Shutting down Usenet?

[David Foster]

I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit
carrying news groups on or around July 15.

+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.

Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++


Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what
do we do? What does this mean to the future of
SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.

David Foster

[David Simpson]

[Default] On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:20:23 CST, David Foster

Post by David Foster
I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit
carrying news groups on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what
do we do? What does this mean to the future of
SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.
David Foster

There are a number of free servers available which can be used in
place of the AT&T server. A Google search for free+usenet+server
should find most of them. In addition there are several pay services,
most fairly cheap. I use a service called datemas.de, I have also
heard about Motzarella, aieou(sp?) and others. The free ones are not
always reliable although I have never had a problem with datemas.de
but I suspect that it is no longer accepting new accounts.

You would simply need to set up a new account in your newsreader once
you have registered for your new service. The confirmation e-mail
should give the necessary details.

[David Foster]

Post by David Simpson
There are a number of free servers available which can be used in
place of the AT&T server. A Google search for free+usenet+server
should find most of them. In addition there are several pay services,
most fairly cheap. I use a service called datemas.de, I have also
heard about Motzarella, aieou(sp?) and others. The free ones are not
always reliable although I have never had a problem with datemas.de
but I suspect that it is no longer accepting new accounts.
You would simply need to set up a new account in your newsreader once
you have registered for your new service. The confirmation e-mail
should give the necessary details.

Thanks, Brother David
David

[Mudge]

I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit carrying news groups
on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T will no longer be
offering access to the Usenet netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what do we do? What does
this mean to the future of SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet, and I don't want to
watch SOF disappear.

Motzarilla.org is one of them and there are news servers in Germany and
around the world that will still carry usenet - I'm not sure how you
find them all but you could ask on "alt.usenet.offline-reader"

My server discontinued the digital stuff a year or so back but the text
bits are still ok - or - at least I have not heard otherwise - but
there has been a lot of chatter on the newsgroups I surf

[Jim Bennie]

I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit carrying news groups on
or around July 15.
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what do we do? What does this
mean to the future of SOF? Where do we we find these third-party vendors?
I really don't want to give up Usenet, and I don't want to watch SOF
disappear.

One of my ISPs doesn't have Usenet any more. Like BBSs, its day has passed.
It was from a time before web forums, or even when web access was practical
for home computer users.

You can always subscribe to this group by e-mail. Or do a web search of open
news servers that carry the newsgroup.

Jim, Vancouver

[Doug Freyburger]

Post by David Foster
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service.  If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.

It was a violation of UseNet protocols for them to post
messages internally like that. Bad vendor for doing
that.

Post by David Foster
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this?

UseNet has a list of advantages over web boards. Being
independent of any one server is near the top of the list
of advantages. I've been on sever web boards that died
when the owner lost interest. I've moved from server to
server on UseNet posting to the same groups.

Post by David Foster
OK, so what do we do?

Check out some of the free and paid NSPs. I have used
groups.google.com for a while. Plenty of my friends use
news.individual.net. There are more options than I could
list.

Post by David Foster
What does this mean to the future of SOF?

No effect at all. The SOF moderation team doesn't
use that vendor.

Post by David Foster
Where do we we find these third-party vendors?

This is one of many lists of suggestions:

http://www.big-8.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:news_providers

Post by David Foster
I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.

This is a bit like one lodge closing down and surrendering
its charter. Masonry, notwithstanding, survives. The
members affiliate with other lodges and life goes on. The
exact same principle applies to UseNet. It's a strength
both share.

[David Foster]

Post by Doug Freyburger

Post by David Foster
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.

It was a violation of UseNet protocols for them to post
messages internally like that. Bad vendor for doing
that.

Post by David Foster
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this?

UseNet has a list of advantages over web boards. Being
independent of any one server is near the top of the list
of advantages. I've been on sever web boards that died
when the owner lost interest. I've moved from server to
server on UseNet posting to the same groups.

Post by David Foster
OK, so what do we do?

Check out some of the free and paid NSPs. I have used
groups.google.com for a while. Plenty of my friends use
news.individual.net. There are more options than I could
list.

Post by David Foster
What does this mean to the future of SOF?

No effect at all. The SOF moderation team doesn't
use that vendor.

Post by David Foster
Where do we we find these third-party vendors?

http://www.big-8.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:news_providers

Post by David Foster
I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.

This is a bit like one lodge closing down and surrendering
its charter. Masonry, notwithstanding, survives. The
members affiliate with other lodges and life goes on. The
exact same principle applies to UseNet. It's a strength
both share.

Thanks, Brother Doug.
David

[bobthecow]

I read from groups.google.com

You could continue reading through that service.

-Kevin Sweeney
Elgin Lodge No. 117, A. F. & A. M. of Illinois

Post by David Foster
I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit
carrying news groups on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service.  If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this?  OK, so what
do we do?  What does this mean to the future of
SOF?  Where do we we find these third-party
vendors?  I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.
David Foster

[David Foster]

Post by bobthecow
I read from groups.google.com
You could continue reading through that service.
-Kevin Sweeney
Elgin Lodge No. 117, A. F. & A. M. of Illinois

Thanks, Brother Kevin, I'll check it out.
David

[Alan Schwartz]

Post by David Foster
I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit
carrying news groups on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what
do we do? What does this mean to the future of
SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.

When UIC dropped USENET, I started paying monthly for a Supernews
account in order to continue to be able to run the moderation
for s.o.f.

Supernews has been fast, reliable, and has good coverage; unlike
many free USENET servers, you can post through it. I think I pay
about $4/month.

You can also read via mailing list:
http://mail.cybermango.org/mailman/listinfo/sof-mail
And you can post via email to sof-***@mail.cybermango.org
(But using a real USENET server is better, as it'll get the
threading right).

- Alan, s.o.f moderator

[Stuart H.]

<SNIP>

Post by Alan Schwartz
When UIC dropped USENET, I started paying monthly for a Supernews
account in order to continue to be able to run the moderation
for s.o.f.
Supernews has been fast, reliable, and has good coverage; unlike
many free USENET servers, you can post through it. I think I pay
about $4/month.
http://mail.cybermango.org/mailman/listinfo/sof-mail
(But using a real USENET server is better, as it'll get the
threading right).
- Alan, s.o.f moderator

I use free.teranews.com without any problem.

Stuart H.

[Offramp]

Post by Stuart H.
I use free.teranews.com without any problem.

I use Teranews as well; I have paid a small amount for "Life
Membership" to some kind of premium account... But it any case I think
Google groups is easier and more readable,

[David Foster]

Post by Alan Schwartz
When UIC dropped USENET, I started paying monthly for a Supernews
account in order to continue to be able to run the moderation
for s.o.f.
Supernews has been fast, reliable, and has good coverage; unlike
many free USENET servers, you can post through it. I think I pay
about $4/month.
http://mail.cybermango.org/mailman/listinfo/sof-mail
(But using a real USENET server is better, as it'll get the
threading right).
- Alan, s.o.f moderator

Thanks, Brother Alan. That's probably what I need
to do.
David

[Alex]

Post by David Foster
I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit
carrying news groups on or around July 15.

Well, as noted below, this only applies to customers of AT&T. My ISP
provides a service through one of the US servers, they used to use Giganews,
but recently changed to Astraweb. They are a premium provider, subs seem to
range from $10 per month. They also do a plan based on downloads, so if you
only subscribe to one or two newsgroups, that might be the way to go....

Post by David Foster
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T
will no longer be offering access to the Usenet
netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available
through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what
do we do? What does this mean to the future of
SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet,
and I don't want to watch SOF disappear.
David Foster

- --
Alex Fisher
Lodge Caledonian No. 14
United Grand Lodge of Queensland

[nada]

I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit carrying news groups
on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T will no longer be
offering access to the Usenet netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what do we do? What does
this mean to the future of SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet, and I don't want to
watch SOF disappear.
David Foster

Tell AT&T you are cutting, what you pay them, since they eliminated
part, of their contracted for services.<g>

[Jack Wise]

The Houston Area League of PC Users (HAL-PC.ORG) will continue to carry
news groups. Halnet access is $10.00 per month.

http://www.hal-pc.org/halnet.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page for subscription info.

You do not have to be a member of HAL-PC in order to use the internet
services. For newsgroups, you simply point your e-mail client to
news.hal-pc.org

You can keep your present e-mail address through your present ISP or you
can use HAL-PC mail (or both).

Check it out.

Post by nada

I got this message here in SOF that AT&T will quit carrying news
groups on or around July 15.
+++ Quote +++
Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T will no longer be
offering access to the Usenet netnews service. If you wish to continue
reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available through third-party
vendors.
Posted only internally to AT&T Usenet Servers.
+++ End Quote +++
Does anybody have any info on this? OK, so what do we do? What does
this mean to the future of SOF? Where do we we find these third-party
vendors? I really don't want to give up Usenet, and I don't want to
watch SOF disappear.
David Foster

Tell AT&T you are cutting, what you pay them, since they eliminated
part, of their contracted for services.<g>

--
Jack Wise

PM, Jacques DeMolay Lodge No. 1390, AF & AM, Houston, TX
( www.jd1390.org/jdmlodge.htm )

Member: Oak Wood Lodge No. 1444, AF & AM, The Woodlands, TX


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