A replacement for about-to-be-closed NGs

[Mark McGinty]

Greets,

To those of us who, for whatever reason, are still using "unsupported"
technologies, these news groups are a valuable resource. The quasi-related
forums to which Microsoft has invited us are hardly replacements, posts
about
'classic' technologies will be OT, and I'm sure pretty much everyone who
posts questions about them would rather see responses more meaningful than,
"consider upgrading to [something that is still supported]."

In hopes of filling the void that will be left by these pending closures,
I've added a section to a forum I created a couple of years ago,
www.deprecatethis.com. I created it after reading that the Windows API was
to be
deprecated. I think the sentiment applies here as well, so I'm offering it
as a
replacement -- of course it isn't a news group, but at least the questions
we used to post in these newsgroups will be on-topic. Another plus is that
the site admin (that would be me) will be highly receptive to suggestions,
making this a chance to shape a new community.

To be honest at this moment www.deprecatethis.com isn't much of a forum --
the software
(Yet Another Forum) is decent, but it isn't quite a hot-bed of discussion.
About
the only thing that has attracted any attention is a script I wrote to work
around the Send To->Mail Recipient problem in x64 with Office/Outlook
installed. That script is the only thing anyone (besides myself) has posted
about.

But maybe all that will change, I've created forums for classic ADO, classic
ASP and VB6; any suggestions/requests for additional
forums are welcome. (Reasonable suggestions will be implemented promptly.)

I understand the preference for NNTP over web-based forums, but
unfortunately I lack the means to host an NNTP server, this is all I have to
offer, so... Please consider yourself invited to join.


-Mark McGinty


btw, if sending this post makes me a spammer, I apologize for the offense.
Ordinarily I wouldn't have done this but these NGs are going away soon, a
window is closing, so I figured what do I have to lose?

[David Kaye]

Post by Mark McGinty
In hopes of filling the void that will be left by these pending closures,
I've added a section to a forum I created a couple of years ago, [....]

FORUMS ARE NOT GOING AWAY ! ! ! !

For those folks who are seeing these newsgroups via a Web page, let me inform
you that there's a HUGE world out there called Usenet, and it's on Usenet
where all this traffic takes place. Microsoft is only taking Usenet and
putting it on a web page. These support forums exist completely outside of
Microsoft. These unmoderated newsgroups are NOT going away as long as there
are servers out there that pass content to them. Just because the Microsoft
name is on them does NOT mean that they belong to Microsoft. They don't.

One (free) news server (source of the forums) you might be interested in using
is called Eternal September. They can provide you with Usenet feeds.
URL: http://www.eternal-september.org

Just use a client program such as Outlook Express (Express version only) or
Mozilla Thunderbird:
http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

[Karl E. Peterson]

Post by David Kaye

Post by Mark McGinty
In hopes of filling the void that will be left by these pending closures,
I've added a section to a forum I created a couple of years ago, [....]

FORUMS ARE NOT GOING AWAY ! ! ! !
For those folks who are seeing these newsgroups via a Web page, let me inform
you that there's a HUGE world out there called Usenet, and it's on Usenet
where all this traffic takes place. Microsoft is only taking Usenet and
putting it on a web page. These support forums exist completely outside of
Microsoft. These unmoderated newsgroups are NOT going away as long as there
are servers out there that pass content to them. Just because the Microsoft
name is on them does NOT mean that they belong to Microsoft. They don't.

Nice rant. Full of "it", of course, but well placed rage I must say.

Post by David Kaye
One (free) news server (source of the forums) you might be interested in
using is called Eternal September. They can provide you with Usenet feeds.
URL: http://www.eternal-september.org

Why don't you check that server, to see how many of the groups
Microsoft has already "closed" (last December) are still there? Here's
a list, in case you're unfamiliar with that event:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.msnewservers/browse_frm/thread/3b8d33430c3071f0/01767bbaedeb096d

I can offer you more, if you'd like?

[Bob Barrows]

So why can we still post to these "closed" newsgroups?

Post by Karl E. Peterson

Post by David Kaye

Post by Mark McGinty
In hopes of filling the void that will be left by these pending
closures, I've added a section to a forum I created a couple of
years ago, [....]

FORUMS ARE NOT GOING AWAY ! ! ! !
For those folks who are seeing these newsgroups via a Web page, let
me inform you that there's a HUGE world out there called Usenet, and
it's on Usenet where all this traffic takes place. Microsoft is
only taking Usenet and putting it on a web page. These support
forums exist completely outside of Microsoft. These unmoderated
newsgroups are NOT going away as long as there are servers out there
that pass content to them. Just because the Microsoft name is on
them does NOT mean that they belong to Microsoft. They don't.

Nice rant. Full of "it", of course, but well placed rage I must say.

Post by David Kaye
One (free) news server (source of the forums) you might be
interested in using is called Eternal September. They can provide
you with Usenet feeds. URL: http://www.eternal-september.org

Why don't you check that server, to see how many of the groups
Microsoft has already "closed" (last December) are still there?

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.msnewservers/browse_frm/thread/3b8d33430c3071f0/01767bbaedeb096d

Post by Karl E. Peterson
I can offer you more, if you'd like?

[Karl E. Peterson]

Post by Bob Barrows
So why can we still post to these "closed" newsgroups?

msnews is still up and running. Do this...

C:\>telnet msnews.microsoft.com 119{enter}
200 NNTP Service 6.0.3790.3959 Version: 6.0.3790.3959 Posting Allowed
list newsgroups{enter}
...
quit
C:\>

And, even after msnews actually removes the groups from their servers,
it may take awhile for that to propogate out.

I have heard, though, since posting my initial response, that the
admins on eternal-september.org may reject the rmgroup requests from
that Jules yahoo. This would be a pleasant change from the past! :-)

[Schmidt]

Post by Karl E. Peterson
And, even after msnews actually removes the groups
from their servers, it may take awhile for that to propogate out.
I have heard, though, since posting my initial response, that the
admins on eternal-september.org may reject the rmgroup requests from
that Jules yahoo. This would be a pleasant change from the past! :-)

The following is based on information I've read in
a german admin-group, which we are following now
for some time...:

The "hoster" (founder, admin, ...) of eternal-september.org
is known in usenet as "Ray Banana". An appropriate discussion
with regards to "honouring rmgroup-messages" - already took
place in the public reachable group:
eternal-september.support

Here's the snippet in question:

Message-ID: <***@banana.shacknet.nu>
# From: Ray Banana <***@banana.shacknet.nu>
# Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 04:57:13 +0200
# [...]
# Thus spake grant <***@example.invalid>
# [...]
# > When Julièn Élie issues rmgroup control articles, will
# > eternal-september honour them?
#
# Given the current settings of E-S's control.ctl, no.

That's not a *very* explicit statement (with regards to
"how long"), but given all the other hosters (at least in
"german usenet") who later on agreed and stated explicitely, to:
"*not* take immediate action"
regarding Julièn Élies rmgroup-messages, I'd say that this
statement has to be seen/read "in the same spirit" - meaning:
the micorosoft.public.* hierarchie will remain available
for at least some months more on an already
(in the meantime) larger amount of UseNet-Servers.

One needs to switch his NewsReader to one of them
of course, to win at least some more months, until a new
"long-term-home" for the group in question was found(ed).

Olaf

[Karl E. Peterson]

Post by Schmidt

Post by Karl E. Peterson
And, even after msnews actually removes the groups
from their servers, it may take awhile for that to propogate out.
I have heard, though, since posting my initial response, that the
admins on eternal-september.org may reject the rmgroup requests from
that Jules yahoo. This would be a pleasant change from the past! :-)

The following is based on information I've read in
a german admin-group, which we are following now
The "hoster" (founder, admin, ...) of eternal-september.org
is known in usenet as "Ray Banana". An appropriate discussion
with regards to "honouring rmgroup-messages" - already took
eternal-september.support
# Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 04:57:13 +0200
# [...]
# [...]
# > When Julièn Élie issues rmgroup control articles, will
# > eternal-september honour them?
#
# Given the current settings of E-S's control.ctl, no.
That's not a *very* explicit statement (with regards to
"how long"), but given all the other hosters (at least in
"*not* take immediate action"
regarding Julièn Élies rmgroup-messages, I'd say that this
the micorosoft.public.* hierarchie will remain available
for at least some months more on an already
(in the meantime) larger amount of UseNet-Servers.

Very encouraging news! :-)

Post by Schmidt
One needs to switch his NewsReader to one of them
of course, to win at least some more months, until a new
"long-term-home" for the group in question was found(ed).

It is also very encouraging to see traffic *way* up in
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc over the weekend! :-)

[Karl E. Peterson]

Post by Schmidt

Post by Karl E. Peterson
And, even after msnews actually removes the groups
from their servers, it may take awhile for that to propogate out.
I have heard, though, since posting my initial response, that the
admins on eternal-september.org may reject the rmgroup requests from
that Jules yahoo. This would be a pleasant change from the past! :-)

The following is based on information I've read in
a german admin-group, which we are following now
The "hoster" (founder, admin, ...) of eternal-september.org
is known in usenet as "Ray Banana". An appropriate discussion
with regards to "honouring rmgroup-messages" - already took
eternal-september.support
# Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 04:57:13 +0200
# [...]
# [...]
# > When Julièn Élie issues rmgroup control articles, will
# > eternal-september honour them?
#
# Given the current settings of E-S's control.ctl, no.
That's not a *very* explicit statement (with regards to
"how long"), but given all the other hosters (at least in
"*not* take immediate action"
regarding Julièn Élies rmgroup-messages, I'd say that this
the micorosoft.public.* hierarchie will remain available
for at least some months more on an already
(in the meantime) larger amount of UseNet-Servers.

Very encouraging news! :-)

Post by Schmidt
One needs to switch his NewsReader to one of them
of course, to win at least some more months, until a new
"long-term-home" for the group in question was found(ed).

It is also very encouraging to see traffic *way* up in
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc over the weekend! :-)