OT: newsgroup software / access

"I've been using google groups to read and post,
rather than a real newsreader"

Me too. Since my isp dropped usenet. I use a free
newsserver to read mostly cause I am used to
the agent interface. but it is a pain switching to
google groups to post. But, since it's free, I can
live with it. I doubt if there are any free newservers
which allow posting. not anymore.
....thehick

[quote="'Charlie Pendejo'"]I've been using google groups to read and post, rather than a real
newsreader, because it allows me to do so from home or work or
anywhere.

Aside from google groups, what other "read and write from anywhere"
options are there? The two type of options I can imagine would be [a]
a mail/news gateway so that I can read & write via my email account, or
[b] a fuller featured web interface to news. Do these exist and work
well? Anyone have recommendations or experiences to relate? Thanks.[/quote]

I'd suggest ramming a Agent newsreader up your ass sideways. The rest
will be perfectly clear.

Charlie Pendejo said:

I've been using google groups to read and post, rather than a real
newsreader, because it allows me to do so from home or work or
anywhere.

Aside from google groups, what other "read and write from anywhere"
options are there?

I suppose I'm kind of "old-school", but I use unix shell access via panix.
I read newsgroups with slrn. I can reach it from anywhere via ssh. My shell
account has web-accessible email, which is occasionaly handy for convenient
access to attachments, but I do most of my email via mutt.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Donovan Rebbechi said:

My shell
account has web-accessible email,

Too bad you aren't allergic to shellfish.

[quote="'Charlie Pendejo'"]Aside from google groups, what other "read and write from anywhere"
options are there? The two type of options I can imagine would be [a]
a mail/news gateway so that I can read & write via my email account, or
[b] a fuller featured web interface to news. Do these exist and work
well? Anyone have recommendations or experiences to relate? Thanks.[/quote]

About 7-8 years ago, I set up a web to news gateway with some trailware
server software. It was pretty much like Google groups. FWIW, the
operation which Google bought out to make GoogleNews, DejaNews, existed
already at the time and looked similar but was read-only.

To use something like that gateway though, you'd need to have a machine
visible from the Internet - either an "always on" home machine or some
kind of hosted solution. I'll have a dig see if I can find something,
maybe in PHP for hosting on you ISPs homepage service?

steve common said:

About 7-8 years ago, I set up a web to news gateway ...

I'll have a dig see if I can find something,
maybe in PHP for hosting on you ISPs homepage service?

Thanks for your offer, steve, but don't spend any time on it. My home
machine ain't always on, and I've decided it may be just as well to use a
plain ol' newsreader from home and give up accessing the group also at work.
Anyhow that's what I plan to try for now.

[quote="Charlie Pendejo"]I've been using google groups to read and post, rather than a real
newsreader, because it allows me to do so from home or work or
anywhere.

Aside from google groups, what other "read and write from anywhere"
options are there? The two type of options I can imagine would be [a]
a mail/news gateway so that I can read & write via my email account, or
[b] a fuller featured web interface to news. Do these exist and work
well? Anyone have recommendations or experiences to relate? Thanks.
[/quote]

I use Portable Thunderbird for email and Usenet. It has all the
functionality of regular Thunderbird, but runs from a USB drive without
having to install anything. It works on any Windows computer.

I have been using this setup for about a year and it works well for me.
You do need an ISP that will let you connect to it from work. Maybe
contact your ISP at home (or just give it a test).

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/email/portable_thunderbird

<optional geek>
You can also use Portable Thunderbird + Enigmail for your encryption /
decryption needs.
</optional geek>

If you need more help with this, let me know.

--
Ylan

"The universe is not required to be in
perfect harmony with human ambition"
~ Carl Sagan

When google acquired deja-news and enhanced (or degraded) it,
that took the incentive from competitors.

I'd like them to add a kill file feature, but that wouldn't be too
effective
for the troll in this group that changes its name every couple days.

Google groups has a limit of about 20 postings to all newsgroups per
six hour time
period. And it seems to lose about 10% of them, but I can live with
that.

rick++ said:

but that wouldn't be too
effective

Hours, not days.

Ylan Segal said:

I use Portable Thunderbird for email and Usenet. It has all the
functionality of regular Thunderbird, but runs from a USB drive

EEN-ter-ess-tink, verrry eenteresstink!

They block the, whatchamacallit, NNTP port at work, and it's also just not
so important that I'm gonna run out and get a USB drive to do it; but it's a
neat idea and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Charlie Pendejo said:

Ylan Segal said:

I use Portable Thunderbird for email and Usenet. It has all the
functionality of regular Thunderbird, but runs from a USB drive

EEN-ter-ess-tink, verrry eenteresstink!

They block the, whatchamacallit, NNTP port at work, and it's also just not

Over here, they block a lot of web stuff and restrict access to sites,
but I don't think IT even knows what a NNTP port is, let alone though of
blocking it!

Quoted message said:

so important that I'm gonna run out and get a USB drive to do it; but it's a
neat idea and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.

They are really handy if you do stuff in multiple computers, and are
fairly cheap now.

--
Ylan

"The universe is not required to be in
perfect harmony with human ambition"
~ Carl Sagan