Question for the Group Administrator

I just learned of the Yahoo Groups disappearing - too bad - I found it useful - over the years - for a few different things. Vintage Elna vintage Necchi sewing machines ; small engines ; WheelHorse ; etc. Lots of very useful info in the archives; and personal assistance in the discussion forums. The Vintage Necchi group administrator is transferring all that groups info and archives over to Groups.io - it costs money to set up - not sure if users need to pay anything .. ? I can't imagine that usenet could come close to providing the features - and all the members would need to find usenet access - usenet has been almost dead for a dozen years or more .. John T.

No admin here, just usenet.

You could try setting something up in Google groups, but this newgroup in on usenet.

You can access Usenet through Google groups. I prefer to use aioe or eternal-september. Usenet servers in operation still accept new group commands, and most old farts still expect folks to ask/survey first in related groups and follow protocol in alt.config.

I looked into Usenet gateway scripts for websites at one time also. They exist, but you have to use a Usenet server that is cool with that.

The OP doesn't say which Yahoo Groups he manages nor the groups' functions/features. The 4 or 5 Yahoo Groups that I have experience with - tend to have folders for photographs, owners manuals, shop manuals, even old advertising stuff. Archived discussions ; active discussions ; search ability ; . . . They allow viewing without "membership" but prohibit posting until you have joined. They were moderated - thankfully. John T.

looking for a way to replace the yahoo groups. I would like to learn how th is group was set up, managed, etc. Realize this is OFF TOPIC but thought th e discussion could be had outside the group messages e.g. private messaging ?

Subject: Re: Question for the Group Administrator " OP doesn't say"

Simple messaging in the groups I want to move. Sometimes attaching document s or photos. Not necessary to have a 'files' storage online. No need for PO LLS. No databases. KISS

That help?

Charles

PS Reading the wiki i=on USENET no idea what it is yet

Imagine an e-mail sent to everybody who's interested in a subject. Others can reply and conversation happens. That's Usenet. Some sites provide an interface to Usenet, Google Groups is one of them.

Yahoo! groups are very similar, but add some "rich" features. Usenet supports text and a way to encode files using text characters called Binaries, but your Usenet has to reassemble the file in order to view it. In Yahoo! Groups, you can just view the photo.

Groups.io is where most Yahoo! groups are going. They use a "Freemium" model, where the base package is free but then the next higher package costs currently $110/mo. They've provided excellent service and are on top of this sudden growth spurt as Yahoo! Groups prepares to shut down.

Puckdropper

If you have user management (people can join and leave), then you need a database. It might not be SQL, but it's a database. Usually, but not always, the archive of old messages is implemented as a database.

What's your budget? I have no suggestions below about $6 / month.

Usenet is a store and forward messaging system created back when managing a mailing list for 100 people would be an enormous burden (ie the 1980s). It works by having dedicated servers store messages that resemble but are not email in categories called "newsgroups". Individual readers can choose to "subscribe" to newsgroups on a particular server, but it is up to the readers to maintain a list of what messages have been read or not. This is handled in newsreading software (not sure what Google Groups does, I don't use it). Usually the record of what is read or not is tied to how the particular news server has stored the messages, not tied to the messages themselves, which makes switching newsservers unpleasant.

Elijah

------ former Usenet moderator

The administrator for Yahoo Groups Vintage Necchi Sewing Machine group paid for the Groups.io Premium and asked for voluntary donations. He said it would take him a week or so to transfer all the folders ... he deserves a medal ! I hadn't even heard of Groups.io until now - might wait for all the dust to settle and give it a look. There are also web-page discussion boards for specific topics - if you search for them - I've used certain auto forums with some success - eg. Ford Taurus ; Kia ; Usually these just require a valid email to join. John T.

Another consideration - about un-moderated usenet groups - - world wide idiot trolls are all free to contribute .. .. as often as they wish ! Keep your cyber-Purell handy ... whch makes most normal people look elsewhere for their little cyber family. John T.