On 11/11/2023 1:49 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
> In article <b4da759b-726c-4454-b71c-fe1f84a63aaen@googlegroups.com>,
> eleeper@optonline.net <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com> wrote:
>> In my case, when I retired, I switched to Usenet from my ISP, and then one day
>> it seemed to disappear. AT some point they finally admitted they had dropped it,
>> rather than it being a temporary glitch, and I had to find a new Usenet provider.
>> But I could see how someone might think it had ceased to exist.
>
> Calweb did the same thing. "Oh, you're still using that fossil?
> I didn't think anyone did any more." So I changed my nntp server
> to Eternal September.
>
> Then they sold out, and the new owners quit supporting shell
> access. Fortunately, I discovered that it's possible to
> install trn (The One True Newsreader) in Windows Subsystem
> for Linux. I was considering just going all Linux, but I
> still run a few software packages that are Windows only.
>

Let's see. Ray stood up Motzarella around 2005, renamed it Eternal
September in 2008. Still running it today. What gave you the idea he'd
sold it?

In article <uiolss$3jfa6$2@dont-email.me>,
Mike Van Pelt <usenet@mikevanpelt.com> wrote:
>In article <b4da759b-726c-4454-b71c-fe1f84a63aaen@googlegroups.com>,
>eleeper@optonline.net <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com> wrote:
>>In my case, when I retired, I switched to Usenet from my ISP, and then one day
>> it seemed to disappear. AT some point they finally admitted they had
>dropped it,
>>rather than it being a temporary glitch, and I had to find a new
>Usenet provider.
>>But I could see how someone might think it had ceased to exist.
>
>Calweb did the same thing. "Oh, you're still using that fossil?
>I didn't think anyone did any more." So I changed my nntp server
>to Eternal September.
>
>Then they sold out, and the new owners quit supporting shell
>access. Fortunately, I discovered that it's possible to
>install trn (The One True Newsreader) in Windows Subsystem
>for Linux. I was considering just going all Linux, but I
>still run a few software packages that are Windows only.

[Hal Heydt]
Alternatively, an inexpensive SBC running Linux and use either a
KVM switch or VNC access to it.

Jay E. Morris <morrisj@epsilon3.comcon> wrote:
> Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>> Calweb did the same thing. "Oh, you're still using that fossil? I
>> didn't think anyone did any more." So I changed my nntp server to
>> Eternal September.

>> Then they sold out, and the new owners quit supporting shell
>> access. Fortunately, I discovered that it's possible to
>> install trn (The One True Newsreader) in Windows Subsystem
>> for Linux. I was considering just going all Linux, but I
>> still run a few software packages that are Windows only.

> Let's see. Ray stood up Motzarella around 2005, renamed it Eternal
> September in 2008. Still running it today. What gave you the idea
> he'd sold it?

From context, I interpreted him as saying that *Calweb* sold out, not
that Eternal September did.
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

In article <uiorfl$jqv$2@reader2.panix.com>,
Keith F. Lynch <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>Do most hotels, etc., even offer Ethernet connection?

[Hal Heydt]
Yes and no. In normal hotel rooms, I haven't seen an RJ-45 jack
in years. But if you're *running* a convention function you may
have access to hotel areas that do have wired connections. At
that point, making sure they're active is a matter of either
quiet negotiation or a contracted service the con pays for.

I've been running ConReg for DunDraCon for a fair number of years
now. In our current hotel, there are a pair of RJ-45 jacks in
the counter where the reg data entry stations are set up. The
hotel engineer kindly leaves a CAT-5 cable plugged into the
active one for me. That lets me put a wireless (travel) router
in place to connect the tablets plus PayPal B/T card readers to
accept payments.

In turn, I connect a wired port to the router supplying LAN
services the the actual reg systems. (And, no, I'm not
double-NATting. I use different IP ranges for each router.) That
permits the data entry systems (Raspberry Pis) to get NTP
services and be firewalled off from causal access/contagion.

In article <uiri7s$gou5$2@memoryalpha.rosettacon.com>,
<rkshullat@rosettacondot.com> wrote:
>I carry an OpenWrt-based travel router with me that can connect Ethernet and
>Wi-Fi in either direction (including Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi) and also supports OpenVPN
>and WireGuard.
>The primary reason is so that we don't have to configure (worst case) five
>laptops, four phones, three Kindles and a streaming device whenever we go to a
>new hotel. The router has the SSID and key that we use at home so everything
>automagically works.

[Hal Heydt]
Same here. I actually have two travel routers, as I use one to
support payment processiing for ConReg at DunDraCon. The other
one goes in my room, used the same way yours is.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 9:24:44 PM UTC-5, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
> Blueshirt <blue...@indigo.news> wrote:
> > Arthur T. wrote:
> >> And, as my headers show, I access Usenet via Forte Agent.
> >> I shudder at the idea of a Web interface.
>
> > The Devil's own invention!
> The Web is an important app on the Internet. But it's true that it's
> far from the whole of the net. I'm annoyed when people use the words
> "Internet" and "Web" interchangably. And baffled when more and more
> non-Web parts of the Internet are shoehorned into the Web. It's like
> figuring out how to abandon most of your house and do everything in
> the bathroom. Why?
> --

Severe incontinence?

Horrible agoraphobia?

I started using deja when I had yet to buy my own computer.

--
Kevin R

On Friday, November 10, 2023 at 1:18:03 PM UTC-5, Tim Merrigan wrote:

[snip]

> fellable humans, and all).

I see what you did there! :)

--
Kevin R

On Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:01:43 -0800 (PST), Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Friday, November 10, 2023 at 1:18:03?PM UTC-5, Tim Merrigan wrote:
>
>[snip]
>
>> fellable humans, and all).
>
>I see what you did there! :)

I didn't till now.

fallible
--

Qualified immunity = virtual impunity.

Tim Merrigan

--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com

Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com> wrote:
> I started using deja when I had yet to buy my own computer.

I still use my computers mostly as terminals to access a shell
on remote computers.
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

In article <uj10e4$ccg$1@reader2.panix.com>,
Keith F. Lynch <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>Jay E. Morris <morrisj@epsilon3.comcon> wrote:
>> Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>> Calweb did the same thing. "Oh, you're still using that fossil? I
>>> didn't think anyone did any more." So I changed my nntp server to
>>> Eternal September.
>
>>> Then they sold out, and the new owners quit supporting shell
>>> access. Fortunately, I discovered that it's possible to
>>> install trn (The One True Newsreader) in Windows Subsystem
>>> for Linux. I was considering just going all Linux, but I
>>> still run a few software packages that are Windows only.
>
>> Let's see. Ray stood up Motzarella around 2005, renamed it Eternal
>> September in 2008. Still running it today. What gave you the idea
>> he'd sold it?
>
>From context, I interpreted him as saying that *Calweb* sold out, not
>that Eternal September did.

Correct. I'm still using Eternal September.

--
Mike Van Pelt | "I don't advise it unless you're nuts."
mvp at calweb.com | -- Ray Wilkinson, after riding out Hurricane
KE6BVH | Ike on Surfside Beach in Galveston

On 11/7/23 6:24 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
> I've been using Eternal September as my Usenet provider out of sheer
> inertia. It's clearly dying, though, becoming more like Eternal Wait.
> Sometimes it takes several tries to load a message.
>
> Eternal September relies on donations (and I send it money
> occasionally), so it's probably starved for cash.  I've looked at
> various paid Usenet providers, with an eye to a low price since I don't
> use Usenet all that much and never download big attachments. Pure
> Usenet, a Netherlands-based service, looks the best from a pricing
> standpoint, and it gets decent reviews.

My search hasn't been going well, but just this morning I changed the
server I'm using on Eternal September to news.eternal-september.org ,
and it's working much better. I hadn't updated the server name in years,
so I was probably accessing some old machine of theirs which they'd
nearly forgotten they still have.

--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

On 11/15/2023 8:45 PM, Mike Van Pelt wrote:
> In article <uj10e4$ccg$1@reader2.panix.com>,
> Keith F. Lynch <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>> Jay E. Morris <morrisj@epsilon3.comcon> wrote:
>>> Mike Van Pelt wrote:
>>>> Calweb did the same thing. "Oh, you're still using that fossil? I
>>>> didn't think anyone did any more." So I changed my nntp server to
>>>> Eternal September.
>>
>>>> Then they sold out, and the new owners quit supporting shell
>>>> access. Fortunately, I discovered that it's possible to
>>>> install trn (The One True Newsreader) in Windows Subsystem
>>>> for Linux. I was considering just going all Linux, but I
>>>> still run a few software packages that are Windows only.
>>
>>> Let's see. Ray stood up Motzarella around 2005, renamed it Eternal
>>> September in 2008. Still running it today. What gave you the idea
>>> he'd sold it?
>>
>>From context, I interpreted him as saying that *Calweb* sold out, not
>> that Eternal September did.
>
> Correct. I'm still using Eternal September.
>

Whoops

On 11/7/23 6:24 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
> I've been using Eternal September as my Usenet provider out of sheer
> inertia. It's clearly dying, though, becoming more like Eternal Wait.
> Sometimes it takes several tries to load a message.
>

My search for other providers has been a nightmare. First I signed up
with Astraweb. I immediately got a message saying my account had been
cancelled. It appeared to work anyway. However, I got errors trying to
post, saying posting wasn't allowed on my server. A search indicates
that's the usual state of affairs with Astraweb. I explicitly cancelled
my account. Nonetheless, they charged my credit card for their worthless
service and my account still showed as active this morning. I cancelled
again and told them to remove the charge.

Pureusenet was no better. Again, I couldn't post. I contacted support
and was told I had to select a deeply-buried option to be able to post.
I went to the indicated page and was told I couldn't enable posting
because I didn't have a paid account, although I had signed up and given
my credit card information. I replied to the support email explaining
this problem. It's been 24 hours with no response. I cancelled the
account. So far I haven't seen a charge from Pureusenet on my credit card.

This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
make it completely worthless?

--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

In article <uj7uag$2r66r$1@dont-email.me>,
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
>On 11/7/23 6:24 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
>> I've been using Eternal September as my Usenet provider out of sheer
>> inertia. It's clearly dying, though, becoming more like Eternal Wait.
>> Sometimes it takes several tries to load a message.
>>
>
>My search for other providers has been a nightmare. First I signed up
>with Astraweb. I immediately got a message saying my account had been
>cancelled. It appeared to work anyway. However, I got errors trying to
>post, saying posting wasn't allowed on my server. A search indicates
>that's the usual state of affairs with Astraweb. I explicitly cancelled
>my account. Nonetheless, they charged my credit card for their worthless
>service and my account still showed as active this morning. I cancelled
>again and told them to remove the charge.
>
>Pureusenet was no better. Again, I couldn't post. I contacted support
>and was told I had to select a deeply-buried option to be able to post.
>I went to the indicated page and was told I couldn't enable posting
>because I didn't have a paid account, although I had signed up and given
>my credit card information. I replied to the support email explaining
>this problem. It's been 24 hours with no response. I cancelled the
>account. So far I haven't seen a charge from Pureusenet on my credit card.
>
>This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
>recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
>make it completely worthless?
>

Mine is easy. Get a VPN subscription and

At least you can access our USenet server.

>--
>Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com
>

--
Member - Liberal International This is doctor@nk.ca Ici doctor@nk.ca
Yahweh, King & country!Never Satan President Republic!Beware AntiChrist rising!
Look at Psalms 14 and 53 on Atheism ; unsubscribe from Google Groups to be seen
Lest we forget 11 Nov 2023 Beware https://mindspring.com

The Doctor wrote:

> In article <uj7uag$2r66r$1@dont-email.me>,
> Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
> >
> > Pureusenet was no better. Again, I couldn't post. I contacted support
> > and was told I had to select a deeply-buried option to be able to
> > post. I went to the indicated page and was told I couldn't enable
> > posting because I didn't have a paid account, although I had signed up
> > and given my credit card information. I replied to the support email
> > explaining this problem. It's been 24 hours with no response. I
> > cancelled the account. So far I haven't seen a charge from Pureusenet
> > on my credit card.
> >
> > This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
> > recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
> > make it completely worthless?
>
> Mine is easy. Get a VPN subscription and

Doesn't everyone use a VPN these days?

It should be the first rule of using the internet.
> At least you can access our USenet server.

Nah... there are better Usenet services out there. 'NetKnow IS' propagates
spam to newsgroups I frequent and the news admin doesn't seem to want to
do anything about it!

Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> writes:
> It appeared to work anyway. However, I got errors trying to post,
> saying posting wasn't allowed on my server.

Lots of those providers have separate servers for reading and posting.
Maybe you needed to use a different server from them? Yeah they do
sound lame.

I think those companies' customers mostly want bulk download feeds for
binaries, rather than wanting to post.

IIRC when I first enrolled with eternal september, I wasn't allowed to
post, and I had to apply for posting privileges separately. Or that
might have been on Octanews, which I used before Eternal September.
Octanews was pretty good until it went out of business N years ago.

Paul Rubin wrote:

> Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> writes:
> > It appeared to work anyway. However, I got errors trying to post,
> > saying posting wasn't allowed on my server.
>
> Lots of those providers have separate servers for reading and posting.
> Maybe you needed to use a different server from them? Yeah they do
> sound lame.
>
> I think those companies' customers mostly want bulk download feeds for
> binaries, rather than wanting to post.

Yes. When I used Newshosting you had to request the ability to post to
text newsgroups as it wasn't enabled by default. IIRC, back then you had
to have had a Newshosting account for a month as well, so you couldn't
just sign-up and post to text groups. Not that too many people who paid
for their service required that anyway, as it was all about binaries and
searching NZB's, etc.

Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
>
>This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
>recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
>make it completely worthless?

The vast majority of Usenet users today want to download warez from binary
groups and care nothing at all about discussion groups or text. You picked
two servers that cater to them.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article <nnd$7bc8ec37$42bf54b5@0aa4687090104251>,
Blueshirt <blueshirt@indigo.news> wrote:
>The Doctor wrote:
>
>> In article <uj7uag$2r66r$1@dont-email.me>,
>> Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Pureusenet was no better. Again, I couldn't post. I contacted support
>> > and was told I had to select a deeply-buried option to be able to
>> > post. I went to the indicated page and was told I couldn't enable
>> > posting because I didn't have a paid account, although I had signed up
>> > and given my credit card information. I replied to the support email
>> > explaining this problem. It's been 24 hours with no response. I
>> > cancelled the account. So far I haven't seen a charge from Pureusenet
>> > on my credit card.
>> >
>> > This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
>> > recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
>> > make it completely worthless?
>>
>> Mine is easy. Get a VPN subscription and
>
>Doesn't everyone use a VPN these days?
>
>It should be the first rule of using the internet.
>
>> At least you can access our USenet server.
>
>Nah... there are better Usenet services out there. 'NetKnow IS' propagates
>spam to newsgroups I frequent and the news admin doesn't seem to want to
>do anything about it!

Drunk as ususal Blueshirt.
--
Member - Liberal International This is doctor@nk.ca Ici doctor@nk.ca
Yahweh, King & country!Never Satan President Republic!Beware AntiChrist rising!
Look at Psalms 14 and 53 on Atheism ; unsubscribe from Google Groups to be seen
Merry Christmas 2023 and Happy New year 2024 Beware https://mindspring.com

The Doctor wrote:

> In article <nnd$7bc8ec37$42bf54b5@0aa4687090104251>,
> Blueshirt <blueshirt@indigo.news> wrote:
> > The Doctor wrote:
> >
> >> At least you can access our USenet server.
> >
> > Nah... there are better Usenet services out there. 'NetKnow IS'
> > propagates spam to newsgroups I frequent and the news admin doesn't
> > seem to want to do anything about it!
>
> Drunk as ususal Blueshirt.

When you stop spamming newsgroups I will stop criticising your Usenet
service... as an admin you should - and do - know better!

In Message-ID:<uj8kb3$4s1$1@panix2.panix.com>,
kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

>Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
>>
>>This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
>>recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
>>make it completely worthless?
>
>The vast majority of Usenet users today want to download warez from binary
>groups and care nothing at all about discussion groups or text. You picked
>two servers that cater to them.

I don't know why he had a problem with Astraweb, but, as you can see
from my headers, I'm posting from there. I've been doing so for over
10 years.

I won't suggest he try again. But whatever the problem was, I don't
think it's as simple as you're suggesting.

--
Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

On 18/11/2023 01:45, Gary McGath wrote:
> On 11/7/23 6:24 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
>> I've been using Eternal September as my Usenet provider out of sheer
>> inertia. It's clearly dying, though, becoming more like Eternal Wait.
>> Sometimes it takes several tries to load a message.
>>
>
> My search for other providers has been a nightmare. First I signed up
> with Astraweb. I immediately got a message saying my account had been
> cancelled. It appeared to work anyway. However, I got errors trying to
> post, saying posting wasn't allowed on my server. A search indicates
> that's the usual state of affairs with Astraweb. I explicitly cancelled
> my account. Nonetheless, they charged my credit card for their worthless
> service and my account still showed as active this morning. I cancelled
> again and told them to remove the charge.
>
> Pureusenet was no better. Again, I couldn't post. I contacted support
> and was told I had to select a deeply-buried option to be able to post.
> I went to the indicated page and was told I couldn't enable posting
> because I didn't have a paid account, although I had signed up and given
> my credit card information. I replied to the support email explaining
> this problem. It's been 24 hours with no response. I cancelled the
> account. So far I haven't seen a charge from Pureusenet on my credit card.
>
> This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
> recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
> make it completely worthless?
>
If you just want text newsgroups, use news.individual.net, 10 Euros a
year, and they do try to filter SPAM.

I've been using them since 2001(!!), when it was news.cis.dfn.de. :-)

Cheers,
Gary B-)

On 11/17/23 8:18 PM, Arthur T. wrote:
> In Message-ID:<uj8kb3$4s1$1@panix2.panix.com>,
> kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
>> Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> This is very disturbing. How can two providers that come with
>>> recommendations stay in business offering a service whose restrictions
>>> make it completely worthless?
>>
>> The vast majority of Usenet users today want to download warez from binary
>> groups and care nothing at all about discussion groups or text. You picked
>> two servers that cater to them.
>
> I don't know why he had a problem with Astraweb, but, as you can see
> from my headers, I'm posting from there. I've been doing so for over
> 10 years.
>
> I won't suggest he try again. But whatever the problem was, I don't
> think it's as simple as you're suggesting.
>

I got another email from Astraweb this morning saying my account was
cancelled on November 14, which was the day before I opened it. At least
they're providing documentation if they don't reverse the credit card
charge and I need to dispute it.

I strongly recommend avoiding Astraweb and Pureusenet. Maybe they still
give legacy service to older customers, but they're totally worthless,
verging on scam, as far as I'm concerned.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

On 11/17/23 9:41 PM, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
> If you just want text newsgroups, use news.individual.net, 10 Euros a
> year, and they do try to filter SPAM.
>
> I've been using them since 2001(!!), when it was news.cis.dfn.de.  :-)

I thought earlier that I'd seen a statement that people registering
needed a German connection, but I can't find that now. I may have
misread it. One of the payment options requires a German bank account,
but PayPal is also an option.

However, I've been burned twice and may be out almost $100 if I can't
get Astraweb's credit card charge voided. For now, Eternal September is
still sometimes slow but good enough. I don't feel like taking more
chances at the moment.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

On 18/11/2023 23:47, Gary McGath wrote:
> On 11/17/23 9:41 PM, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
>> If you just want text newsgroups, use news.individual.net, 10 Euros a
>> year, and they do try to filter SPAM.
>>
>> I've been using them since 2001(!!), when it was news.cis.dfn.de.  :-)
>
> I thought earlier that I'd seen a statement that people registering
> needed a German connection, but I can't find that now. I may have
> misread it. One of the payment options requires a German bank account,
> but PayPal is also an option.
>
Ah, way back when they were the Free University site - around 2003 IIRC
- there was a bit of a kerfuffle about free use by non-Germans, which
went away when they said, "Well, we'll charge 'em 10 Euros".

I'm not German, although my surname is, (and my father was), they were
amused when I registered. :-)

> However, I've been burned twice and may be out almost $100 if I can't
> get Astraweb's credit card charge voided. For now, Eternal September is
> still sometimes slow but good enough. I don't feel like taking more
> chances at the moment.

Fair enough.

Cheers,
Gary B-)