Parker51 · HackerTrans

Check out Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC ("Panix"). They run their own news server, know about moderated newsgroups, host several newsgroup moderation teams, and have reasonable rates ($100/year) for NNTP Usenet access and a Unix shell account.

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

"As for clients, on mobile there's nothing available for android last I've checked."

There's PhoNews, but it wasn't very good the last time I tried the free version. It ran slowly, or sometimes not at all, trying to follow a small number of newsgroups off of an NNTP server run by my ISP (that otherwise worked well with other non-mobile newsreaders).

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

One significant obstacle to a widespread return to Usenet is that the Internet has grown up, and has to behave more like the larger world around it. It's no longer a genteel, academic environment mostly shielded from harm from, and harm to, the general public. The following Techdirt article is an excellent condensed summary of how the world will eventually intrude on any ambitious effort to create, or re-create, an "uncensored" forum:

https://www.techdirt.com/2022/11/02/hey-elon-let-me-help-you...

Yes, the example is about a monolithic service like Twitter, versus something distributed like Usenet. But distributed services have to be hosted somewhere, and two contradictory themes from this discussion are:

- Usenet was more widely used when it was universally available (i.e., commercial ISP's ran news servers)

- Commercial ISP's no longer wish to run news servers due to legal liability and pressure from U.S. states attorneys general

Mom-and-pop server operators won't be as universal, and won't be able to afford expensive staff and lawyers to deal with legal issues.

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

It will take more than a weekend. This reminds me of that old joke about X-Windows:

"X Protocol is extensible!"

"So is a bucket of molten pig-iron."

There is definitely a lot of "intentionality" required to access newsgroups, let alone do more complicated stuff like moderate a newsgroup, when the answer to how to set it up in many environments is like that other old joke about a hotel where you have to make your own bed:

"Here's a hammer and saw, good night!"

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

It's worse than that. They won't even take action against harassment of moderators, including their users that repeatedly submit obviously rejectable articles to moderated newsgroups, then reply with verbal abuse and profanity when rejected. The eternal-september admins tell moderation teams that it is their responsibility to deal with these users, not them. Our moderated newsgroup dealt with one of their users (lawfully, of course). No surprise that the individual had an anonymous identity that was a synonym for the devil.

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

https://www.qrz.com/

Parker51

3 anni fadiscuss

Sample .newsrc file for recommended newsgroups:

  alt.computer.workshop:
  alt.culture.usenet:
  alt.fan.usenet:
  alt.folklore.computers:
  alt.obituaries:
  alt.os.linux.slackware:
  alt.privacy:
  alt.tv.simpsons:
  ba.broadcast:
  comp.ai:
  comp.arch:
  comp.compilers:
  comp.dcom.telecom:
  comp.infosystems.gemini:
  comp.infosystems.gopher:
  comp.lang.c++:
  comp.lang.c:
  comp.lang.forth:
  comp.lang.misc:
  comp.lang.perl.misc:
  comp.lang.postscript:
  comp.lang.python.announce:
  comp.lang.python:
  comp.lang.raspberry-pi:
  comp.lang.tcl:
  comp.misc:
  comp.mobile.android:
  comp.mobile.misc:
  comp.os.cpm:
  comp.os.linux.announce:
  comp.os.linux.misc:
  comp.risks:
  comp.sys.apple2:
  comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action:
  comp.text.tex:
  comp.unix.shell:
  comp.windows.x:
  gnu.emacs.help:
  misc.legal.moderated:
  misc.news.internet.discuss:
  misc.taxes.moderated:
  news.admin.moderation:
  news.announce.important:
  news.announce.newgroups:
  news.groups.proposals:
  news.groups:
  news.software.readers:
  rec.arts.drwho:
  rec.arts.movies.current-films:
  rec.arts.sf.tv:
  rec.arts.sf.written:
  rec.autos.sport.f1:
  rec.aviation.soaring:
  rec.bicycles.tech:
  rec.food.cooking:
  rec.games.backgammon:
  rec.music.beatles:
  rec.music.classical.recordings:
  rec.music.opera:
  rec.radio.amateur.antenna:
  rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors:
  rec.radio.amateur.equipment:
  rec.radio.amateur.homebrew:
  rec.radio.amateur.misc:
  rec.radio.amateur.moderated:
  rec.radio.amateur.policy:
  rec.radio.amateur.space:
  rec.radio.info:
  rec.radio.shortwave:
  rec.sport.rowing:
  rec.woodworking:
  sci.astro:
  sci.electronics.design:
  sci.electronics.repair:
  sci.logic:
  sci.physics.relativity:
  sci.physics.research:
  talk.origins:
  uk.comp.sys.mac:
  uk.radio.amateur.moderated:
  uk.rec.sheds:
  uk.sci.weather:

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