[ADMIN] The end of the group? zzz

[Pablo]

All,

The hosting for the group's account at its ISP - where the 'bot runs,
and where we host the group's domains/website - is due for renewal in
about 10 days. It's $150. I'm not going to pay it. If you look at the
page on our website that shows the group's accounts, you'll see that
we're already in the red by about $500. That's basically how much I've
personally put into the group. I haven't minded doing that, and I'm not
asking for any donations, but I don't want to put any more in, nor do I
want to go cap-in-hand to any of you or the group generally. Basically,
this is me done.

Whether this is the end of the group or not really depends on whether
someone is willing to take things over at this stage. The minimum to
keep the group running would be:

- Paying the $150 ISP bill that's due soon.

- Taking over the ISP account management, and also management of the
account where the group's domains are registered. Those won't be due
for renewal until some time in the spring.

Because I've kept these two accounts totally separate from any personal
business, there wouldn't be any huge issues with transferring ownership.
Basically, passing on username/password info, and asking that relevant
contact & billing information be changed. It could be done quite quickly.

Something to bear in mind is that the group has run more or less without
any maintenance for at least a couple of years now. The 'bot hosting at
the ISP is incredibly stable, and our 'bot filters have run without needing
adjustment for a very long time. In fact, almost all of them have expired
from lack of use, and spam on the group is down to almost nothing. It
seems that spammers have abandoned Usenet. I think we could even remove
the ZZZ/spanking gateway filters without any undue consequences.

So. I'm definitely done, but it's not any more my decision what happens
to the group from here than anyone else's. My strong preference would be
for someone to take it over. Because of the minimal maintenance needed
these days, that wouldn't necessarily need to be someone with strong
tech skills - at least that wouldn't be urgent.

What if no-one comes forward? I'm not sure. The ISP account would close,
but I would also have to make sure that forwarding of posts to the ISP was
stopped - it would be irresponsible to let posts keep coming to an account
I knew no longer existed. In the absence of a new technical moderator, my
preference would probably be to get the group switched to unmoderated, so
that it could still be used without a moderator. I'm sufficiently out of
touch with moderation affairs these days that I have no idea whether that
would be approved or even technically possible. But if it was, it would be
a way of keeping things just about alive without moderation.

Let me know if you have any thoughts. If there's anyone willing to take
up the reins, that would be great. If not, the group won't continue to
exist, at least in its current form, after November 23.

There's more about the technical issues related to running the group here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/soc.sexuality.spanking/dxymOVEeaUE/j4fS7tGVKTwJ

Pablo

[Barrister]

On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:08:40 -0800, Pablo <pa...@thetreehouse.net>
wrote:

>
>All,
>
>The hosting for the group's account at its ISP - where the 'bot runs,
>and where we host the group's domains/website - is due for renewal in
>about 10 days. It's $150. I'm not going to pay it. If you look at the
>page on our website that shows the group's accounts, you'll see that
>we're already in the red by about $500. That's basically how much I've
>personally put into the group. I haven't minded doing that, and I'm not
>asking for any donations, but I don't want to put any more in, nor do I
>want to go cap-in-hand to any of you or the group generally. Basically,
>this is me done.

<snip>

It's been a good run - for me since 1994 - and it's where I met my
wife, Bonnie - but maybe it's time to let it go. As one of the
moderators for SSS, I still read, and occasionally post, but most of
my interest is on Twitter and some blogs.

We can at least have an Irish wake.

[tyr...@gmail.com]

I think it's sad, but I don't see it coming back. If a potential use for the group or the site could be found, I would be glad to donate.

Tyr
Shedding a Tyr for our spanking group

[Brian G]

Its a shame as its one of the common interfaces I can handle unlike twitter
which is inaccessible without a huge effort and forums which have different
interfaces for each. I'll miss it but in the current economic climate, money
is tight and as I suspect Pablo has found, real life gets very busy at such
times.

Brian

--

--
___________________________________________________________________________
I hope I grow on you....
I'm a Fungi!!!
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk
__________________________________________________________________________
mildew...@hotmail.com
"Barrister" <Barr...@Assvile.com> wrote in message
news:hcg8a8ldt150d0q2s...@4ax.com...

[Brian G]

I think it would have been nice if one of the websites folk went to could
have made a gateway to the group so we could still have usenet access to it
if we wanted.

Brian

--

--
___________________________________________________________________________
I hope I grow on you....
I'm a Fungi!!!
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk
__________________________________________________________________________
mildew...@hotmail.com

<tyr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11f667f0-da91-49a8...@googlegroups.com...

[Tony Elka]

In article <k824h7$nv3$1...@dont-email.me>,

"Brian G" <mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> Its a shame as its one of the common interfaces I can handle unlike twitter
> which is inaccessible without a huge effort and forums which have different
> interfaces for each. I'll miss it but in the current economic climate, money
> is tight and as I suspect Pablo has found, real life gets very busy at such
> times.
>
> Brian
>

Brian, are there other ongoing usenet groups that you find interesting?

Tony

[ritchfl...@yahoo.com]

This is sad news. Like Barrister, I first came in here back in 1994 as the old dial-in BBS systems began to die off. When I came back into the lifestyle in 2010 after a long hiatus, this was one of my first stops.

I'd like to help keep SSS going, but honestly I've been bleeding money the past 2 months and this is a really bad time for me to contemplate taking on this expense, moderate though it may be.

I still check here on a daily basis, but I'm more active on FetLife, Twitter and iPunishment. The traffic here has slowed to a trickle and I'm not sure how we can resurrect a group such as this. Multi-media is the way of the world these days, and while it pains me to say this, I'm not certain there's much left for Usenet.

Brian's idea of trying to get a portal to this group might be worth exploring, but I'm not certain which sites have the technical ability to "pull" Usenet into a more complex platform.

Any thoughts?

[Tony Elka]

In article <ddf7be62-10cf-418f...@googlegroups.com>,

ritchfl...@yahoo.com wrote:

> This is sad news. Like Barrister, I first came in here back in 1994 as the
> old dial-in BBS systems began to die off. When I came back into the lifestyle
> in 2010 after a long hiatus, this was one of my first stops.
>
> I'd like to help keep SSS going, but honestly I've been bleeding money the
> past 2 months and this is a really bad time for me to contemplate taking on
> this expense, moderate though it may be.
>
> I still check here on a daily basis, but I'm more active on FetLife, Twitter
> and iPunishment. The traffic here has slowed to a trickle and I'm not sure
> how we can resurrect a group such as this. Multi-media is the way of the
> world these days, and while it pains me to say this, I'm not certain there's
> much left for Usenet.
>
> Brian's idea of trying to get a portal to this group might be worth
> exploring, but I'm not certain which sites have the technical ability to
> "pull" Usenet into a more complex platform.
>
> Any thoughts?

Those that wish to keep the usenet group tradition going could always
migrate back to alt.sex.spanking

Posters could continue typing "zzz" in the subject lines to delineate
from the unmoderated/unfiltered spam.

It's still there and it is where we started.

Tony

[Brian G]

Another thought, though its not quite a newsgroup, is a mailing list,
assuming those running these resources would be OK with the content.That way
at least one could keep the client access as well as an html one on the
site hosting it. Of course people would need to send a request to join, and
someone would need to own it to be able to remove the almost certain
spammers that it might attract.

Brian

--

--
___________________________________________________________________________
I hope I grow on you....
I'm a Fungi!!!
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk
__________________________________________________________________________
mildew...@hotmail.com

"Tony Elka" <shado...@shadowlane.com> wrote in message
news:shadowlane-9D481...@c-131-121-196-216.gonavy.usna.edu...

[Brian G]

Well most are spasmodic of course, but the bondage bdsm non binary ones can
at times be interesting of course. As I say, its odd that no web site has
made a portal to usenet groups to have along with its forums.
Brian

--
From the desk of Mildew Spores
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk

"Tony Elka" <shado...@shadowlane.com> wrote in message

news:shadowlane-DBB78...@c-131-121-196-216.gonavy.usna.edu...

[ritchfl...@yahoo.com]

On Sunday, November 18, 2012 5:04:53 AM UTC-5, Brian G wrote:
> Well most are spasmodic of course, but the bondage bdsm non binary ones can
>
> at times be interesting of course. As I say, its odd that no web site has
>
> made a portal to usenet groups to have along with its forums.
>
> Brian

Brian - that can be done, but it requires the installation of a widget on a multi-media site and those can be expensive to purchase. A site owner won't invest in one of those unless it's can help increase their traffic significantly.

[Tony Elka]

So nobody thinks much of the idea of just migrating back to
alt.sex.spanking, which is where we began, is still running and has
relatively low traffic now?

Tony

[Pablo]

It definitely has some merit as an idea. And it occurred to me a few days ago that
it's one reason that it might be hard to get approval for SSS to go to unmoderated:
why unmoderate SSS when an unmoderated spanking group already exists? Downside
of moving: the alt.* hierarchy is carried on fewer servers than the soc.* hierarchy.

The thing is: *something* has to be done with SSS. Whatever I do, the group will
continue to be carried on hundreds of news-servers across the world, and people
will (in theory) continue to post to it. This isn't like a website that can be rolled up
and put away.

I'm actually talking with someone who *might* (no promises yet) be able to keep
SSS running as a moderated group. If it works out, moderation won't be in the same
shape as it currently exists - it'll probably be a bare bones set-up just to keep the
lights on. But that's something.

Pab.

[Y Lee Coyote]

My pessimistic view is that there are not any practical solutions that will
enable to continue as we have for the last few years.

To have a moderated group, requires in some way a mailbox that someone or
something repost to Usenet. That requires having some ISP that allows a
program of some sort or that someone edits each message adding the
moderation comment and posts. To have a web site requires a host. I doubt
that any free hosting service allows active sites. In short, someone has
to have an account and pay as Pablo has been doing. Thanks Pablo!

The reason that we moved away from ass Usenet group was the spam. The
infestation is as bad as ever. There are two ways to look at Usenet groups
-- first with a newsreader and second with a web service like Google
groups. The latter requires access to a news server which are not as
plentiful as they once were and (obviously) a news reader with filter
capabilities -- and the knowhow to set it all up. Google groups can just
use it but again useless because of the spam.

I suggest the following.
1. We create a new Google group. I'm willing to do that as long as a few
other people are willing to be moderators. Additional moderators are
needed to prevent the group from becoming an orphan and uncontrollable
should I vanish. (I'm in a moderator position in another group and the
time and effort is insignificant since once things are setup there is
little to do beyond approve new members and delete the occasional rouge.)
2. The web site is essentially just an SSC archive. We could get an ASSTR
account and copy it over (perhaps losing the images). The faq modified
would become a post in the new group.

Neither of these things require any cash outlay nor complex approval
processes.


Sorry Brian, the reality is that Usenet is phasing itself out. Forums are
much more popular and single point of approval.

Just my 300 words (like a SSC story).

Y.

Valid return address is <YLeeCoyote (at) juno.com>
(Posting address is for the spammers)

See my stories at http://www.asstr.org/~YLeeCoyote/

P & E

[Y Lee Coyote]

On Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:26:00 -0500, Y Lee Coyote
<See.signa...@mail.com> wrote in
<lk3qa8pa9dts6gr3u...@4ax.com>:

>Sorry Brian, the reality is that Usenet is phasing itself out. Forums are
>much more popular and single point of approval.

I should also mention that one can get e-mail of the posts to the group and
respond by e-mail. This should avoid your text-reader problems with
Google.

Sorry I forgot to say this before.

Y

[ritchfl...@yahoo.com]

Y Lee,

If you move to a new Google group, I'll be happy to step up and help moderate it. I work an off shift, so that would give me the ability to keep an eye on things when other mods might otherwise be unavailable.

If it weren't for my current issues with large financial outlays, I would have seriously considered taking this over, to be honest. But again, in being honest I have to admit this a Really Bad Time for me to be laying out any money I don't have to lay out.

Pablo said someone is considering taking this over, which would be wonderful if it works out. If not, what you're suggesting sounds to me like a viable Plan B.

Cheers,
Ritch

[Y Lee Coyote]

On Thu, 22 Nov 2012 08:46:01 -0800 (PST), ritchfl...@yahoo.com wrote in
<806852ab-0582-4b3d...@googlegroups.com>:

>If you move to a new Google group, I'll be happy to step up and help moderate it.

Ritch,

Thanks.

The moderation is simpler than the current system.

By restricting posts to 'members only' there is delightfully little spam.
Usually because someone has been hacked and it requires only a minute to
post a comment 'spam removed' and delete (yes, that really works) the post.
If there is a rogue (mole) then a few more clicks to ban the offender. The
same can done if someone is distruptive or frequently off topic.

Members would have to be approved. That requires clicking one box and then
submit even if many are listed. Later as other join, the same thing
although that would be few after the initial surge.

Google actually makes it easy by e-mailing a 'membership pending' heads up
to at least one moderator and also indicating it when a moderator views the
content like anyone else.

It's just not a good idea to have only one person involved because should
something happen, then control is impossible for a long time.

For all the negative comments about Google group (and many are justified)
management is easy.

Y.

[DeMenace]

I've been lurking for a long time. I'm sad to see this group end. I
found A.S.S. back in the 70's after buying a big "Internet Yellowpages"
book. It was the first time I found I wasn't alone in my fetish. Being a
male bottom, I never felt completely accepted even here but I had my
friends. I guess this is kind of an end of an era for me but technology
moves on, there's no stopping it.

Oh well, enough nostalgia. I'm in favor of a google group and likewise
would help in any way I could.

Denny

[Y Lee Coyote]

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 12:55:44 -0500, DeMenace <Denny...@gmail.com> wrote
in <lS7ss.7858$ME....@fe12.iad>:

>I've been lurking for a long time. I'm sad to see this group end.

Sorry that you did not post.

> Being a
>male bottom, I never felt completely accepted even here but I had my
>friends.

You are not the only male bottom in Assville

>Oh well, enough nostalgia. I'm in favor of a google group and likewise
>would help in any way I could.

That would be great should we go that way. Pablo has one more iron in the
fire for the current way.

[Brian G]

I don't think male bottoms are unusual. I have played both sides myself,
though I would not want to be involved in male on male scenes myself.
As for google, well, no, I think really if usenet is to continue an
interface to one of the may web sites that cater for us would be good. This
would allow those who do not like web based forums or who find them awkward
to still participate and also those who love such places to interact as
well.

Brian

--
From the desk of Mildew Spores
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk

"DeMenace" <Denny...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:lS7ss.7858$ME....@fe12.iad...

[Brian G]

I still think that we need to get usenet more publicity and get the message
over that ts far more imune to the censorship problems often encountered on
web based systems.

Brian

--
From the desk of Mildew Spores
mildew...@blueyonder.co.uk

"Y Lee Coyote" <See.signa...@mail.com> wrote in message
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