Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of
seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
reply. I will miss it for those reasons.

Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
as their main access to umra. In my opinion, right now is probably the
time when those people might like to find and start using an
alternative to Google Groups for communicating with umra. It would be
good to be able to iron out any difficulties with access to umra
before GG closes to new messages for good.

THBAPSA

Nick

On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:

> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
> as their main access to umra.

Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end of usenet for me.

On Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:06:50 +0000, Nick Odell <nickodell49@yahoo.ca>
wrote:

>Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
>collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
>for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
>illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
>been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
>either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of

Oh so as I use Agent and Berlin I'll be ok?

>seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
>reply. I will miss it for those reasons.
>
>Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>as their main access to umra. In my opinion, right now is probably the
>time when those people might like to find and start using an
>alternative to Google Groups for communicating with umra. It would be
>good to be able to iron out any difficulties with access to umra
>before GG closes to new messages for good.
>
>THBAPSA
>
>Nick

On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>
>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>> as their main access to umra.
>
> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end of usenet for me.

I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
evaluate them.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>
>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>> as their main access to umra.
>>
>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder what
>> options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be the end
>> of usenet for me.
>
> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
> evaluate them.
>
IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.

john

Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>
>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>> as their main access to umra.
>>
>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what
>> options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end of usenet for me.
>
> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
> evaluate them.
>

I use NewsTap with no problems. There's a "lite" version but ISTR that
limits the number of groups.

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

In message <H51fN.57896$83n7.28535@fx18.iad> at Fri, 15 Dec 2023
18:41:43, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> writes
>On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:560 >>
>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google
>>>Groups
>>> as their main access to umra.
>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder
>>what options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the
>>end of usenet for me.
>
>I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>evaluate them.
>
I just tried googling "thunderbird for mac", as I'd thought it was
cross-platform; the first hit is "Installing Thunderbird on Mac", so
looks like I was right. (I haven't followed the link.) I know there have
been lots of recent complaints about Thunderbird, but in general, it's
what I recommend to newcomers to the internet, for both mail and news -
it may not be the best (I haven't tried any news client other than
Turnpike for years), but it's widely-enough used that there are usually
people who can help with it (as on here). I suspect you can get old Mac
versions, too, should you decide you don't want the latest and
(not-!)greatest version as much discussed here.

You'd (whatever news client you use) have to sign up with Eternal
September, News International, or whatever, but since you were (I
interpret from the above) you were a non-GG user before you Maced, you
presumably have done that before. (Though that far back it might have
been your ISP's news server and it was done for you.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

When I went to see Biddy Baxter [Blue Peter's editor] and told her I was
pregnant, her first reaction was 'Oh good, another viewer'. - Janet Ellis, RT
2016/2/27-3/4

John Ashby <johnashby20@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>>
>>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>>> as their main access to umra.
>>>
>>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder what
>>> options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be the end
>>> of usenet for me.
>>
>> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>> evaluate them.
>>
> IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.
>
> john
>

We use our iPads with Newstap and connect via Eternal September via
Virginontherediculous.

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

Nick Odell wrote:

>Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
>collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
>for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
>illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
>been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
>either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of
>seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
>reply. I will miss it for those reasons.

I guess that, despite what they are saying right now, access to
archive material, which is already flaky at the best of times,
will eventually be allowed to fade away completely.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham
'48/33 M B+ G++ A L(-) I S-- CH0(--)(p) Ar- T+ H0 ?Q
chris@cdixon.me.uk @ChrisJDixon1
Plant amazing Acers.

On 15.12.23 19:33, Sally Thompson wrote:
> On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>>
>>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>>> as their main access to umra.
>>>
>>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder what
>>> options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be the end
>>> of usenet for me.
>>
>> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>> evaluate them.
>>
> IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.
>
> john

Thunderbird is very broken this morning.

Apparently Sally wrote a message (to which I am responding) but it
simply shows a message from John. This is not the only oddity on this
thread.

--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics

On 16.12.23 10:03, krw wrote:
> On 15.12.23 19:33, Sally Thompson wrote:
>> On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>>> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>>>> as their main access to umra.
>>>>
>>>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder
>>>> what options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be
>>>> the end of usenet for me.
>>>
>>> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>>> evaluate them.
>>>
>> IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.
>>
>> john
>
> Thunderbird is very broken this morning.
>
> Apparently Sally wrote a message (to which I am responding) but it
> simply shows a message from John.  This is not the only oddity on this
> thread.
>

Have now downgraded to 102 and unsubscribed and resubscribed.

Is anyone here?

--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics

krw <krw@whitnet.uk> wrote:
> On 16.12.23 10:03, krw wrote:
>> On 15.12.23 19:33, Sally Thompson wrote:
>>> On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>>>> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>>>>> as their main access to umra.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder
>>>>> what options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be
>>>>> the end of usenet for me.
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>>>> evaluate them.
>>>>
>>> IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.
>>>
>>> john
>>
>> Thunderbird is very broken this morning.
>>
>> Apparently Sally wrote a message (to which I am responding) but it
>> simply shows a message from John.  This is not the only oddity on this
>> thread.
>>
>
> Have now downgraded to 102 and unsubscribed and resubscribed.
>
> Is anyone here?
>

Who said that?!!!

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:50:12 +0000, Chris J Dixon <chris@cdixon.me.uk>
wrote:

>Nick Odell wrote:
>
>>Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>>messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
>>collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
>>for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
>>illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
>>been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
>>either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of
>>seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
>>reply. I will miss it for those reasons.
>
>I guess that, despite what they are saying right now, access to
>archive material, which is already flaky at the best of times,
>will eventually be allowed to fade away completely.
>
There are already archives of ancient usenet. The Google repository -
if it continues to work - will simply become something slightly less
ancient.

Nick

In message <ulk0ai$2cq1g$1@dont-email.me> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 11:05:54,
Mike McMillan <toodle.pip1@virginmedia.com> writes
>krw <krw@whitnet.uk> wrote:
>> On 16.12.23 10:03, krw wrote:
[]
>>> Thunderbird is very broken this morning.
[]
>> Have now downgraded to 102 and unsubscribed and resubscribed.
>>
>> Is anyone here?
>>
Nobody here but us chickens.
>
>Who said that?!!!
>
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Reality television. It's eroding the ability of good scripted television to
survive. - Patrick Duffy in Radio Times 2-8 February 2013

On 16/12/2023 11:49, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:50:12 +0000, Chris J Dixon <chris@cdixon.me.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> Nick Odell wrote:
>>
>>> Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>>> messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
>>> collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
>>> for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
>>> illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
>>> been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
>>> either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of
>>> seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
>>> reply. I will miss it for those reasons.
>>
>> I guess that, despite what they are saying right now, access to
>> archive material, which is already flaky at the best of times,
>> will eventually be allowed to fade away completely.
>>
> There are already archives of ancient usenet.

Are you sure about that ? I thought they all disappeared....

On Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:29:00 -0800 (PST), Ben Blaney
<benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56?AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>
>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>> as their main access to umra.
>
>Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end of usenet for me.

Over on uk.d-i-y there is a suggestion for a web-based interface:

<https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.d-i-y>
(Thanks, Tim+)

<https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.media.radio.archers>
also seems to work.

Nick

On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:06:54 +0000, BrritSki
<rtilburyTAKEOUT@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 16/12/2023 11:49, Nick Odell wrote:
>> On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:50:12 +0000, Chris J Dixon <chris@cdixon.me.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Nick Odell wrote:
>>>
>>>> Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>>>> messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge,
>>>> collective sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which
>>>> for months or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for
>>>> illegal goods and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has
>>>> been very useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with
>>>> either ES or Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of
>>>> seeing what people are writing about even if I don't often use GG to
>>>> reply. I will miss it for those reasons.
>>>
>>> I guess that, despite what they are saying right now, access to
>>> archive material, which is already flaky at the best of times,
>>> will eventually be allowed to fade away completely.
>>>
>> There are already archives of ancient usenet.
>
>Are you sure about that ? I thought they all disappeared....

If one types "usenet" (no quotes) into the search box at archive.org,
lots of repositories pop up in the results. I haven't clicked through
to find out how useful any of them are.

Nick

On 16/12/2023 12:10, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:29:00 -0800 (PST), Ben Blaney
> <benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56?AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>
>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>> as their main access to umra.
>>
>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end of usenet for me.
>
> Over on uk.d-i-y there is a suggestion for a web-based interface:
>
> <https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.d-i-y>
> (Thanks, Tim+)
>
> <https://www.novabbs.com/aus+uk/thread.php?group=uk.media.radio.archers>
> also seems to work.
>
Very useful, thanks.

On 16/12/2023 12:18, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:06:54 +0000, BrritSki
> <rtilburyTAKEOUT@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>> There are already archives of ancient usenet.
>>
>> Are you sure about that ? I thought they all disappeared....
>
> If one types "usenet" (no quotes) into the search box at archive.org,
> lots of repositories pop up in the results. I haven't clicked through
> to find out how useful any of them are.
>
I stand corrected.

Ben Blaney <benblaney@gmail.com> writes:

> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>
>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>> as their main access to umra.
>
> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy. Wonder what
> options I have. If it's hard to think through, this might be the end
> of usenet for me.

There's always Thunderbird, even if you only use it for usenet.

Rosie

On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:50:12 +0000, Chris J Dixon wrote:

> Nick Odell wrote:
>
>>Google Groups have announced that they will cease to accept new usenet
>>messages from mid-February next year. That will cause a huge, collective
>>sigh of relief from the many users of the many groups which for months
>>or more have been swamped in a deluge of spam, adverts for illegal goods
>>and services and assorted other filth. Google Groups has been very
>>useful for me at times when I've experienced problems with either ES or
>>Agent and for me is always a quick, convenient way of seeing what people
>>are writing about even if I don't often use GG to reply. I will miss it
>>for those reasons.
>
> I guess that, despite what they are saying right now, access to archive
> material, which is already flaky at the best of times, will eventually
> be allowed to fade away completely.

Entirely inline with Google's long standing policy of buying up good
things and then slowly killing them.

--
Jim <http://www.jim-easterbrook.me.uk/>
1959/1985? M B+ G+ A L- I- S- P-- CH0(p) Ar++ T+ H0 Q--- Sh0

On 16 Dec 2023 13:50:56 GMT, Jim Easterbrook wrote:

> Entirely inline with Google's long standing policy of buying up good
> things and then slowly killing them.

I should have included a link to https://killedbygoogle.com/

OK, these weren't all initially bought by Google, and they weren't all
good things, but it's still an impressive list.

--
Jim <http://www.jim-easterbrook.me.uk/>
1959/1985? M B+ G+ A L- I- S- P-- CH0(p) Ar++ T+ H0 Q--- Sh0

In message <ku5oonFc48bU2@mid.individual.net> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023
13:58:47, Jim Easterbrook <news@jim-easterbrook.me.uk> writes
>On 16 Dec 2023 13:50:56 GMT, Jim Easterbrook wrote:
>
>> Entirely inline with Google's long standing policy of buying up good
>> things and then slowly killing them.

A practice long - er - practiced by Microsoft. Though they certainly
aren't the first.

(Actually, Microsoft's way is usually to buy something then "improve" it
until nobody wants it any more, then kill it because nobody is using it.
And they're not alone in that, either, but one of the big doers of it.)
>
>I should have included a link to https://killedbygoogle.com/
>
>OK, these weren't all initially bought by Google, and they weren't all
>good things, but it's still an impressive list.
>
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Ask not for whom the bell tolls; let the machine get it

On 16-Dec-23 10:14, krw wrote:
> On 16.12.23 10:03, krw wrote:
>> On 15.12.23 19:33, Sally Thompson wrote:
>>> On 15/12/2023 18:41, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>>>> On 15-Dec-23 16:29, Ben Blaney wrote:
>>>>> On Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:06:56 AM UTC-5, Nick Odell wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Somerats - albeit a very few rats - appear to depend on Google Groups
>>>>>> as their main access to umra.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I became a Mac user (2005-ish) I've been a GG guy.  Wonder
>>>>> what options I have.  If it's hard to think through, this might be
>>>>> the end of usenet for me.
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure there are some Mac Usenet clients, but I'm not equipped to
>>>> evaluate them.
>>>>
>>> IIRC The McToodles are best placed to advise.
>>>
>>> john
>>
>> Thunderbird is very broken this morning.
>>
>> Apparently Sally wrote a message (to which I am responding) but it
>> simply shows a message from John.  This is not the only oddity on this
>> thread.
>>
>
> Have now downgraded to 102 and unsubscribed and resubscribed.
>
> Is anyone here?
>
Yes, but do you still have the funny going's-on after the downgrade?

I too see messages with the wrong attributions (in 115.5.2).
Jolly confusing and (in some groups) designed to cause lots of shouting
when innocent parties get accused of saying... whatever it was someone
else actually said.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 16 Dec 2023 13:58:47 GMT, Jim Easterbrook
<news@jim-easterbrook.me.uk> wrote:

>On 16 Dec 2023 13:50:56 GMT, Jim Easterbrook wrote:
>
>> Entirely inline with Google's long standing policy of buying up good
>> things and then slowly killing them.
>
>I should have included a link to https://killedbygoogle.com/
>
>OK, these weren't all initially bought by Google, and they weren't all
>good things, but it's still an impressive list.

Good grief! I only scrolled through the first few of what are
obviously many pages. Drip fed through occasional annlouncements in
places like The Register I didn't really notice very much but seeing
them all together...

Nick