computer terminology question

Despite all the kvetching Google Groups works fine, just sign up for free Gmail. You could at least have it for as backup. Right now there's not much spam in the groups I read.

jsw

Most ISPs no longer provide a USENET News server. You'll likely need to get an account with an independent usenet provider for a small cost. There are many to choose from, even a free one or two for text only groups.

I've been using eternal-september.org ever since comcast stopped carrying it.

aioe.org is a fairly good free one, text only. I use it as my backup server.

I also use octanews.com Its $8 for a 4 gig block. As I don't do images, etc. this block has lasted me two years, so far.

Karl

If you have internet and email service Register at

one of the other free news servers. Plug their information into your news reader account settings info. You will not have to worry, if, your carrier has a news server service.

I went with eternal-september.org when Verizon announced they were no longer going to provide usenet access. I have not had a problem since that time. It is far better service than the old Verizon provided access. Changeover was a couple of changes on the newsreader account settings detailed in the registration autoreply email.

[ ... ]

"Usenet News" -- and "connection to a news server".

You only need a "newsfeed" if you are setting up a server of your own -- and those are harder to find these days. (*And* -- they take massive resources, since perhaps ten years ago, the bandwidth needed to acccept a full feed would swamp two T1 connections, and require gigabytes of storage per day.

RSS is totally unrelated. The protocol in question is NNTP (Net News Transfer Protocol).

As long as you have connection to the internet, you have multiple sources to choose from -- no matter *who* your ISP is. If they don't provide a news server -- go outside.

[ ... ]

And I've been using Newsguy for quite a while, and am quite happy with them:

Yes, you have to pay for an account. If you don't intend to use the binaries newsgroups (simple description -- "gigabytes of copyright violations"), you certainly don't need their $14.95/Month unlimited express account. something like the "Basic" account (15 GB/Month) is probably enough. I have an older account, based on $9.95/Month or $99.95 per year, and I keep accumulating more and more download bandwidth. (Your unused capacity carries over month to month, and I now have something like 2.5 TB of unused capacity -- and they keep giving me bonus download capacity as well. :-)

You can connect to them using either a web browser (via HTTP), or a newsreader (via NNTP). They offer free for download (for Windows only) a newsreader called DRN (IIRC) which I have heard good reports about. Since I run unix systems, I can't use that, but I have a choice of many good newsreaders. IIRC, I experimented a little with the web-based access some time ago, and it was a lot better than what Google offered -- but I still prefer my unix stand-alone newsreading programs.

Oh yes -- they also have their own private set of newsgroups, some for announcements, and others with customers and staff mixing in in a chatty way. They are also very good about fixing problems quickly, including improvements requested to their DRN newsreader.

Enjoy, DoN.

PS The name eternal-september.org comes from the fact that there used to be a flood of clueless newbies every september as the new college class came in and got online for the first time. About the time that AOL started offering Usenet access, the flood of newbies has been never-ending, resulting in straining of the netequitte protocols (e.g the "no top posting" eternal debate. :-)

I use teranews , free after a $3.95 setup fee . Binaries , text , and a 50 Mb/day limit - which I've hit maybe three times in the last three years . Works for me . -- Snag Learning keeps you young !

Getting to the point... Subscribe to AstraWeb (news.astraweb.com) or some other premium news server.

FWIW, about UseNet in general. What was there before UseNet but of course on a lesser scale? Conference calling? Seems to me that UseNet is the only unmoderated global alternative to the one-way media. I have a feeling that ISPs dropping UseNet is more than just a financial concern. I fear that someday The Powers That Be will take it away from us. Maybe that is paranoid, but some fascist leaders have chastised UseNet, and Google is destroying access to the UseNet archive.

Good luck and have fun.

Besides dumping tons of spam onto UseNet every day, Google is destroying access to the public UseNet archive (an invaluable repository of human experience and knowledge). Google Groups should be shunned and is shunned by many of us, for very good reason.

Yabbut, I do hope that someone steps up to the plate to maintain the archives - they are, after all, a valuable resource for searching for information and stuff.

Cheers! Rich

Somebody probably already told you, but there are more and more ISPs that don't offer Usenet access anymore. Try one of these if their internet access is good, but they don't offer it.

Tera News - ($10 for life) Eternal-September - (Free and pretty reliable) AIOE - (Free, reads good, but posts sometimes fail)

I use all three. One of them always works. LOL. If you read binary groups I think only TeraNews carries those, and there is a download limit. I hear Supernews is good too, but they have a monthly fee. For read only access there used to be hundreds of free servers out there. I have not checked in a while. Also some websites and web forums have web portals for certain groups.

Wow, it was only $3.95 for life when I signed up. I switched to APN after a couple months of iffy connections and slow servers. It's $2.95 a month and quite stable/fast.

On Modernism... Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Two. One to hold the giraffe and the other to fill the bathtub with brightly colored machine tools.

-- The more passions and desires one has, the more ways one has of being happy. -- Charlotte-Catherine

Maybe that all it is then. Its been years since I got my account. I have not checked in a long time. Yeah it sometimes spotty, but I keep it as a backup.

I switched to Forte APN a few years ago after Larry suggested it. It's relatively trouble-free and only $2.95/mo (automatically paid from my checking/debit account, no having to remember to pay after logging in like some other services require).

I have GigaNews, it does have a fee (and download limit that varies with the fee), and it does have all the binary groups.

Joe Gwinn

You forgot to mention it's a conspiracy with George Bush at its core. Back in the round file with you.

Steve

Me too, and I send them a small contribution a couple of time a year.

Jeff

I guess I'm a parasite - I've also been using e-s.org since I was told about it, but I've always wondered who's paying for it.

Cheers! Rich