. Or find relevant communities on Facebook and Twitter, But if you were
into vermiculture in the 1980s and 1990s, you had to rely on Usenet newsgroup.
Simply put, these were one of the first-ever online communities – in the early
days of the internet – that allowed users to post threaded messages in a
single location.

Usenet newsgroups still exist, but they’re just not as popular as, say, Reddit
or Twitter.
In 1995, a web-based archive of Usenet posts was created by Deja News Research
Service. It became the talk of the town owing to its powerful search
capabilities. Google acquired them in 2001 and rebranded the archive into
‘Google Groups’. Soon, the platform expanded beyond just accessing Usenet
archives, allowing users to create their own discussion groups and forums.

Google Groups is a service provided by Google that enables people to create
online discussion groups and communities. It can be used for a variety of
purposes, such as professional networking, support forums, interest-based
communities, project collaboration, and more. It serves as a platform for
people to connect, share knowledge, and engage in meaningful discussions with
like-minded individuals or within specific organizations"

[Pluted Pup]

On Sat, 17 Feb 2024 05:03:14 -0800, Notsure01 wrote:

> Some background information:
>
> Usenet is an ancient system that allows users to create discussion groups such
> as RMCR. It was created by computer professionals in 1980 and has a less
> friendly interface compared to what is available today, so Google provided a
> way to conveniently access Usenet through their Google Groups interface which
> follows the interface conventions folks are used to these days.

"Google Groups" were user hostile from the beginning,
they forbid the user from looking at the headers in the
posts. How is being user hostile the same as being user friendly?

>
> For whatever reason, Google will no longer support full access to Usenet as of
> the 22nd - old posts will still appear through Google Groups but no new
> threads or posts will be there - so there will be no ability to start topics
> or reply.
>
> In order to continue access, you will need to acquire a separate app on your
> PC or phone that allows access to Usenet - this is called a Usenet client. You
> will also need to configure the client to point to a Usenet server.
>
> There are many Usenet servers, some of them allow free access, but most have a
> monthly charge. see earlier in this thread for more detail.
>
> Please feel free to reply with any or all questions you have!
>
> And thank you for all of your well written posts on early music, world music,
> and contemporary music - the dialog between you and Todd is definitely one of
> the highlights of RMCR!

B-b-but don't you miss the good old days of the newsgroup where
there was endless threads between TD and Gerard, M and TD,
M and Ansermanaic, TD and DK, etc., that consisted entirely of
saying the other party doesn't have the bone fide credentials
to say what they say? You know, mouthpieces, degrees, industry
experience, that require so many 4 letter words and links to
pornographic pictures to make their case?

How can we have call ourselves a newsgroup and not even argue about
Schnabel transfers?

[Andy Evans]

On Tuesday 13 February 2024 at 15:20:37 UTC, sci.space wrote:

> Can anyone recommend a free Usenet service? RMCR is not worth my spending $5-10 (US) per month. Alternatively, is there another forum on the web which is similar to RMCR?

Try some of the Hi-Fi forums. They are full of music lovers and there's plenty of off-topic posts. Thankfully monitored to keep everything friendly and civil. You won't find anyone nitpicking about boxed sets of Szell et al., but you'll find some nice people and you'll get conversation about all kinds of music.

[Al Eisner]

I am still isomg individual.net, which you suggested several years ago.It's
only about $10 per year, which is close to free. It's generally worked
quite well, and if a problem arises they are quickly responsive. No
binaries.

The only downside, which I think is shared by most servers, is that they
only keep three years or so of posts. So if I need older posts which
I have not saved, I still use google groups fpr just that purpose. Hoping
that new archive service(s) pan out.
--
Al Eisner

[Dan Koren]

Do any of the usenet services support including
inline photos, videos or music files in articles?
Thx