Anyone still using and updating Forte Agent?

Apr 07, 2021 Last reply: 5 years ago 31 Replies

Been happily shuffling along with Forte Agent for years now. Though I've got purging turned off completely, threads are disappearing from my newsgroups. I only notice this when there's a thread I'm interested in and all there is left is one single Re:* post at the top of the list. The rest of the thread has disappeared. Is Forte Agent worth updating from version 6 to 8, or are there better newsreaders these days?


Still using, yes. Updating, no (V2 here), but did buy and install a later version on a newer machine (W7) but never really used it on that and when I went to install the same on a full replacement W10 box for this XP / MacMini machine, the code didn't work so I really need to get back on that one, get FA installed and working and wean onto the 'new' PC. ;-)

From memory though, I don't think I could get the new FA to work in the same way as this FA in that *new* threads, threads with new messages or new messages since the last time I looked are marked in red. I get the 'read' status once read.

I pick and choose what I want to read (so I can ignore the trolls or threads I'm not interested in).

Cheers, T i m

Yes, there's definitely something about this software and it's reviews that weakens the will to update.

I kind of get that already, as I now have v.6. My memory ain't what it was so I don't remember it being any other way.

A very useful feature if not the most useful. I'll check to see if the Forte Agent NG is still in operation.

I am using version 1.7 and have no complaints.

I've been using 8 for a while, with no problems, although I only follow a couple of newsgroups and only purge deleted posts (Trash) older than 50 days on closing, and I have no problems with it. It does all I want of a NG reader, but I'm not very demanding. Has something got ticked under one of the Options that's causing the unexpected purging?

Using v7, originally on XP, then on W7, now on W10. Does what I need so have stuck with it (paid for license).

Possibly so, there's a lot of options. Though I've turned off purging all round as far as I can tell.

I use a licenced copy of Agent 8.00 on Windows 10. I last updated in

2015 and I don't think there have been any updates since then.

I suspect the lost posts are more to do with the server than your news reader. I use Thunderbird and Eternal September and I occasionally see a reply to a topic where I can't see the OP.

Using yes, updating no. Paid-for version 4.2 here.

I'm using it "on a stick" so I take the same messages and settings from computer to computer and the conversations are always up to date.

The only problem I have is with Google Groups posters where my version of Agent can't handle the lack of line breaks and displays paragraphs as long, never-ending single lines.

I believe that I could solve that problem by upgrading to a more recent version but - hey - I'm the standards-compliant one: why should I be the one to pay to upgrade?

Nick

I paid for Agent v1.x and Trumpet winsock back in the days of Win3.1

did think about going from thunderbird to Agent 8.0 a few years back, but found the Agent still looked the same as Win3.1 software did back then ... just felt too old-hat.

That may be true sometimes but I'm sure at least some threads were there in Agent, then not.

I'm still using it but I don't think there are any updates. In fact, I don't think it is supported anymore. The only obvjous problem is if I killfile someone and set it to expire after x days the expiry does not work (this is a known issue with a complicated work-around).

I believe one of the Tims in the group has kill-filed me :-)

Maybe I'm reaching some kind of maximum limit. I have been keeping all posts for reference purposes. Perhaps I'll have to sacrifice some.

Comfortably so, until now.

That's impressive but I'm not sure going back will solve my problem. Maybe setting everything back to default and strarting from scratch will help though.

And that's the thing isn't it, 'don't fix what's not broken'.

I have tried several newsreaders on various platforms, even the FA clone 'Pan' in Linux and nothing is as good.

That may include the latest version of FA over my current version. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Ah, once loaded they should be retained. I haven't used FA in years.

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