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Do I get a newsreader or do I just give up on rsfc?

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JGibson

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 5:03:32 PM12/14/23
to
Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:

*BEGIN QUOTE*
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

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 5:40:02 PM12/14/23
to
I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the majority
of users are from Google Groups.

What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
Thunderbird.

I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear, requiring
one to pay for it. There are no good providers with sub-$5.00/month cost that
I can find. I had a $3.00 Supernews for years, but that is gone.

I suppose I could bring up a Usenet server and try to pull RSFC and
a couple of other groups, but I haven't tried to find Usenet peers for
more than a decade and don't even know if it is really possible....

--
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it,
can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the
universe to do. -- Galileo

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 5:43:05 PM12/14/23
to
On 2023-12-14, Con Reeder, unhyphenated American <cons...@duxmail.com> wrote:
> On 2023-12-14, JGibson <james.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>>
>> *BEGIN QUOTE*
>> 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
>
> I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the majority
> of users are from Google Groups.
>
> What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
> Thunderbird.
>
> I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear, requiring
> one to pay for it. There are no good providers with sub-$5.00/month cost that
> I can find. I had a $3.00 Supernews for years, but that is gone.
>
> I suppose I could bring up a Usenet server and try to pull RSFC and
> a couple of other groups, but I haven't tried to find Usenet peers for
> more than a decade and don't even know if it is really possible....

If someone would give me an airplane ride I'd get a subscription and
pull RSFC and put up a Usenet server.... :)

--
Experience is what allows you to recognize a mistake the second time you
make it. -- unknown

unclejr

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 6:26:02 PM12/14/23
to
If I can't access RSFC via google groups, I'm done posting here.

Goodbye cruel world!

Corky

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 8:33:03 PM12/14/23
to
On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5:26:02 PM UTC-6, unclejr wrote:

So they're going to maintain a database but do away with the front end? That seems weird. I guess recgroups is dead, haven't tried to open it in ages. Seems like it's too much trouble just to read a bunch of anti-conservative 'gotcha' posts from libs. I'm sure there are plenty of football forums available like this used to be.

JGibson

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 9:16:59 PM12/14/23
to
On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5:40:02 PM UTC-5, Con Reeder, unhyphenated American wrote:
> On 2023-12-14, JGibson <james.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
> >
> > *BEGIN QUOTE*
> > 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
> I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the majority
> of users are from Google Groups.
>
> What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
> Thunderbird.
>
> I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear, requiring
> one to pay for it. There are no good providers with sub-$5.00/month cost that
> I can find. I had a $3.00 Supernews for years, but that is gone.
>
> I suppose I could bring up a Usenet server and try to pull RSFC and
> a couple of other groups, but I haven't tried to find Usenet peers for
> more than a decade and don't even know if it is really possible....

Outside of my work e-mail, I use gmail.

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 9:27:56 PM12/14/23
to
On 2023-12-14, Con Reeder, unhyphenated American <cons...@duxmail.com> wrote:
> On 2023-12-14, JGibson <james.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>>
>> *BEGIN QUOTE*
>> 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
>
> I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the majority
> of users are from Google Groups.
>
> What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
> Thunderbird.
>
> I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear, requiring
> one to pay for it. There are no good providers with sub-$5.00/month cost that
> I can find. I had a $3.00 Supernews for years, but that is gone.
>
> I suppose I could bring up a Usenet server and try to pull RSFC and
> a couple of other groups, but I haven't tried to find Usenet peers for
> more than a decade and don't even know if it is really possible....
>

It is -- I would use the old "suck" program to pull in the group (and
the few others I still watch) from an NNTP feed, then provide a server
that people could use. I doubt that there will be a call for it,
but if there were, I could do it.

Hard to believe that after 34 years of Usenet use, it will be history
for me. I got my first feed from UIUC, then from UUNET, if anyone
remembers them. I ran news peers with C News, then INN, for a number
of years. All through the Morris incident, Sep 1994, rise of the
spammers (I wonder if Sanford Wallace is still alive) and the
corresponding cancelers. What a fustercluck.

--
Socialism -- ideas so good they have to be enforced at gunpoint.
-- unknown

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 14, 2023, 9:36:28 PM12/14/23
to
Then you'd have to get a news reader. I don't know Usenet clients
outside of Linux. Thunderbird would work, of course. It looks like PAN
has a Windows client. Heaven only knows if Apple deigns to support
such things.

I'd give you a login to SSH in and use SLRN, if you wanted to do
what I do and use text-based. I assume you can still get Eternal
September accounts.

But I doubt the froup will survive, alas. Too big a blow. Now
we see the problem of having a sugar daddy. You become old and
unattractive like Usenet, and it's "Honey, there's the door."

--
Life may not be quite the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance. -- Anonymous

RoddyMcCorley

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 12:05:15 AM12/15/23
to
I use Thunderbird for all my mail. Pretty flexible.
--
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In
practice, there is."

Some dued

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 8:11:09 AM12/15/23
to
On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 4:03:32 PM UTC-6, JGibson wrote:
It's a mercy killing.
AFO&U I guess after 25 years of mostly lurking.

JGibson

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 10:11:27 AM12/15/23
to
It was on life support anyway. rsbc was always "my" group, and I only became super active in rsfc when rsbc hit its deathbed. Only a few of us left anyway. Nice "knowing" you all!

unclejr

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 10:45:15 AM12/15/23
to
AFO&U after 19 years here.

jimbr...@yahoo.com

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 4:34:19 PM12/15/23
to
On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 4:03:32 PM UTC-6, JGibson wrote:
You could start a second FB group that allows all discussions. (the one now is supposed to disallow politics, though it is not usually enforced)

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 6:30:30 PM12/15/23
to
RSFC Unleashed!

--
Being against torture ought to be sort of a bipartisan thing.
-- Karl Lehenbauer

Happy Holidaze

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 9:23:44 PM12/15/23
to
"Con Reeder, unhyphenated American" <cons...@duxmail.com> wrote in
news:slrnunn11t.1a...@karen.heins.net:

> On 2023-12-14, JGibson <james.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>>
>> *BEGIN QUOTE*
>> 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
>
> I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the
> majority of users are from Google Groups.
>
> What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
> Thunderbird.
>
> I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear,
> requiring one to pay for it. There are no good providers with
> sub-$5.00/month cost that I can find. I had a $3.00 Supernews for
> years, but that is gone.
>
> I suppose I could bring up a Usenet server and try to pull RSFC and
> a couple of other groups, but I haven't tried to find Usenet peers for
> more than a decade and don't even know if it is really possible....

This should do it for most.

paganini.bofh.team port 119 or 563

No registration required, good retention.

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 15, 2023, 9:48:25 PM12/15/23
to
Seems to work well. I'll try it for a while. This in combination with
Thunderbird or Pan should work pretty well for most people, though I don't
know what mobile or tablet users would find to use.

--
Laws are generally found to be nets of such texture, as the little
creep through, the great break through, and the middle-sized alone
are entangled in. -- William Shenstone

DustyMcDanerson

unread,
Dec 16, 2023, 12:20:57 AM12/16/23
to
AFO&U after 18 years or so. Not sure. I still think an RSFCking reunion should be had, and I still propose a LAS VEGAS SPROTS BETTING VENUE. I have a little respect for most of you and a lot of respect for a few of you. I would buy you a beer.

Yours,
Dan S.

j...@mich.com

unread,
Dec 16, 2023, 8:21:53 AM12/16/23
to
$50 buys 1000G on Astraweb. That's a ton of usenet use.

I still use Forte Agent 4, works with all versions of Windows, but have to search to find free version now. Agent 9 is excellent but is $29 now, I
think

Xananews looks great and is free, Pan looks good as well and is also free.

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 16, 2023, 10:14:56 AM12/16/23
to
PAN originally stood for Pimp-Ass Newsreader. (Of course that meant I
had to try it out.) I found it tow work well, and if I were a graphical
kind of guy I would use that.

--
The problem with Internet quotations is that many of them
are not genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln

xyzzy

unread,
Dec 16, 2023, 5:41:33 PM12/16/23
to
If you’re referring to me I sold my plane this past summer and gave up
flying, at least for now. No specific reasons just felt like I’d done all I
wanted to do with it and wasn’t enjoying it enough any more to justify the
cost and effort.

Maybe after a few years away I’ll get the itch again and re-take it up.

--
“I usually skip over your posts because of your disguistng, contrarian,
liberal personality.” — Altie

xyzzy

unread,
Dec 16, 2023, 5:41:34 PM12/16/23
to
Con Reeder, unhyphenated American <cons...@duxmail.com> wrote:
> On 2023-12-14, JGibson <james.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>>
>> *BEGIN QUOTE*
>> 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
>
> I suspect that post volume will dictate that -- seems like the majority
> of users are from Google Groups.
>
> What do you use for email? A lot of the clients have Usenet, such as
> Thunderbird.
>
> I wonder if Eternal September will get overwhelmed and disappear, requiring
> one to pay for it.

Eternal September has been flaky lately. Been seeing a lot of out of
sequence post delivery where I see the replies before the original poast,
or never see the original poast. It was making rsfc unusable for me so I
stopped for a while. But checking in now it *seems* to have been resolved.
We’ll see

irishra...@gmail.com

unread,
Dec 17, 2023, 1:36:14 PM12/17/23
to
I knew a guy who owned and flew his own plane. He seemed to really
enjoy it until he crashed and killed himself and two other people.
So I stick to commercial flights, on big planes, with professional pilots.


Irish Mike

Nomen Nescio

unread,
Dec 17, 2023, 8:11:48 PM12/17/23
to
Alternative to GOOGLE groups shutting down...

https://rec.sport.football.college.narkive.com/

https://soc.culture.british.com.narkive.com/

https://soc.culture.scottish.narkive.com/

https://narkive.com/

Just add .narkive.com/ to the end of the group you're googling for.

For general everyday sending email you should be using tuta.com encrypted email.
"END TO END ENCRYPTION"

This is not about making money, this is about telling people to use end to end
encryption when sending email. Get off Hotmail and Gmail and other like them as
they're scanning your emails, putting ads in your email account and collecting
data on you. Why do you think they're free, do you think they want to make you
happy?

FREE and premium services: https://tuta.com/

Independent tuta review: https://privacysavvy.com/email/guides/tutanota-guide/


Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 12:29:26 PM12/18/23
to
Darn! Missed my window. :)

I'll keep looking for opportunities. I was thinking I might try learning
now that I am only a few miles from the EAA location, but considering my
medical situation I decided discretion was the better part of valor.

--
That a few of us need to be more in touch with our feelings has obscured
a deep truth: many more folks need to be much less in touch with theirs.
-- Eric Weinstein

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 12:30:29 PM12/18/23
to
On 2023-12-16, xyzzy <xyzzy...@gmail.com> wrote:
Same here. But the paganini.bofh.team server that was posted here is working
great for me, and I am using it.

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 12:32:09 PM12/18/23
to
Nice to know about if the group keeps on going.

But can you post from it?

--
Life isn't fair, but it's good. -- Regina Brett

xyzzy

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 1:06:14 PM12/18/23
to
Flying gliders doesn’t require an FAA medical, if that interests you.

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 2:37:19 PM12/18/23
to
I remember that from when I was a kid...how hard is it to get a tow?

xyzzy

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 3:42:02 PM12/18/23
to
It’s generally a service offered by all glider clubs. Looks like there’s
one near you at Seminole Lake https://www.soarfl.com/

Con Reeder, unhyphenated American

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 3:55:09 PM12/18/23
to
I was thinking of doing it in the summer up by our house in Fond du Lac.
Looks like there is a place less than an hour from my place...

I think we are planning to ride a boat over to watch the EAA show this
summer. I don't know what the protocol is for that other than just
shooting on over...but I am sure our neighbors will give us all the
info.

--
An amateur practices until he gets it right. A pro
practices until he can't get it wrong. -- unknown

Nomen Nescio

unread,
Dec 18, 2023, 5:02:11 PM12/18/23
to
>Con Reeder, unhyphenated American wrote...
>
>Nice to know about if the group keeps on going.
>
>But can you post from it?

Some groups let you post (list below) but you have to register.

No need to subscribe or register if posting to usenet via a remailer!

I2PN2 |> https://i2pn2.org (full text feed)
NovaBBS |> https://novabbs.org (darknet text feed)
Eternal September |> https://www.eternal-september.org (full text feed)
Blue World Hosting |> https://usenet.blueworldhosting.com (full text feed)
Solani |> https://solani.org
DOTSRC |> https://dotsrc.org/usenet/
Agency News |> http://www.news.bbs.nz
NNTP4 / FreeDyn |> https://news.nntp4.net
Chmurka |> http://news.chmurka.net (Polish language)
Ausics |> https://newsgroups.ausics.net/ (Australia Only)
CSIPH |> http://csiph.com (full text feed)
Paganini |> nntp://paganini.bofh.team (full text feed)

Learn how to post anonymously to usenet here if you don't want to register...

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The first thing you need to do is get the key/s for the remailer/s you want to use...

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Remailer key for hsub: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/HGKfUsks2Hg
Remailer key for shalo: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/QtTm2-Spi7c
Remailer key for paranoia: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/Sbw708Rgkmo
Remailer key for dizum: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/C7tk1vFkSS8
Remailer key for frell: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/_q6eQoBXHjI

How To Send Anonymous Email / Posts Manually

Sending manually eliminates the need for software on your computer which could have a backdoor!

These are the fundamental instructions to understand how remailer messages are created and this
will help you to understand how remailers work.

If you want to send an anonymous message, first of all create a file containing:
- two colon signs ( :: ) in the first line,
- the phrase "Anon-To: e-mail address" in the second line
whereby the e-mail address should be the address the remailer will send the message to.
The third line should be empty and the message text will follow.

For Usenet posts you must use: Anon-Post-To: rec.sport.football.college or the target group.
For rec.arts.tv you would use: Anon-Post-To: rec.arts.tv and so on.

e.g.:

=============================================================
::
Anon-Post-To: rec.sport.football.college

Write here your message

=============================================================
::
Anon-To: add...@example.org

Write here your message
=============================================================

Remailers only accept messages encrypted through PGP or GPG, so your message must be encrypted
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So the above message must be encrypted with the remailer PGP key and eventually sent to
mixm...@remailer.paranoici.org by entering two colon signs at the beginning of the message
and, in the second line, the phrase "Encrypted: PGP" followed by the previously encrypted
message.

=============================================================
From: j...@test.com
To: mixm...@remailer.paranoici.org

::
Encrypted: PGP

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
Version: 2.6.3i

owE1jMsNwjAUBH3gZMk9PClnUoBPUANpwElW2OBPZD8H0gd1UCP2gduuNDNfj
IcSHT4zCbQmtlbzGFM9T0jSD7QVvEzaPcUlBSSWHQclbnR9YWJNp5BFSLdR9s
CijF3NGxybry/1Rsqn4la3a0JiIhLvnYGCu9HFtiC8oIxnlkeuIYe+EH=HgDa
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
=============================================================

The remailer will decode your message and send it anonymously. If you want to include a subject
or other headers which shouldn't be filtered by the remailer, you can enter them as explained
below before encrypting the message for the remailer:

=============================================================
::
Anon-To: add...@example.org

##
Subject: Re: Twofish
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 12 Jan 1999 22:47:04 EST."
<1999011302...@example.com>

Message text
=============================================================

Even if PGP encryption is very safe, using a remailer in the simplest way is not the best system
for protecting your identity. Therefore, you can tell the remailer, for instance, to keep the
message you've sent for a certain period of time and to forward it later so as to avoid the
so-called traffic analysis.
If you enter the header Latent-Time: +2:00, your message will be delayed by 2 hours, while if you
use the syntax Latent-Time: +5:00r, you'll have a random delay between 0 and 5 hours.

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the other before it reaches your address.
Let's make an example with the above message:

=============================================================
::
Anon-To: mixm...@remailer.paranoici.org

::
Encrypted: PGP

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
Version: 2.6.3i

owE1jMsNwjAUBH3gZMk9PClnUoBPUANpwElW2OBPZD8H0gd1UCP2gduuNDNfI
T4zCbQmtlbzGFM9T0jSD7QVvEzaPcUlBSSWHQclbnR9YWJNp5BFSLdR9CijF3
ybry/1Rsqn4la3a0JiIhLvnYGCu9HFtiC8oIxnlkeuIYe+EH=HgDq
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
=============================================================

you can encrypt this message with the PGP key of another remailer (e.g. Dizum) and send the
encrypted message to this remailer: rema...@dizum.com

Thus Dizum will receive the message and decode it and will find the instructions to send it
to mixm...@remailer.paranoici.org, which in its turn will decode it and send it to
add...@example.org

There is more on remailing here:
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.privacy.anon-server/c/erlv9NR9A7Y
This page needs updating but worth a look: https://dizum.com/

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encrypted so that your ISP or email provider can't profile you. https://tuta.com/
(the best out there) FREE and premium services! END TO END ENCRYPTION!!!

Stay safe, stay encrypted!

MummyChunk

unread,
Dec 20, 2023, 12:47:44 PM12/20/23
to

> JGibson wrote:
> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>
> *BEGIN QUOTE*
> 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

Just use another site that provides web based access to
the group. They are a few out there for those who do not want to use
a NNTP server for access.


This is a response to the post seen at:
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=657370456#657370456


unclejr

unread,
Jan 19, 2024, 7:23:21 PMJan 19
to
The only post to rsfc today was my Wordle post. Sad. Pathetic too.

JE Corbett

unread,
Jan 19, 2024, 7:45:50 PMJan 19
to
On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5:03:32 PM UTC-5, JGibson wrote:
> Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
>
> *BEGIN QUOTE*
> 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

I'm giving up all my google groups. I waste too much time on them as it is. I'm not going to pay for an alternative.

MummyChunk

unread,
Jan 20, 2024, 10:49:21 AMJan 20
to

> > On Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5:03:32PM UTC-5, JGibson
wrote:
> > Just saw this note that the top of rsfc:
> >
> > *BEGIN QUOTE*
> > 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
> >
> JE Corbett wrote:
>
>
> I'm giving up all my google groups. I waste too much time on them
as it is. I'm not going to pay for an alternative.

Why pay when there are plenty of options where you do not need to pay
and they work the same as Google Groups (or better)

Here for example.

xyzzy

unread,
Jan 21, 2024, 9:32:33 PMJan 21
to
I’ve been using NewsTap Lite and free Eternal September account for years
now
0 new messages