Google Groups archive only in Feb 2024

[wessie]

ogden posted this on Facebook
https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538

"What’s changing?
Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet
groups, or view new Usenet content. You can continue to view and search for
historical Usenet content posted before February 22, 2024 on Google Groups.

In addition, Google’s Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) server and
associated peering will no longer be available, meaning Google will not
support serving new Usenet content or exchanging content with other NNTP
servers.

This change will not impact any non-Usenet content on Google Groups,
including all user and organization-created groups. Most of the current
Google Groups content is not Usenet content and will not be affected."

If you want to switch to using a usenet client then there are free servers
provided by eternal september and Neodome

[Ben Blaney]

On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09 AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:

> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet
> groups, or view new Usenet content.

Think this might be the end of the road for me. Not sure I can be bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing - I found MacSoup to be a horrible client.

[Andy Burns]

Ben Blaney wrote:

> wessie wrote:
>
>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
>

> Think this might be the end of the road for me. Not sure I can be bothered

<https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.rec.motorcycles>

[Pete Fisher]

Isn't there "an app for that" (for a few quid one off payment possibly)?
--
Moto Morini 2C/375
Gilera 175 Sport, Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen
Honda CB250RS (Not Waynetta!)
"Do not adjust your mind, there is a fault in the reality"

[Andy Burns]

Pete Fisher wrote:

> Ben Blaney wrote:
>
>> I found MacSoup to be a horrible client.
>
> Isn't there "an app for that"

Elsewhere I've seen NewsTap recommended for iThings

[Eddie]

On 15/12/2023 17:39, Ben Blaney wrote:

I tried MacSoup once, when I first got a Mac. Horrible.

Thunderbird suits me just fine, with the advantage that I can use the
same client on different operating systems (with a bit of jiggery-pokery
to sync the newsrc file).

--
Eddie ed...@deguello.org

[chrisnd @ukrm]

<raises eybrow>
Tell me more about this piggery-jokery - I must admit I hadn't even
considered it but I would find it useful to be able to do this.

TIA, Chris

--
The Deuchars BBB#40 COFF#14
Yamaha XV750SE & Suzuki GS550t
http://www.Deuchars.org.uk

[chrisnd @ukrm]

I admit, I like the simplicity of that web interface...
It might also encourage me to let go of some of the trivia I've
bookmarked over the last 25 years?
Hmmm...

[Worst Case]

W.C. says: The story here is that, in spite of Google's best efforts
to crush it, USENET survived!

+ https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538?visit_id=638382672714230642-1699016088&p=usenet&rd=1

I kvetch about how much of the traffic here at uk.rec.motocycles is
spam. Now I think I can set it in a larger context. Spam was part
and parcel of USENET from early days. It has become worse during the
intervening 30 years, but this is a quantitative difference, not a
qualitative one. Newsreader software evolved to cope by blacklisting
spammers.

LET IT NOT be said that the death of USENET is attributable to spam.
For one thing, USENET is not dead in spite of what Google wants you to
think:

> Much of the content being disseminated via Usenet today is binary
> (non-text) file sharing, which Google Groups does not support, as
> well as spam.

I find it ironic that Google's GMail is the largest source of USENET
spam by far — both by piece count and by bandwidth.

LET IT NOT be said that the death of USENET is attributable to
graphical newsreaders, either.

> Over the last several years, legitimate activity in text-based Usenet
> groups has declined significantly because users have moved to more
> modern technologies and formats such as social media and web-based
> forums.

The whole point of continuing using USENET is to avoid the tracking and
hucksterism rampant on Szociál Media.

Google acquired the Deja News USENET archive in 2001 and promptly set
about making comprehensive searches of historical USENET traffic
inoperable. Search of Google Groups remains problematic to this day.

+ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet

In that year (2001), Google debuted Groups as a direct competitor for
USENET even though its Web interface has always been inferior to the
various newsreaders which existed then and which have continued to
improve.

Decoupling Groups from USENET can only be seen as vindication of the
old store-and-forward technology from 1980. Things are bound to get
better now that USENET moderators can finally feel free to blacklist
all GMail traffic.


--
Worst Case

[Colin Irvine]

On Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:39:33 -0800 (PST), Ben Blaney
<benb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Er - don't you already have a source, eg for this post?

--
Colin Irvine
R1250RS

[Andy Burns]

Colin Irvine wrote:

> Ben Blaney wrote:
>
>> wessie wrote:
>>
>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
>>

>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.
>

> Er - don't you already have a source, eg for this post?

Have you guessed what it is yet?

Message-ID: <ba5d3997-5d37-459d...@googlegroups.com>
From: Ben Blaney <benb...@gmail.com>

[Colin Irvine]

On Sun, 17 Dec 2023 09:03:21 +0000, Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Doh!

--
Colin Irvine
R1250RS

[YTC#1]

On 15/12/2023 17:39, Ben Blaney wrote:

Tbird + Eternal September.

Not rocket science.

--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly"
http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/

[YTC#1]

On 16/12/2023 14:13, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
> On 15/12/2023 18:11, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Ben Blaney wrote:
>>
>>> wessie wrote:
>>>
>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
>>>
>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can be
>>> bothered
>>
>> <https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.rec.motorcycles>
>
> I admit, I like the simplicity of that web interface...

Absolutely fucking hate it.

[YTC#1]

On 15/12/2023 22:48, Eddie wrote:

TBH, I've never thought about syncing the newsrc file, all I need to do
is move it to my NextCloud instance and jobs a goodun

[Tim]

On 17/12/2023 10:23, YTC#1 wrote:
> On 16/12/2023 14:13, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
>> On 15/12/2023 18:11, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>
>>>> wessie wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
>>>>
>>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can be
>>>> bothered
>>>
>>> <https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.rec.motorcycles>
>>
>> I admit, I like the simplicity of that web interface...
> Absolutely fucking hate it.
>

+1

[Mark Olson]

Ben Blaney <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Eternal September as a server does the job for me, seems to be almost
100% reliable. <Knock on wood>.

Client SW for a Mac? No idea.

--
FJR1300A, GL1000, KLR650A6F, EX250J9A, DR200SE, Vespa Ciao

[Mark Olson]

Used to be my method too, now I just use a text based newsreader
and it works fine for me. All of the linux boxes I do UKRM on have a
short script to grab the newsrc file from a server and copy it back
when I'm done. Also creates a backup of the previous newsrc file in
case something goes haywire I don't lose my place.

[Spike]

Thunderbird.

NIN at 10 euro per annum is a steal for top-class text-only Usenet access.

<https://news.individual.net/>

--
Spike

[Pete Fisher]

Works for me, but ICBA do install TBird on the laptop I sometimes use. A
decent Android app would be useful if utterly bored on holiday and
wanting to contribute to the UKRM stream of consciousness. GG sort of
worked but was as clunky an interface as you could imagine -
particularly for posting.

[Colin Irvine]

Known here as the German Server, it's what a few of us use.

--
Colin Irvine
R1250RS

[YTC#1]

On 18/12/2023 10:08, Pete Fisher wrote:
> On 18/12/2023 09:25, Spike wrote:
>> Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
>>> Ben Blaney <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09???AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
>>>>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to
>>>>> Usenet
>>>>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>>>>
>>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can
>>>> be bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing -
>>>> I found MacSoup to be a horrible client.
>>
>>> Eternal September as a server does the job for me, seems to be almost
>>> 100% reliable. <Knock on wood>.
>>
>>> Client SW for a Mac? No idea.
>>
>> Thunderbird.
>>
>> NIN at 10 euro per annum is a steal for top-class text-only Usenet
>> access.
>>
>> <https://news.individual.net/>
>>
>
> Works for me, but ICBA do install TBird on the laptop I sometimes use. A

Fuck me, you are one lazy cnut.

[Pete Fisher]

On 18/12/2023 10:25, YTC#1 wrote:
> On 18/12/2023 10:08, Pete Fisher wrote:
>> On 18/12/2023 09:25, Spike wrote:
>>> Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
>>>> Ben Blaney <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09???AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
>>>>>> (at
>>>>>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to
>>>>>> Usenet
>>>>>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>>>>>
>>>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can
>>>>> be bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing -
>>>>> I found MacSoup to be a horrible client.
>>>
>>>> Eternal September as a server does the job for me, seems to be almost
>>>> 100% reliable. <Knock on wood>.
>>>
>>>> Client SW for a Mac? No idea.
>>>
>>> Thunderbird.
>>>
>>> NIN at 10 euro per annum is a steal for top-class text-only Usenet
>>> access.
>>>
>>> <https://news.individual.net/>
>>>
>>
>> Works for me, but ICBA do install TBird on the laptop I sometimes use. A
> Fuck me, you are one lazy cnut.
>>
>
>

A simple matter of not using up disc space for a system that I very
rarely use, on a machine that is not endowed with an abundance of
storage. The Gmail web interface is good enough for checking and
responding to emails. Most of the other accounts I have to keep an eye
on have a forward to my gmail address and a webmail (usually stackmail)
instance that I use to reply anyway. Oh and a Proton secure email
account for some jobs.

Guilty as charged though.

[Spike]

Use a portable version of Tbird on a USB stick?

--
Spike

[wessie]

Spike <aero....@mail.com> wrote in
news:kuamok...@mid.individual.net:

> Use a portable version of Tbird on a USB stick?
>

I used to do that when I was a postgrad but now I use Xnews from a Dropbox
folder.

[Pete Fisher]

Hmm.
<Googles>
https://kb.mozillazine.org/Running_from_a_USB_drive_-_Thunderbird

Sounds like a plan. I have to keep an eye on about 4 additional IMAP
accounts, so that would help when 'away'. Though I try to literally
'switch off' as much as possible on holiday, there's always some old
codger who can't remember their VMCC forum password and fires off a
contact us email saying they need it reset.

[Eddie]

On 16/12/2023 14:04, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
> On 15/12/2023 22:48, Eddie wrote:
>>
>> Thunderbird suits me just fine, with the advantage that I can use the
>> same client on different operating systems (with a bit of
>> jiggery-pokery to sync the newsrc file).
>
> <raises eybrow>
> Tell me more about this piggery-jokery - I must admit I hadn't even
> considered it but I would find it useful to be able to do this.

There's a few ways of doing it, but it boils down to putting the newsrc
file somewhere that can be synced automatically between the different
operating systems using a service like Dropbox[0].

You can either tell your news client to use the synced file directly, or
use a symbolic link from where the news client expects the newsrc file
to be to its synced location.


[0] Other file synchronisation services are available. I use something
that syncs it to my NAS.

--
Eddie ed...@deguello.org

[chrisnd @ukrm]

On 18/12/2023 14:16, Eddie wrote:
> On 16/12/2023 14:04, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
>> On 15/12/2023 22:48, Eddie wrote:
>>>
>>> Thunderbird suits me just fine, with the advantage that I can use the
>>> same client on different operating systems (with a bit of
>>> jiggery-pokery to sync the newsrc file).
>>
>> <raises eybrow>
>> Tell me more about this piggery-jokery - I must admit I hadn't even
>> considered it but I would find it useful to be able to do this.
>
> There's a few ways of doing it, but it boils down to putting the newsrc
> file somewhere that can be synced automatically between the different
> operating systems using a service like Dropbox[0].
>
> You can either tell your news client to use the synced file directly, or
> use a symbolic link from where the news client expects the newsrc file
> to be to its synced location.

Gotcha, ta.
I can do that ... I think...

[GeoffC]

PhoNews?

--

Geoff
NTV650

[chrisnd @ukrm]

+1

Chris

--
XV750SE & GS550T

[Boots]

On 17/12/2023 23:31 Tim penned these words:

+2
--
Ian

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of
the last priest"

[Pete Fisher]

On 18/12/2023 18:16, GeoffC wrote:

<Googles>

Not all brilliant feedback is it?
I'll give it a go.
I did start modifying the source code of a different one in Android
Studio to 'improve' it but it made my head hurt.
An HTML5 mobile optimised web viewer might be better. Started on one of
those too but they switched aioe off and having to use credentials adds
a layer of complexity. Articles were fetched to a JSON file.

It used Jquery Mobile 1.3.2 and the interface was built using RIB.

Never got round to implementing posting, but it worked quite nicely as a
reader on a phone, though the threading representation was only by ID.

[Pete Fisher]

Odd. Had to uninstall and reinstall to get it working.
--
Huh

[GeoffC]

Two light annoyances I have with it:

The send button is often around where the cursor is, resulting in
sending unfinished posts.
It seems to be (for me anyway) very easy to delete a a whole group,
quite easy to get it back though but you lose all your read/unread
markings.
Apart from that it works, I don't think I am a very demanding user
though.


--

Geoff
NTV650

[jeremy]

On 15 Dec 2023 at 17:39:33 GMT, "Ben Blaney" <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09 AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>
>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet
>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>
> Think this might be the end of the road for me. Not sure I can be bothered to
> find a source, and - despite Murray's championing - I found MacSoup to be a
> horrible client.

On MacOS try usenapp - been using it myself for a couple of years - does the
job nicely (I previously used Gravity when on MS Windows).


--
jeremy

[Ben Blaney]

On Friday, December 22, 2023 at 12:10:49 PM UTC-5, jeremy wrote:

> On MacOS try usenapp - been using it myself for a couple of years - does the
> job nicely (I previously used Gravity when on MS Windows).

Will do, cheers.

[John Doe]

Done.

[wessie]

John Doe <john...@myemail.invalid> wrote in
news:um4r45$1msn1$1...@dont-email.me:

a pint of Pomerol please

[Mike Fleming]

On 15/12/2023 17:39, Ben Blaney wrote:
> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09 AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>
>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet
>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>
> Think this might be the end of the road for me. Not sure I can be bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing - I found MacSoup to be a horrible client.

Thunderbird is available for Mac.

[Ben Blaney]

Not well, as it turns out. Been a while since I've set up....well, anything.
Feels a bit early 2000s.

> a pint of Pomerol please

Well, since it's you, and it's Christmas...cheers!

[YTC#1]

And Linux
And Solaris
And Android (but only as email, and currently called K9)

[chrisnd @ukrm]

On 26/12/2023 17:30, YTC#1 wrote:
> On 25/12/2023 16:20, Mike Fleming wrote:
>> On 15/12/2023 17:39, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09 AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>>>
>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
>>>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to
>>>> Usenet
>>>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>>>
>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can be
>>> bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing - I
>>> found MacSoup to be a horrible client.
>>
>> Thunderbird is available for Mac.
>
> And Linux
> And Solaris
> And Android (but only as email, and currently called K9)

Interesting - I've been using K9 on Android for a while now but not
realised there was a TB connection.

[Andy Burns]

chrisnd @ukrm wrote:

> Interesting - I've been using K9 on Android for a while now but not
> realised there was a TB connection.

There isn't much of a connection yet, K9 is still K9. MZLA have
employed the K9 developer(s) for a future TB for Android

I thought there used to be some code here, but it's now empty

<https://github.com/orgs/thundernest/repositories>

[YTC#1]

On 27/12/2023 09:53, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
> On 26/12/2023 17:30, YTC#1 wrote:
>> On 25/12/2023 16:20, Mike Fleming wrote:
>>> On 15/12/2023 17:39, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8:32:09 AM UTC-5, wessie wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at
>>>>> groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to
>>>>> Usenet
>>>>> groups, or view new Usenet content.
>>>>
>>>> Think this might be the end of the road for me.  Not sure I can be
>>>> bothered to find a source, and - despite Murray's championing - I
>>>> found MacSoup to be a horrible client.
>>>
>>> Thunderbird is available for Mac.
>>
>> And Linux
>> And Solaris
>> And Android (but only as email, and currently called K9)
>
> Interesting - I've been using K9 on Android for a while now but not
> realised there was a TB connection.

I think the re branding is due soon(ish)

[chrisnd @ukrm]

Ta for the update.

C

["Worst...@dizum.com]

On Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:32:06 -0000 (UTC), wessie <willn...@tesco.net> wrote:

> Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
> (at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe
> to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content.

T-5 days and counting! No big last-minute push from spammers so far.

--
Worst Case