Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.

It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to another platform while we can tell the current users what the new platform is going to be. A Workspace Google Group would work, and administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers. Ownership shouldn't be one guy. run it through the SSA with a volunteer(s) serving as administrator? Similar to the contest rules Committee. Or an outreach mission for one of the larger gliding clubs?

SF

Notice from Google:
Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.

On 16/01/2024 18:48, SF wrote:
> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
Wrong!

RAS via the eternal-september.org route is alive and well.

It filters out Spam, OBTP and for some reason, Charles Longley.

On 1/16/2024 2:26 PM, Tim Newport-Peace wrote:
> On 16/01/2024 18:48, SF wrote:
>> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
> Wrong!
>
> RAS via the eternal-september.org route is alive and well.
>
> It filters out Spam, OBTP and for some reason, Charles Longley.
>
>
RAS is alive but not well, as the most of the postings here are now about mucking around
in it's corpse or moving to the platform that the soul of RAS now inhabits: RAS_Prime on
Google (https://groups.google.com/g/rasprime). I hope more people will move to it, and it
will regain some international appeal.
Eric G

So, can anyone cast any light on why OBTP has been blocked by RAS?

As to google groups - not for me.  Same for any moderated group. I'm a
firm believer in the First Amendment.  For our non-US readers, here is a
link:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

Dan 5J
On 1/16/24 11:48, SF wrote:
> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
> I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.
>
> It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to another platform while we can tell the current users what the new platform is going to be. A Workspace Google Group would work, and administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers. Ownership shouldn't be one guy. run it through the SSA with a volunteer(s) serving as administrator? Similar to the contest rules Committee. Or an outreach mission for one of the larger gliding clubs?
>
> SF
>
> Notice from Google:
> Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.

A reader of the First Amendment will find it protects us from Government censorship, but
not from the moderation of a private group like RAS_Prime, which is protected by the
Freedom of Association derived from the First Amendment. So, RAS_Prime is an exemplar of
the First Amendment, just as is rec.aviation.soaring (with or without the
"moderation/censorship" of eternal-september).

On 1/16/2024 4:18 PM, Dan Marotta wrote:
> So, can anyone cast any light on why OBTP has been blocked by RAS?
>
> As to google groups - not for me.  Same for any moderated group. I'm a firm believer in
> the First Amendment.  For our non-US readers, here is a link:
>
> https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment
>
> Dan 5J
> On 1/16/24 11:48, SF wrote:
>> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
>> I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.
>>
>> It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to another platform while
>> we can tell the current users what the new platform is going to be.  A Workspace Google
>> Group would work, and administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers.
>> Ownership shouldn't be one guy.  run it through the SSA with a volunteer(s) serving as
>> administrator?  Similar to the contest rules Committee.  Or an outreach mission for one
>> of the larger gliding clubs?
>>
>> SF
>>
>> Notice from Google:
>> Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content.
>> Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not
>> appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done
>> today.

On 16/01/2024 23:10, Eric G wrote:
> On 1/16/2024 2:26 PM, Tim Newport-Peace wrote:
>> On 16/01/2024 18:48, SF wrote:
>>> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
>> Wrong!
>>
>> RAS via the eternal-september.org route is alive and well.
>>
>> It filters out Spam, OBTP and for some reason, Charles Longley.
>>
>>
> RAS is alive but not well, as the most of the postings here are now
> about mucking around in it's corpse or moving to the platform that the
> soul of RAS now inhabits: RAS_Prime on Google
> (https://groups.google.com/g/rasprime). I hope more people will move to
> it, and it will regain some international appeal.
> Eric G

I have noticed that the volume of Spam has reduced considerably of late.
Have some of us adopted a policy of Spamming the Spammers?

As to why OBTP is filtered out, I could not say, but Bob knows and it is
up to him to complain to Eternal-September.org's moderators.

https://xkcd.com/1357/

Free Speech and moderated groups explained.

Yaaas...  The owners of the google group can censor those who choose to
sign up.  That's why I'm not and won't be there.  And, just as I have
the freedom to say whatever I want here, others have the freedom to not
read it or even leave the group if free expression of views which offend
them hurt too much.  It simply amazes me that some folks can't just not
look at what offends them, they want to block others from seeing it, too.

Dan 5J
On 1/16/24 21:39, Eric G wrote:
> A reader of the First Amendment will find it protects us from
> Government censorship, but not from the moderation of a private group
> like RAS_Prime, which is protected by the Freedom of Association
> derived from the First Amendment. So, RAS_Prime is an exemplar of the
> First Amendment, just as is rec.aviation.soaring (with or without the
> "moderation/censorship" of eternal-september).
>
> On 1/16/2024 4:18 PM, Dan Marotta wrote:
>> So, can anyone cast any light on why OBTP has been blocked by RAS?
>>
>> As to google groups - not for me.  Same for any moderated group. I'm
>> a firm believer in the First Amendment.  For our non-US readers, here
>> is a link:
>>
>> https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment
>>
>> Dan 5J
>> On 1/16/24 11:48, SF wrote:
>>> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
>>> I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.
>>>
>>> It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to
>>> another platform while we can tell the current users what the new
>>> platform is going to be.  A Workspace Google Group would work, and
>>> administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers. 
>>> Ownership shouldn't be one guy.  run it through the SSA with a
>>> volunteer(s) serving as administrator? Similar to the contest rules
>>> Committee.  Or an outreach mission for one of the larger gliding clubs?
>>>
>>> SF
>>>
>>> Notice from Google:
>>> Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support
>>> new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and
>>> new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching
>>> of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.
>

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 1:48:54 PM UTC-5, SF wrote:
> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
> I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.
>
> It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to another platform while we can tell the current users what the new platform is going to be. A Workspace Google Group would work, and administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers. Ownership shouldn't be one guy. run it through the SSA with a volunteer(s) serving as administrator? Similar to the contest rules Committee. Or an outreach mission for one of the larger gliding clubs?
>
> SF
>
> Notice from Google:
> Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.

So good discussion here. All things considered I'm going to RAS_Prime. The eternal September thing just looked too wonky, maybe its not, but I've got a short attention span sometimes.

First amendment...Censorship...Free Speech...Do we really want to bring in the lawyers? Badge flights are close enough to that for me. For example: I was at 6,000 ft & 5 miles from the the airport when the logger batteries failed on my first Gold Distance flight, I had landing witnesses, but alas....that wasn't good enough....Appeal denied.

I think that if our online personas matched up with our standing in front of you communications, nobody would be getting banned. We all exclude asshats from our circles, whenever possible, and until they become a protected class, that's perfectly legal. So don't be an asshat if you don't want to be treated like one. There have been several on here over the years that I met in-person. They turned out to be much nicer than their online personas would lead you to believe.

If spammers get excluded, I'm fine with that, cause I've got them squarely in the asshat category.

I still think that a small group rather than a single individual doing the deciding on exclusion is the way to go. Unless it gets turned in to a HOA, man I hate HOA's. Never buy a condo in South Carolina., and never follow a glider with an engine.

SF

I switched over to RAS_Prime Google group and find it alive, easy to use and active , much more than the dying RAS. It is unfortunate that Google decided to sunset newsgroups instead of implementing spam filters but it is what it is.
Sure there is eternal whatever for the few die hards but it is going to be very quiet there.
I understand some folks looking for other homebrew solutions from fear of censorship, good luck with that. I’ll stick with mainstream solution..

Ramy

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 10:48:54 AM UTC-8, SF wrote:
> Rec.aviation.Soaring's days are numbered
> I think this has been a valuable resource for the gliding community.
>
> It just seems like a good idea to move this type of resource to another platform while we can tell the current users what the new platform is going to be. A Workspace Google Group would work, and administrative authority could be used to kick out the spammers. Ownership shouldn't be one guy. run it through the SSA with a volunteer(s) serving as administrator? Similar to the contest rules Committee. Or an outreach mission for one of the larger gliding clubs?
>
> SF
>
> Notice from Google:
> Effective February 22, 2024, Google Groups will no longer support new Usenet content. Posting and subscribing will be disallowed, and new content from Usenet peers will not appear. Viewing and searching of historical data will still be supported as it is done today.

On 1/20/2024 9:51 AM, Ramy wrote:
> I switched over to RAS_Prime Google group and find it alive, easy to use and active , much more than the dying RAS. It is unfortunate that Google decided to sunset newsgroups instead of implementing spam filters but it is what it is.
> Sure there is eternal whatever for the few die hards but it is going to be very quiet there.
> I understand some folks looking for other homebrew solutions from fear of censorship, good luck with that. I’ll stick with mainstream solution.
>
> Ramy
>
I agree with Ramy. Go directly to the group with

https://groups.google.com/g/rasprime

You can read all the posts, but can't post anything until you join the group.

Eric G