OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP by answeringsome questions?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Susan Bradley
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Susan Bradley

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As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

versus newsgroups.



I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

someone else what they like and why.





Do you like forums over newsgroups and if so why?



Do you like newsgroups over forums and if so why?



How did you first find the newsgroups in the first place?



How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?



Why do you choose web browser versus nntp reader?



What makes you keep coming back? Habit?



If you prefer forums what would make you change to another community

platform?



If you prefer newsgroups what would make you change to another community

platform?



Do you prefer another community platform over forums AND newsgroups? If

so, what platform/venue is it? (and if you say twitter I'll bonk ya on

the head ;-)



Do you know about the NNTP bridge to make a transition to allow nntp

like access to a web forum?



The NNTP Bridge is an application created and maintained by the

Microsoft Forum team. This application emulates an NNTP server to the

extent of allowing NNTP newsreader clients to read data from and write

data to Microsoft forums. It is a custom solution built on top of the

standard NNTP protocol and expects communication from an NNTP newsreader

client; therefore it does not necessarily support all NNTP command

input. The NNTP Bridge acts as a medium of data transportation between

the newsreader client and Microsoft forums. As a result, the user’s

experience may change depending on the newsreader client.







The NNTP Bridge officially targets the following three newsreader clients:



· Windows Mail



· Windows Live Mail



· Outlook Express







While other clients were also being tested during the development

process (including Forte Agent and Thunderbird), bugs not pertaining to

the three targeted clients are not guaranteed to be fixed at this time.







The installation of the application and the limited UI of the

application itself (basically a start button, a stop button, and WLID

sign in page) are only available in English. However, when the Bridge

is running, you are free to connect to forums of any language and

read/post in any language you select.













The NNTP Bridge Client v1.0 Release is available via the Microsoft

Connect site. Please refer to the following steps to download and

install it and then configure the newsreader client.







NOTE: The NNTP Bridge team is accepting your feedback directly on the

Connect portal. Providing your thoughts and comments there will route

your requests directly to the Dev team.







1. Download the utility by following the instructions at

http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums (NNTP Bridge Home Page on

Connect).







2. Install the NNTP bridge by following the steps at

http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=13820.











3. Configure your newsreader client:







3.1). On successful starting of the NNTP Bridge application, start your

nntp news reader client, ie., Windows Mail.



3.2). Create a newsgroup account, and type 127.0.0.1 as the NNTP server

and 119 as the port. With that information it should be able to connect

to your local NNTP Bridge and successfully list all the forums.







3.3). Select the partner forum(s) you are interested in.













Besides, some more resources are for your reference:







NNTP Bridge Troubleshooting Guide



http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=15478







NNTP Bridge Frequently Asked Questions



http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=13816
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP byansweringsome questions?

Susan Bradley wrote:

>



> The NNTP Bridge officially targets the following three newsreader clients:

>

> · Windows Mail

>

> · Windows Live Mail

>

> · Outlook Express

>



I am using NNTP bridge Version 1 (on OL Express) recently issued.

Fantastic but I have to keep downloading all the messages again after

every boot. There is a lot of wok to be done on this product.



Download link is here:





hth
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP by answering some questions?

In article , sbradcpa@pacbell.net

says...

>

> As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

> versus newsgroups.

>

> I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

> fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

> track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

> field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

> someone else what they like and why.

>

>

> Do you like forums over newsgroups and if so why?



Forums are almost always a terrible source of Information, limited in

scope, and mostly visited by non-technical people. It's easy to find a

forum, usenet requires more effort on the part of people.



> Do you like newsgroups over forums and if so why?



See above



> How did you first find the newsgroups in the first place?



Been using Usenet since 84, it was around before the Web.



> How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?



Always use a Usenet Client via NNTP, hate web interfaces.



> Why do you choose web browser versus nntp reader?



We is a security risk, doesn't have the same features, you only get what

the website allows...



> What makes you keep coming back? Habit?



Usenet is a great resource for many things and you learn of new trends

from all over the world in one place - I return for that and to give

back to the community that has provided me with so much information.



> If you prefer forums what would make you change to another community

> platform?



N/A



> If you prefer newsgroups what would make you change to another community

> platform?



When Heck freezes over I'll stop using Usenet.



> Do you prefer another community platform over forums AND newsgroups? If

> so, what platform/venue is it? (and if you say twitter I'll bonk ya on

> the head ;-)



No



>

> Do you know about the NNTP bridge to make a transition to allow nntp

> like access to a web forum?



Don't like WEB at all, to restrictive. Web interfaces to Usenet clutter

Google searches for technical issues.



[snip]

>

> NOTE: The NNTP Bridge team is accepting your feedback directly on the

> Connect portal. Providing your thoughts and comments there will route

> your requests directly to the Dev team.



Stick with Usenet and you'll be far better off.



> NNTP Bridge Troubleshooting Guide



If you stick with something that works, since it's been around longer

than the web, you don't need a guide.



--

You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little

voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.

Trust yourself.

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)
 
Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP by answering some questions?

OT but related: If you hate MS Answers forums, what do you think of the new

Windows Live Help forums & UI?

http://windowslivehelp.com/





Susan Bradley wrote:

> As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

> versus newsgroups.

>

> I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

> fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

> track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

> field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

> someone else what they like and why.
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP byanswering some questions?

Susan Bradley wrote:

> As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

> versus newsgroups.

>

> I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

> fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

> track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

> field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

> someone else what they like and why.

>

>

> Do you like forums over newsgroups and if so why?

>



No. Web-based forums are too slow and cumbersome. HTML permits way

too many useless, childish distractions like smiley faces, animations,

animations, pictures, etc., as well as potentially harboring malicious code.





> Do you like newsgroups over forums and if so why?

>



Certainly. Usenet was around before the web. It's plain text, so much

safer and "eye-candy" free, as well as being faster. Plain text is all

that's needed.





> How did you first find the newsgroups in the first place?

>





Too long ago; don't really remember. Learned it along with Gopher,

Veronica, etc. I do recall that the web was exceedingly "primitive" at

the time.





> How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?

>



NNTP Bridge. Otherwise, I'd not be here at all.



> Why do you choose web browser versus nntp reader?

>





N/A





> What makes you keep coming back? Habit?

>



To help people, preferably teaching them to learn to help themselves,

as well.





> If you prefer forums what would make you change to another community

> platform?

>



N/A



> If you prefer newsgroups what would make you change to another community

> platform?

>





Maybe if hell were to freeze over.... NAH!





> Do you prefer another community platform over forums AND newsgroups? If

> so, what platform/venue is it? (and if you say twitter I'll bonk ya on

> the head ;-)

>



N/A



> Do you know about the NNTP bridge to make a transition to allow nntp

> like access to a web forum?

>



Obviously. It's slower and less convenient that Usenet, but it does at

least make participating in web-based forums tolerable.





--



Bruce Chambers



Help us help you:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin



Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell



The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

killed a great many philosophers.

~ Denis Diderot
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP by answering some questions?

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:54:21 -0700, Bruce Chambers

wrote:





>> How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?

>>

>

> NNTP Bridge. Otherwise, I'd not be here at all.

>



I absolutely *hate* the web based forums, which decide how much info

to show (too little) and are impossibly slow. No possibility to

instantly jump from one post to another and too much wasted space on

screen....



So I would not even consider visiting one unless forced by a small

firearm in my back.



But your comment about the NNTP Bridge made me curious...

Does it really work with any news client or do you have to use one of

the Microsoft email clients with built-in meagre news support like OL

EXpress and the like?



I use a *real* news reader (Forte Agent) myself. Is it possible to

make that work with the HTTP Bridge thingie to access the web forums

*without* the web part???



--



Bo Berglund (Sweden)
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP byanswering some questions?

Susan Bradley wrote:

> As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

> versus newsgroups.

>

> I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

> fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

> track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

> field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

> someone else what they like and why.

>

>

> Do you like forums over newsgroups and if so why?

>

> Do you like newsgroups over forums and if so why?

>



There are a couple aspects of web forums I dislike.



1) Web site owner can delete the entire forum, without

notice or consultation. This happened to the site at

Matrox, ViaArena, and the early Asus forum. Many operators

also don't feel the need to port discussion threads previously

posted, when changing forum software ("too much work to move the

posts"). In other words, we're at the mercy of centralized

storage and narrow thinking ("how can I make a buck by

doing this").



By using "norobots", a web site owner can prevent archive

engines on the web, from keeping a copy of the site, in case

it goes missing.



2) Web site design, and the concept that the web site owner knows best.

Some web forums have absolutely gag-inducing interfaces. How about

a web site search box, where you have to type a Captcha before a

search can be executed, only to have the Captcha be denied on each

attempt ? How about "type your answer into this tiny box" ?



3) On sites like a Dell or HP forum, if the mods feel customer posts

are hitting a little too close to the truth about a product, they

delete the posts.



USENET newsgroups are preferred, because nobody owns them and they are

decentralized. Google archives them, but anyone owning some terabyte

sized disk drives can do it if they want too.



I don't think anybody answering questions, wants that answer to only

be heard by the single person posting the question. They also want

people who have the same question later, to be able to find the answer

with a search engine. And USENET is still (barely) meeting the second

objective.



Paul
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP by answering some questions?

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:29:00 +0100, Bo Berglund

wrote:



> On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:54:21 -0700, Bruce Chambers

> wrote:

>

>

> >> How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?

> >>

> >

> > NNTP Bridge. Otherwise, I'd not be here at all.

> >

>

> I absolutely *hate* the web based forums, which decide how much info

> to show (too little) and are impossibly slow. No possibility to

> instantly jump from one post to another and too much wasted space on

> screen....

>

> So I would not even consider visiting one unless forced by a small

> firearm in my back.

>

> But your comment about the NNTP Bridge made me curious...

> Does it really work with any news client







Yes, but it doesn't work perfectly with any of them.





> or do you have to use one of

> the Microsoft email clients with built-in meagre news support like OL

> EXpress and the like?





It doesn't work perfectly with any of those either.





> I use a *real* news reader (Forte Agent) myself. Is it possible to

> make that work with the HTTP Bridge thingie to access the web forums

> *without* the web part???







Yes, but it works with many more problems with Agent than with other

newsreaders. I use Agent for everything but the NNTP Bridge; I use

Windows Live Mail for that, since it works *much* better for it than

Agent.





--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003

Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP byanswering some questions?

Bo Berglund wrote:

>

>>

>

> I absolutely *hate* the web based forums, which decide how much info

> to show (too little) and are impossibly slow. No possibility to

> instantly jump from one post to another and too much wasted space on

> screen....

>

> So I would not even consider visiting one unless forced by a small

> firearm in my back.

>

> But your comment about the NNTP Bridge made me curious...

> Does it really work with any news client or do you have to use one of

> the Microsoft email clients with built-in meagre news support like OL

> EXpress and the like?

>

> I use a *real* news reader (Forte Agent) myself. Is it possible to

> make that work with the HTTP Bridge thingie to access the web forums

> *without* the web part???

>





I don't know if the NNTP Bridge will work with _any_ news reader, but I

use it with Thunderbird. From the FAQ:



Which NNTP newsreader clients does the NNTP Bridge support?



Our priority is to support Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Windows

Live Mail. However, we have also been testing the Bridge application

against Thunderbird and Forte Agent.



Online Forums Connection Microsoft Connect

https://connect.microsoft.com/site927





--



Bruce Chambers



Help us help you:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin



Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell



The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

killed a great many philosophers.

~ Denis Diderot
 
OT: Forums versus newsgroups - can you indulge a SBS MVP byanswering some questions?

Susan Bradley wrote:

> As an SBSer I hope you'll indulge me in a fishing expedition on forums

> versus newsgroups.

>

> I need to pick your brain a bit if you don't mind? Can I ask some

> fishing expedition questions because I want to see if my thoughts are on

> track with others. Just want to see if my thoughts are out in left

> field or what. I know why I like what I like but I want to know from

> someone else what they like and why.

>

>

> Do you like forums over newsgroups and if so why?



No, the interface is clumsy and slow and horrible

>

> Do you like newsgroups over forums and if so why?



Yes, the interface is much cleaner and simpler in newsgroups, and you

have much more control over how much of what kinds of information tracks

you leave



>

> How did you first find the newsgroups in the first place?



Word of mouth

>

> How do you get here now? Web browser or nntp reader?



Thunderbird

>

> Why do you choose web browser versus nntp reader?



I don't

>

> What makes you keep coming back? Habit?



Well, many things I guess. I'm a tech, so reading technology groups

interests me, I like helping people when I can, and I learn alot of new

things reading newsgroups.

>

> If you prefer forums what would make you change to another community

> platform?

>

> If you prefer newsgroups what would make you change to another community

> platform?



Nothing

>

> Do you prefer another community platform over forums AND newsgroups? If

> so, what platform/venue is it? (and if you say twitter I'll bonk ya on

> the head ;-)



IRC is pretty good too

>

> Do you know about the NNTP bridge to make a transition to allow nntp

> like access to a web forum?



Yes

>

> The NNTP Bridge is an application created and maintained by the

> Microsoft Forum team. This application emulates an NNTP server to the

> extent of allowing NNTP newsreader clients to read data from and write

> data to Microsoft forums. It is a custom solution built on top of the

> standard NNTP protocol and expects communication from an NNTP newsreader

> client; therefore it does not necessarily support all NNTP command

> input. The NNTP Bridge acts as a medium of data transportation between

> the newsreader client and Microsoft forums. As a result, the user’s

> experience may change depending on the newsreader client.

>

>

>

> The NNTP Bridge officially targets the following three newsreader clients:

>

> · Windows Mail

>

> · Windows Live Mail

>

> · Outlook Express

>

>

>

> While other clients were also being tested during the development

> process (including Forte Agent and Thunderbird), bugs not pertaining to

> the three targeted clients are not guaranteed to be fixed at this time.

>

>

>

> The installation of the application and the limited UI of the

> application itself (basically a start button, a stop button, and WLID

> sign in page) are only available in English. However, when the Bridge

> is running, you are free to connect to forums of any language and

> read/post in any language you select.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> The NNTP Bridge Client v1.0 Release is available via the Microsoft

> Connect site. Please refer to the following steps to download and

> install it and then configure the newsreader client.

>

>

>

> NOTE: The NNTP Bridge team is accepting your feedback directly on the

> Connect portal. Providing your thoughts and comments there will route

> your requests directly to the Dev team.

>

>

>

> 1. Download the utility by following the instructions at

> http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums (NNTP Bridge Home Page on

> Connect).

>

>

>

> 2. Install the NNTP bridge by following the steps at

> http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=13820.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> 3. Configure your newsreader client:

>

>

>

> 3.1). On successful starting of the NNTP Bridge application, start your

> nntp news reader client, ie., Windows Mail.

>

> 3.2). Create a newsgroup account, and type 127.0.0.1 as the NNTP server

> and 119 as the port. With that information it should be able to connect

> to your local NNTP Bridge and successfully list all the forums.

>

>

>

> 3.3). Select the partner forum(s) you are interested in.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Besides, some more resources are for your reference:

>

>

>

> NNTP Bridge Troubleshooting Guide

>

> http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=15478

>

>

>

>

> NNTP Bridge Frequently Asked Questions

>

> http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/content/content.aspx?ContentID=13816

>
 
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