For folks that don't need all of the flexibility of a full newsreader program, Paul Alsing has pointed out novaBBS. This simply allows you to read RMCR, to reply, and to start new threads. For many people that is enough!

There is nothing to install or configure, and no ability to customize. You would just register by providing an email address, then choose rec.music.classical.recordings from the list of "Arts" newsgroups.

I (of course) did a quick search to see if there is any viruses, trojans, or other malware associated with this site - but don't trust me. I've only used it for an hour so there could be problems or issues.

But it looks like it works well enough - please use it to post often!

Direct link to novaBBS:
https://www.novabbs.com/arts/thread.php?group=rec.music.classical.recordings

In article <55d88c4c8f73f2a14389560262e791f2@www.novabbs.com>,
Notsure01 <docduc1013@aol.com> wrote:
>But it looks like it works well enough - please use it to post
>often!

If you want to search old articles, check out narkive.com, but the
interface there is definitely a work in progress.... Both of these
guys post to the news.* groups, and seem sincere in what they do,
i.e. try to make things easier for people to communicate in plain
text online. But do expect things to be in flux, including -- I'm
sure -- more web portals appearing.

In article <ur6e1k$mnd$1@hope.eyrie.org>,
Todd M. McComb <mccomb@medieval.org> wrote:
>If you want to search old articles, check out narkive.com,

https://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/

But he's not allowing posting. There's a neat little histogram
right on that page showing RMCR volume over the years. Feel free
to be bummed out by it....

On Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 6:30:25 PM UTC-8, Notsure01 wrote:
> Direct link to novaBBS:
> https://www.novabbs.com/arts/thread.php?group=rec.music.classical.recordings

Do any of the usenet services support including
inline photos, videos or music files in articles?
Thx

In article <ur6e77$mnd$2@hope.eyrie.org>,
Todd M. McComb <mccomb@medieval.org> wrote:
>https://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/

https://usenetarchives.com/threads.php?id=rec.music.classical.recordings

Helpfully starts at posts from 1995 by default.... :-)
Not the most elegant either. But there's more out there, and some
interest in getting it into shape... more than some people seem to
believe....

Todd M. McComb wrote:

> In article <ur6e77$mnd$2@hope.eyrie.org>,
> Todd M. McComb wrote:
>>https://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/

> https://usenetarchives.com/threads.php?id=rec.music.classical.recordings

> Helpfully starts at posts from 1995 by default.... :-)
> Not the most elegant either. But there's more out there, and some
> interest in getting it into shape... more than some people seem to
> believe....

Great to see you, McComb. The Pianospheres recital on Tuesday was fantastic. Really great. You would have enjoyed it.

Vicki Ray (pf)

Nacht und Träume – Schubert*
Unofficial Dreams – Beetz
Book of Beasts – Meites*
The Perilous Night – Cage
Nacht – Berg*
Intermezzo: December 28, 2020, After midnight – McIntosh
Liminal Landscape – Bill Alves

*guest soprano Elissa Johnston

In article <2b30303107f1225deb3aef7a2fbf6c9c@www.novabbs.com>,
Oscar <oe3@aol.com> wrote:
>Great to see you, McComb. The Pianospheres recital on Tuesday was
>fantastic. Really great. You would have enjoyed it.
>Vicki Ray (pf)

I've enjoyed Ray, although I don't know how she plays e.g. Schubert.
I'm fond of her Feldman in particular.

Todd M. McComb wrote:

> In article <2b30303107f1225deb3aef7a2fbf6c9c@www.novabbs.com>,
> Oscar <oe3@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Great to see you, McComb. The Pianospheres recital on Tuesday was
>> fantastic. Really great. You would have enjoyed it.
>> Vicki Ray (pf)

> I've enjoyed Ray, although I don't know how she plays e.g. Schubert.
> I'm fond of her Feldman in particular.

The Schubert was, ahem, not great. But it set the mood, and only got better from there.

On Fri, 23 Feb 2024, Todd M. McComb wrote:

> In article <ur6e77$mnd$2@hope.eyrie.org>,
> Todd M. McComb <mccomb@medieval.org> wrote:
>> https://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/
>
> https://usenetarchives.com/threads.php?id=rec.music.classical.recordings
>
> Helpfully starts at posts from 1995 by default.... :-)
> Not the most elegant either. But there's more out there, and some
> interest in getting it into shape... more than some people seem to
> believe....
>

Just looking at this for the first time (you said it would take time tp
settle). Just one observation: it shows only a handful of posts from
1995, while google groups archive shows about 200 in Jan. alone (start was
Jan. 11), and picking up from there.
--
Al Eisner

In article <e1b39062-f7a6-57ea-ffc7-db77210ac5da@slac.stanford.edu>,
Al Eisner <eisner@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
>Just one observation: it shows only a handful of posts from 1995,
>while google groups archive shows about 200 in Jan. alone (start
>was Jan. 11), and picking up from there.

I'm surprised there's any 1995. I think when it comes to the newer
archive services, the expectation should be 100% coverage, but
starting from a later date....

Todd M. McComb wrote:
> In article <e1b39062-f7a6-57ea-ffc7-db77210ac5da@slac.stanford.edu>,
> Al Eisner <eisner@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>> Just one observation: it shows only a handful of posts from 1995,
>> while google groups archive shows about 200 in Jan. alone (start
>> was Jan. 11), and picking up from there.
>
> I'm surprised there's any 1995. I think when it comes to the newer
> archive services, the expectation should be 100% coverage, but
> starting from a later date....

One cannot, and one should not expect ANYTHING !!!

Usenet is decentralized system and participation
is entirely voluntary. News servers set their own
retention policies. It is perfectly legitimate to
discard any and all articles immediately after
forwarding them to other servers. It is also
perfectly legitimate to carry some groups
but not others, or to enforce geographic
restrictions.

One gets what one pays for -- or less.

Cheers!