I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net addresses like me.

You might like to know, according to a message I have just received,
that Verizon intends to
discontinue the alt.* groups on its news server on June 24. In addition,
the useful ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.

--


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

While not as easy to use , you can go to google and view.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news:goy4k.58461$bs3.52116@trnddc07...
>I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net addresses like me.
>
> You might like to know, according to a message I have just received, that
> Verizon intends to
> discontinue the alt.* groups on its news server on June 24. In addition,
> the useful ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>
> --
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton wrote:
> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net addresses like me.
>
> You might like to know, according to a message I have just received,
> that Verizon intends to
> discontinue the alt.* groups on its news server on June 24. In addition,
> the useful ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>

I'd heard about that, too, James. One suggestion that I'll offer to
Verizon customers with no other Usenet access apart from Google is the
several free Usenet servers that exist, all of which carry alt.food.wine
(I think). The one I use (aioe) is reliable enough that I haven't even
bothered looking into Usenet access via my new cable provider (Comcast).
Here's a small list of the ones that I know of:

nntp.aioe.org
drooper.mixmin.net*
news.motzarella.org
news.x-privat.org**

All of these provide posting privileges as well as read access. Using
them is as easy as turning your existing newsreader software to the new
server with whatever user information you want to provide.

* Posting requires that you use TLS to access the server on port 579.
** Requires registration on website with valid email address.

Mark Lipton


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Mark wrote on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:24:24 -0400:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net
>> addresses like me.
>>
>> You might like to know, according to a message I have just
>> received, that Verizon intends to discontinue the alt.*
>> groups on its news server on June 24. In addition, the useful
>> ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>>
> I'd heard about that, too, James. One suggestion that I'll
> offer to Verizon customers with no other Usenet access apart
> from Google is the several free Usenet servers that exist, all
> of which carry alt.food.wine (I think). The one I use (aioe)
> is reliable enough that I haven't even bothered looking into
> Usenet access via my new cable provider (Comcast).Here's a
> small list of the ones that I know of:

> nntp.aioe.org
> drooper.mixmin.net*
> news.motzarella.org
> news.x-privat.org**

> All of these provide posting privileges as well as read
> access. Using them is as easy as turning your existing
> newsreader software to the new server with whatever user
> information you want to provide.

I'm hoping that the response from my congressman is positive and he did
acknowledge my letter. I'm fairly confident of his liberal credentials
but I only have a 50:50 hope of his intervention being efffective..


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Jun 13, 12:46 pm, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net addresses like me.
>
> You might like to know, according to a message I have just received,
> that Verizon intends to
> discontinue the alt.* groups on its news server on June 24. In addition,
> the useful ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>
> --
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Back when most people used dialup connections, nearly all major isps
of dialup services offered Usenet groups as one of their extras to
attract customers. However, even the dialup isps starting dropping
Usenet many years ago. These included MSN and AOL, among many others.
Reasons I have heard include excessive bandwidth usage, not so
important on broadband today. However the isps were sick and tired of
all of the extra work and trouble Usenet brought them. They would get
flooded with complaints and comments that took a lot of the time of
their staff. Some would ban addresses of known mass spammers, etc. but
this had little effect in the long run. There was little that would
help in the long term and the isps got blame from their customers for
much that was beyond their control. Many isps apparently decided that
any benefits they received by including Usenet were far less than the
problems Usenet was causing them.

I would be more than willing to have everyone drop Usenet. It is a
relic from a much earlier times. It is now easy to set up a PHPBB or
other BB, blog etc, by nearly anyone who has a full-service web site
than now costs very little. I could set up a PHPBB on each of my 2
domains with a few key clicks and selections on the control panel for
the domains. You can use just about any format you wish. It is easy to
ban posters, require approval of posts before they appear, remove
posts and on and on, if so desired. There is no need for forcing
viewers to set up elaborate spam filters etc such as on the now
archaic Usenet system.

If you don't want to bother with some newsreader server, Google Groups
works well enough for many. If you want very elaborate filters, etc,
then a few of the newsreader providers with elaborate extras may
better meet your needs.

Mark wrote on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:24:24 -0400:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net
>> addresses like me.
>>
>> You might like to know, according to a message I have just
>> received, that Verizon intends to discontinue the alt.*
>> groups on its news server on June 24. In addition, the useful
>> ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>>
> I'd heard about that, too, James. One suggestion that I'll
> offer to Verizon customers with no other Usenet access apart
> from Google is the several free Usenet servers that exist, all
> of which carry alt.food.wine (I think). The one I use (aioe)
> is reliable enough that I haven't even bothered looking into
> Usenet access via my new cable provider (Comcast).Here's a
> small list of the ones that I know of:

> nntp.aioe.org
> drooper.mixmin.net*
> news.motzarella.org
> news.x-privat.org**

> All of these provide posting privileges as well as read
> access. Using them is as easy as turning your existing
> newsreader software to the new server with whatever user
> information you want to provide.

> * Posting requires that you use TLS to access the server on
> port 579. ** Requires registration on website with valid email
> address.

> Mark Lipton

As a result of some other suggestions, I am trying free.teranews.com. It
costs $4.95 to register but provides 50MB/month and again, as others
have said, this may be enough for the few alt.* text groups that I use.
It has even got ba.food!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Mark wrote on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:24:24 -0400:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net
>> addresses like me.
>>
>> You might like to know, according to a message I have just
>> received, that Verizon intends to discontinue the alt.*
>> groups on its news server on June 24. In addition, the useful
>> ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>>
> I'd heard about that, too, James. One suggestion that I'll
> offer to Verizon customers with no other Usenet access apart
> from Google is the several free Usenet servers that exist, all
> of which carry alt.food.wine (I think). The one I use (aioe)
> is reliable enough that I haven't even bothered looking into
> Usenet access via my new cable provider (Comcast).Here's a
> small list of the ones that I know of:

> nntp.aioe.org
> drooper.mixmin.net*
> news.motzarella.org
> news.x-privat.org**

By the way, Mark my apologies for not trying motzarella. All I found was
real cheese because I was relying on my memory and spelling it
mozzarella or mozarella :-)

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Jun 14, 11:48�am, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> �Mark �wrote �on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:24:24 -0400:
>
>
>
>
>
> > James Silverton wrote:
> >> I note that a number of posters here have Verizon.net
> >> addresses like me.
>
> >> You might like to know, according to a message I have just
> >> received, that Verizon intends to discontinue the alt.*
> >> groups on its news server on June 24. In addition, the useful
> >> ba.food group that was discussed here recently will also go.
>
> > I'd heard about that, too, James. �One suggestion that I'll
> > offer to Verizon customers with no other Usenet access apart
> > from Google is the several free Usenet servers that exist, all
> > of which carry alt.food.wine (I think). �The one I use (aioe)
> > is reliable enough that I haven't even bothered looking into
> > Usenet access via my new cable provider (Comcast).Here's a
> > small list of the ones that I know of:
> > nntp.aioe.org
> > drooper.mixmin.net*
> > news.motzarella.org
> > news.x-privat.org**
>
> By the way, Mark my apologies for not trying motzarella. All I found was
> real cheese because I was relying on my memory and spelling it
> mozzarella or mozarella :-)
>
> --
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
>
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Glad teranews is working for you.
I use Google, but also have a Motzarella account, both work well if
differently.