Google groups down for a week now

[sm_jamieson]

Nothing updated since August 2nd. I will not see replies to this, since diybanter and the other one I forget is not working either. Simon.

[Graham.]

not working either.

Is there any particular reason why you can't post directly to a Usenet server rather than use the web portals that you have mentioned?

I can recommend the free eternal-september server, and if you're using Windows you are bound to have Outlook Express or Windows Mail to use as a client. People will still slate you for using them but even they will concur that they are miles better than Google Groups!

[Jim K]

except OE is not better than GG....

Jim K

[Tim Streater]

Good. Long may it remain so.

[John Rumm]

Why so?

Its worth nothing its the ability to read (and hence in the long term, archive and search) that is currently lost. The only occasional negative impact of GG on this group is the ability to post - and that is still working!

[harryagain]

GG much more user friendly.

[Tim Streater]

Indeedy but I assumed that's what we were talking about. It just seems to cause problems in all NGs I frequent.

[Jonathan]

not working either.

rather than use the web portals

you are bound to have

you for using them but even

I completely disagree. I much prefer the Google Groups user interface. I only use something else when Google is down. I have complained to them with no response.

jonathan

[The Natural Philosopher]

There ere loads of (free) usenet clients out there. The choice is not between google, Outlook and T-bird.

T-bird is good on mail, and barely adequate on Usenet. But its good enough or me.

The day I start worrying about my interface or 'user experience' on Usenet, is the day I know I need to get out more...:-)

[John Rumm]

My point was, that the bit that causes difficulties, still works, its the useful bit (search and archive) that is broken. Hardly seems worth celebrating!

[John Rumm]

Huh?

Use a newsreader and you can have exactly the interface you want. Use GG and you are stuck with what they give you.

[Tim Streater]

I tried t-bird for a while and decided it was s**te, although I can't remember why now. Oh wait, I think I found searching to be crap or something. Anyway, I went back to MT-NewsWatcher.

[J.G.Harston]

Use a newsreader and you are stuck with the interface they give you. Use Google Groups and you are stuck with the interface they give you.

I'm way past the point where I want to write a news client. I'm stuck with trying to get Thunderbird to be suffiently useful to use, and left with no longer being able to access newsgroups at work or in the library.

JGH

[John Rumm]

Well not really - first there is a large choice of newsreaders - so select one you like. Second, most are far more configurable than GG so even if you don't like the default offering, you can change it.

Plenty of other news clients out there...

[Huge]

Except if you don't like that interface, you can try one of the other 20 or 30 newsreaders that are available.

And if you don't like that interface, that's it.

[tinnews]

But there are many, many newsreaders to choose from. Once you have your NNTP set up you can switch between newsreaders with very little hassle.

tin, pan, slrn, outlook, seamonkey and dozens if not hundreds more out there if you trouble to look.

[Weatherlawyer]

t is not working either.

I think the ~banter mdels are google engineered. They always go down together.

[robgraham]

Why should I 'trouble to look' if the format of GG is what I like, what I am used to and is totally intuitive. No one, when I asked after GG's last outage, offer me anything that matches 'like', 'used to' and 'intuitive'; particularly the last. I fall back on Thunderbird when I have to, and have tried several suggestions from my previous enquiries but found them very uncomfortable to use and totally devoid of the simplicity of the GG interface.

And really, guys, just how often is it necessary to search Usenet - you just bung up the question again. In reality that's often the best option as materials and procedures will have moved on since it was last answered. Rob

[Tim Streater]

If you ask a question that was answered only a few weeks previously, you're likely to get a dusty response. I use search in MT-NewsWatcher quite often.

[jgharston]

Read again:

How does a large choice of newsreaders allow me to be able to use them on computers I don't have administrative control over?

JGH