In my previous post I suggested to killfile the bastards or just ignore them. Well, for those other readers/posters that have problems with their ISPs dropping newsgroup, especially the binary groups, here is a suggestion. I use NetScape (NS) as my news reader and MS Explorer as the ISP (thru AT&T), specifically versions 4.2 - it is (I think) the third version of NS. It is a bit slow, and you get the gamut of spam and other crap, but it is free, I have been using it since I started reading groups around 1998 (wow, that long!). It has the regular filters albeit a bit arcane, but they are there. Go to the NS web page and follow the links to the downloadable versions - if not, go to Google and enter NetScape Version 4.2.
Hope this helps those that have to pay for viewing the newsgroups.
Ray ===
D> I am wondering if the flood of spam is going to basically kill
4/23/2008 9:58 AM Don Stauffer in Minnesota said the following:> > > >
the posts. =A0I> >> personally do not use a killfile feature, I just read what is of interest> >> to me and get rid of the spam or junk. =A0However, if the group decides to> >> go with a moderator, count me in, but don't have me sign in with a> >> password and other secret society crap.> > >> Ray> >> =3D=3D=3D> > >> Don Stauffer in Minnesota wrote:> > >>> I am wondering if the flood of spam is going to basically kill> >>> Usenet. =A0It is happening to ALL the newsgroups I subscribe to. =A0I know> >>> droves of people leaving this and other Usenet groups.> > >> Snip> > > The problem with killfiles is that many of us have ISPs who no longer> > support Usenet, and so we cannot use newsreaders (unless we pay for a> > third party server provider). =A0So we use a web interface, usually> > Google groups.> > I pay about .20 cents a day for Supernews.> > --> > Bill> In Hamptonburgh, NY> To email, remove the double zeroes after @- Hide quoted text -> > - Show quoted text -I know that spam, especially the bulk that this particular asshole is peddling, is irritating, but is it really so damned hard to spend three or four seconds passing it over?Tom
Netscape 4.7 here and I'd still be using 3.0 if W98 allowed it. I have a crapload of rms info on this computer but it's sealed in the little cut-off universe of 3.0 thanks to the last upgrade before the new computer. Putting google groups into the filter seems to have cleared up the spam
- or I haven't gotten far enough down the list yet.
Apart from RMS there's very little social aspect to my modeling - I suffer in solitude. ;-) So it's always good to here that folks in different areas are working it better than me. My hunch is that over all the hobby is in decline. Kids just don't seem to to be into it as much as when I was a model brat. Video games - now that's alive and well by all estimates.
Now whether more adults are modeling or not - I have no idea. Sounds like that could very well be the case from what your club is experiencing. That would be good for the hobby no doubt. Young or old, today's modeler appears to be on average far more sophisticated than in the past, and that might be a worthwhile trade off - taking models from the toy aisle exclusively to the craftsman's table.
But I believe the diminishing number of posts IS a result of people leaving the group. I know several who used to subscribe but have moved to web-based forums. Fewer people, fewer posts.
I don not think the spammers will*KILL* the groups but they will cubt down on knew members and possibly activity by those who access these groups from Google.
Put yourself in a Newbie's shoes for a moment.
Some one tells you about these groups or you discover them for yourself whilst browsing on the web. You think to yourself, "Yippee! Just whay I've been looking for!" You then visit a group and discover page after page of spam and/or off-topic posts. You are very disappointed. Are you likely to join that group? I do not think so. Many times recently I have reached this group via Google only to find five or more pages of spam (50+ messages) and perhaps two or three modelling related threads. MAny times those threads have been hijacked and are illed with post completely unrelated to the question or topic in the header.
A good feature of these groups is that replies can be much faster than on a moderated forum even if the forum has a number of moderators. The problem with forums is how many times a day (if you are lucky) do the moderators check for new messages.
Any worthwhile forum or group will require registration and a password in an effort to cut down on spammers.
I moderate and also run a couple of Yahoo modelling groups. A big advantage of these is that you can *BAN* a spammer. It they try rejoining under a new identity it is disallowed.
Another advantage to Yahoo groups and some forums is that you can post images *WITH* your posts. Those viewing your post to not have to go elsewhere to look at an image you are using to illustrate a question or a response.
However, as has been mentioned, many of these forums and groups have a narrow field of what they consider on-topic posts. Perhaps that is in part because they do not want some one to post a query seeking help and then get only off-topic replies - which btw is another source of annoyance for many.
I post queries here *BECAUSE* the potential responders form such a wide pol of knowledge and because responses are some times quicker. Since I do not have a dedicated newsreader nor have I been able to figure out how to set up Outlook Express t read the newsgroups I have drifted mostly to Yahoo groups and then to forums for help.
I used to read rms and post hear almost daily, but the constant, pointless and stupid flamewars drove me away.
The SPAM doesn't help either, even though I have pretty good filters and killfiles.
I'm not sure there is much that can be done to save RMS. A general purpose board would be great, but it would probably have to be web based and NOT Ad infected like Yahoo. There aren't many modelers out there anymore, and most already go to the various niche sites - Hyperscale, ARC, Modeling Madness, Armorama, SteelNavy, Modelwarships, Starship Modeler, etc. If you want a generic board, Hobbytalk and the Finescale Modeler both fit the bill and are moderated.
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.ca wrote: : : Another advantage to Yahoo groups and some forums is that you can : post images *WITH* your posts. : You can always provide an HTML link to your photos in a post. People can then look at the link or not. Given the potential for "things" to be delivered by a specially crafted .jpg or such, I'll let others vet the link for me. :-)
Then again, I doubt the spammers would get me with a windows exploit anyway...
Is it just me or is our Chinese asshole friend missing today?Maybe his lead poisoning is acting up. :-)TomOn Apr 24, 7:41=A0pm, snipped-for-privacy@realtime.net (Bruce Burden) wrote:> snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.ca wrote:> > :> : Another advantage to Yahoo groups and some forums is =A0that you can> : post images *WITH* your posts.> :> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 You ca= n always provide an HTML link to your photos in a> =A0 =A0 post. People can then look at the link or not. Given the> =A0 =A0 potential for "things" to be delivered by a specially crafted> =A0 =A0 .jpg or such, I'll let others vet the link for me. :-)> > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Then again, I doubt the spammers=
would get me with a windows> =A0 =A0 exploit anyway...> > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 = =A0 Bruce> -->
I may be in a minority but I build civil models more than military anyway, like racing cars, commercial ships, trucks, etc. I know there are a fair number of car builders still in the group. And even when I do build military airplanes, WW1 is my most popular genre, with golden age (1920-1939) a close second. Now, maybe you are right, and that is why I stick with the group. Dunno.
Hey Pip, good to "see" you again, been about 3+ yrs.
I think migration to other forums is what the actual cause of death was. There are several benefits to other forums:
They can be genre specific. The car modelers post at car sites, ship modelers at ship sites, armor modelers at armor sites, etc. So a member doesn't have to look at posts from areas he has little interest in.
Most forums allow for the insertion of photos. That allows modelers to post their work and get almost immediate feedback. They can also post photos to backup the written information when answering questions or requesting references.
Moderators help keep topics on track and try to defuse flame wars (although flame wars still exist on moderated forums). Habitual flame war starters are often banned and sent packing.
Lack of Spammers. Their topics are normally deleted and removed from sight.
I think it is just a case of the internet evolving and becoming more multi-functional.
=A0Ahhhh...and I thought my finely crafted "blocked senders" list was finally> starting to kick in :-(> Still, it's pleasent to see a relatively clear field of posts, whatever the> cause :-)> > Doug
Actually, the reason I LOVE this group is that it is NOT genre specific. I model virtually ALL genres, so subscribing to this group allows me to cover all bases with one group. Plus, tips on paints, glues, airbrushes, etc. apply to all genre.
I did not see an overwhelming support to the creation of a scale model group, so laying that idea aside. However, one of the other groups I subscribe to has a member that is somehow converting all the spam messages- the ones with the big, long, full-paragraph subject lines, so that the subject lines just say "spam". This makes it easier to scroll through. I have no idea how he does it, but it actually appears that way in the group subject list.
First, I'll apologize if this double or triple posts. When I hit th "submit" button it says it didn't work, and it doesn't show on my list o submitted posts. Sometimes it takes a bit to show up. That said, I'l try it one more time. There's a new moderated group that might be o interest. It's loosely based on StarshipModeler, and it's categorized bu not genre specific. It might be worth a look and we can let the spammer have RMS to deliver the Coup de gras.
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