Google Groups ending 22 Feb 2024

[Spike]

Google Groups ending support for Usenet If you work with Usenet groups in Google Groups, support for these groups is ending soon.

What’s changing? Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups (at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content. You can continue to view and search for historical Usenet content posted before February 22, 2024 on Google Groups.

In addition, Google’s Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) server and associated peering will no longer be available, meaning Google will not support serving new Usenet content or exchanging content with other NNTP servers.

This change will not impact any non-Usenet content on Google Groups, including all user and organization-created groups. Most of the current Google Groups content is not Usenet content and will not be affected.

What do I need to do? If you don’t actively engage with Usenet content, you don’t need to do anything. Current Usenet users will need to do two things before February

22, 2024 if they want to continue engaging with Usenet content:

Find a new Usenet client. Several free and paid alternatives are available, both web-based and application-based. To find a client, do a web search for "how do I find a usenet text client" Find a new public Usenet server. The new client you choose will likely have a default server or a set of curated options for you. If not, to find a server, do a web search for "public NNTP servers." Because Usenet is a distributed system, you do not need to migrate data. All of the Usenet content you can access today on Google Groups should already be synced to the new server you choose. After you select a new client and server, you can reselect the groups you’re interested in.

Why is Google Groups support for Usenet ending? Over the last several years, legitimate activity in text-based Usenet groups has declined significantly because users have moved to more modern technologies and formats such as social media and web-based forums. Much of the content being disseminated via Usenet today is binary (non-text) file sharing, which Google Groups does not support, as well as spam.

[Andy Burns]

+5million

Here from the horse's mouth

[Owain Lastname]

It seems that most of the spam comes from Google Groups anyway.

This may see me off the group; I currently have very limited internet access and a web-based front end suits me fine. I don't want to deal with large downloads and local message storage.

Owain

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well tbird can be set to simply delete anything over a few days old. Storage is minimal

You can choose to read online and never download as well I think

[Fredxx]

While I dislike the site intensely, there is always homeowners hub. Not sure how you can quote a previous post though.

Of course many here block the site but there's no reason why rules can't be generated in applications like Thunderbird to allow through specific posters.

[Andy Burns]

I don't see that a text-based group should need huge bandwidth or storage ... consider a USB stick with portable thunderbird?

[Tim Streater]

I don't see that it should require any storage at all, other than what is needed for the app itself.

[Andy Burns]

While you can set 0 days retention (globally or per group) I doubt it'd be very useful to work with?

An alternative web-based interface

[Jonathan]

Ca someonr reccomend a good usenet server . I no longer seem able to acess eternal September from TB

Thanks, Jonathan

[nib]

Have you explored all of the work-arounds that are needed to make Thunderbird use the user name / password log in to Eternal September?

I had to look all of that up again when I tried to use Thunderbird again recently. Without the work-arounds you can see only internal news groups.

IIRC correctly on my version, select always require authentication, and then shut down and restart Thunderbird.

Cheers, nib

[Jeff Gaines]

If you're willing to part with 10 Euros PA NIN is excellent, text only and has its own spam filtering:

[Mark Carver]

Yep, used them for 24 years now. Excellent service,

[Paul]

In the Thunderbird server settings, tick the "Always Request Authentication". Then be prepared to enter your account and password when the dialog appears.

[Picture]

*******

You can use paganini.bofh.team:119 for posting without an account.

There is another free server, but it is like a car with flat tyres and on most days, perfectly useless.

Paul

[Robin]

While I've usually travelled with a laptop, I'd be interested to know if anyone can recommend an Android client on the basis of hands on experience.

[Chris Green]

Still working fine for me, are you sure it wasn't just a short term issue?

[Chris Green]

I use that and Eternal September and between them they provide a pretty comprehensive feed. I think in reality either would probably be fine.

[Tim+]

No. ;-) I use an app called Newsreader on my Android phone (called NewsGroup Reader in the App Store) but I can’t recommend it as a “good” client.

It’s rather rubbish but it seems to be the best of a very limited choice. The free version only allows you to subscribe to one group at a time. The paid for version is better.

Tim

[SH]

and try cyber23.de

[Sam Plusnet]

Each to their own, but I can't imagine that download & local storage of a couple of text-based Usenet groups would be any kind of challenge to a 'modern' (i.e. built in the last 10 years) PC.

[Tim Streater]

I've been running with "deleting bodies" after 0 days, now I've added "deleting threads" after 0 days, I'll see how that goes.