[Info-vax] This is for the folks who get comp.os.vms via the Info-VAX mailing list

[David Wade]

On 06/12/2023 00:33, Subcommandante XDelta wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:37:33 -0600, "Craig A. Berry"
> <craigberry at nospam.mac.com> wrote:
> 
>>
>> On 11/29/23 1:56 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> bill wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ken Robinson wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I've put in a filter to kill any posts that come from Google groups
>>>>
>>>> Looks like my news server is doing that now and it is resulting in
>>>> legitimate posts being dropped.
>>>
>>> Yes, considering VMS people to be technically competent, a surprising
>>> number of them use google groups :-(
>>>
>>>> Considering how many free public
>>>> and very inexpensive news servers are available I hope anyone
>>>> expecting to actually use USENET leaves google groups.
>>>
>>> +1
>>
>> As has been said many times (whenever this suggestion comes up), not
>> everyone has NNTP access.  Corporate firewalls mostly block it, for one
>> thing.
> 
> Everyone can have direct, unmediated (by corporate, or institutional
> networks) NNTP access, if they have the will, and inclination, to do
> so:
> 
> 1. Private Internet access by whatever means (home internet, or
> hotspot off their mobile phone internet)
> 
> 2. A NNTP block account from a Usenet Newsgroup service provider -
> fixed once off fee, lasts essentially forever if you are only
> participating in text groups and not downloading binaries.
> 
> - or -
> 
> Use a free, quality, NNTP text newsgroup feed such as:
> 
> https://www.i2pn2.org/
> 
> https://www.eternal-september.org/
> 
> Anyone claiming they can only access via google groups merely wants
> the convenience of participating with comp.os.vms during their working
> hours.
> 
> Of course, I am happy to stand corrected (I've had a lot of practice,
> historically) if someone presents a compelling technical scenario
> where someone's only possible recourse to comp.os.vms is via google
> groups. :-)

Its hard for any one who does not own, or perhaps use on a regular basis 
a "real" computer of their own, so only own a Tablet or Phone but have 
access to a locked down real computer for work, and I think there are 
more of those these days.

In fact many have a PC but don't use it on a regular basis. My wife is 
like that. She uses an iPad for 99% of her work. She does have access to 
a PC but tends to only use it for serious work, and its in a room we 
don't often use.

I have searched high and low and have yet to find a decent news reader 
for Android or IOS as I too would like to ditch my Laptop, which is 
heavy and has short battery life, for a 12" Android Tablet...

... you might say "we don't want those sorts on usenet" but if thats the 
case then USENET is pretty much doomed.

Dave