[Info-vax] Real Usenet clients, was: Re: backups and compaction or nocompaction might be better

[Phillip Helbig---undress to reply]

In article <keerv9$k0n$1 at dont-email.me>, Stephen Hoffman
<seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid> writes: 

> > But throwing out good old stuff,
> > be it hardware or software or customs in favour of new stuff just
> > because it is new, even if it isn't good---I don't see the point.
> 
> Not looking around see if the new stuff can solve your problems better? 
>  That's what makes sad.   That you haven't looked around to learn what 
> UTF-8 or MIME can bring, 

They have their uses, yes.  But if a text is 7-bit ASCII, why use UTF or 
mime or encode it etc etc.

> or to look at systems that are smaller, or 
> simpler to manage, or that consume less power, or to tools and services 
> that are portable, or that are more ubiquitous.  

What are the realistic options?  Obviously, coming from VMS I shouldn't
go for another niche product, so it's basically Windows, Linux or Apple.
Windows means that I have to be constantly up-to-date on anti-virus
software.  Sorry, a system which can be infected within seconds if
exposed to the internet is obviously so poorly designed from the ground
up that I don't want to waste time with that.  Gnu/Linux?  RMS says that
I commit crimes against humanity, so I will be avoiding his cronies as
much as possible.  Apple?  I actually like the concept---similar to DEC,
actually, with hardware, software and applications all from one
place---but if I go that route I would like to go all the way.  However, 
Apple have apparently been taken under the control of the Daughters of 
the American Revolution, not only not allowing some apps which are 
capable of displaying nudity or whatever, but bowldlerizing books and 
music.  No, not my cup of tea.  What is left?

> Better mail servers, 
> or hosted services, or any number of innovations.  There's a whole lot 
> of really cool stuff available, stuff that can be much easier than what 
> you're using now, or much more capable, and sometimes both.

Actually, VMS can do most of what I need, and as long as moving to
another platform, or running two in parallel, is more trouble than its
worth, then I see no reason to go that way.  It's not a matter of just
doing something new; my VMS stuff (at least the "data" if not the
"programs") needs to be migrated as well.