|
Anyone out there???????
On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH
wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk |
Anyone out there???????
"MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. If you click on above link you will be bombarded with seven (!) adverts on one page: Shoreham Sea Kayaks Bournemouth Canoes Gene17 kayaking White Water Consultancy Aswatersports Desperate Measures And of course . UKRGB (T-Shirt available now!) - Call me old fashioned, I like to decide for myself when it is time to exchange opinions, share experiences etc. FOR FREE and when it is time to study the ads and part with my cash. |
Anyone out there???????
"SatNav" wrote in message ... "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. How silly - it's not a commercial page at all - it's first and foremost a users' forum set up when UKRBP got rather unwieldy Keith |
Anyone out there???????
"SatNav" writes:
"MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. -- James jamesk[at]homeric[dot]co[dot]uk "... sometimes I even sing." "I know, we got a petition." "For or against?" "Based on the sound, they think we're torturing you in here." G'Kar and Mr. Garibaldi B5 |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. |
Anyone out there???????
Keith Meredith wrote:
- it's first and foremost a users' forum set up when UKRBP got rather unwieldy Keith Doesn't seem to be too unwiedly at the moment, and easier to use than web based chat rooms too! |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
In message
JH wrote: On Sun, 23 Oct 2005 19:19:45 +0100, "SatNav" wrote: "Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. Given the popularity (growing it seems to me) of "paddling", it seems amazing that a newsgroup can be "killed" off by two individuals with a point to prove. Shame really, the moderators rule. (Again..) J. No, you misunderstand. The group is unmoderated, which was the cause of the problem. When it was hijacked, there was no way to stop it, other than leaving. The forum is moderated, hence hasn't been hijacked. -- Alan Adams http://www.nckc.org.uk/ |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
Given the popularity (growing it seems to me) of "paddling", it seems amazing that a newsgroup can be "killed" off by two individuals with a point to prove. Shame really, the moderators rule. (Again..) J. You had to be there.... Keith |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. Do you have any evidence to support this claim re UKRGB? Do you have any knowledge of the origins of the Guide Book or its founder? Keith |
Anyone out there???????
In message , Alan
Adams writes It got too unwieldy when two individuals used it to endlessly post derogatory messages, mainly about the BCU, and swamped all else. The users' forum is controlled, so that doesn't happen. In fairness - I agree completely - but the problems started somewhat earlier with a certain gentleman from the US or Canada with his particular brand of incessant advertising! I'm not even going to say the "s***son" word... It didn't bother me too much as I just set up some appropriate filters, but others apparently didn't/couldn't get that to work, and departed. Since I too don't like online forums, and prefer newsgroups, it doesn't get any input from me, and I rarely can be troubled to go and see whether there is anything. I can sympathise though. (The big difference - newsgroups come to you, you have to go to forums.) Again, I agree - though (and we've had this out many times before) I reckon it's a bit like pubs - you go for a chat with your mates, and if instead you always walk into an argument, then you rapidly start going elsewhere for a beer. It's about tone and culture (not the much avowed "free speech", please), and free choice. Anyway, and I think I've also said this before, newsgroups WERE the vehicle of choice for early Internet adopters, but most web users now have ever even heard of them - so they appear to be dying a natural (if unfortunate) death in many "generalist" (ie non-techy) subject areas. I've seen another newsgroup, similar in history and age to this one, go much the same way even without the arguments and grief. I think they simply accelerated the process... -- David Pearson |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
I think you will find the forums on UKRGB are only moderated in extreme
cases of personal abuse as the originator and most members generally regard free speech and opinions important. It only became neccessary to log in and identify oneself on the forums recently after a hijacking attempt. From being a regular user of UKRGB I have never had the impression that it is commercially led and over several years of use I have never felt the need to click on a commercial link. If you can't use the forum without clicking on adverts then you obviously have a problem. They are unobtrusive to the main use of the pages. SatNav wrote: "Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"Alan Adams" wrote in message ... In message JH wrote: On Sun, 23 Oct 2005 19:19:45 +0100, "SatNav" wrote: "Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. Given the popularity (growing it seems to me) of "paddling", it seems amazing that a newsgroup can be "killed" off by two individuals with a point to prove. Shame really, the moderators rule. (Again..) J. No, you misunderstand. The group is unmoderated, which was the cause of the problem. When it was hijacked, there was no way to stop it, other than leaving. The forum is moderated, hence hasn't been hijacked. How's that? An open newsgroup where anything goes, and is allegedly hijacked by people offering a viewpoint that perhaps questions the NGB, perhaps making people far removed from the troublesome topics feel uncomfortable - I don't know. But having chat on moderated forums where moderators can remove anything they don't like is okay.... seems like turkeys voting for Christmas if you ask me. Personally I think it goes completely against the grain and I'd much rather put up with different opinions and challenging viewpoints, and even the odd obnoxious outburst than face unquestioning censorship. But then again, maybe I have driven some away from another newsgroup... Ewan Scott |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"Ewan Scott" wrote in message ... But then again, maybe I have driven some away from another newsgroup... Ewan Scott You? Never! :) Keith |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"SatNav" wrote in message ... "Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. That'll explain way UKRGB doesnt actually charge for its ads then. Always worth getting the facts right. |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"Keith Meredith" wrote in message ... "Ewan Scott" wrote in message ... But then again, maybe I have driven some away from another newsgroup... Ewan Scott You? Never! :) Hey, heat and kitchens come to mind :-) Ewan Scott |
Anyone out there???????
My, my... that sound of axes grinding has an oddly familiar ring to it.
I don't recognise the name "satnav" but the tone certainly sounds like the poster should end his rant with "not a fan of..." something. Back in this ng's heyday (showing my age here, that was something like 1998...) I used to be one of the regular posters here. For the reasons already discussed above, the signal-to-noise ratio got unacceptably low for many folk, and most of us disappeared to other forums. This happened at about the same time as website design was improving and more people were getting faster connections, so that web-based forums became pretty standard fare across the internet. I still pop in here from time to time for a touch of nostalgia, careful as always not to cut myself on the swarf from those aforementioned axes. The ukrgb forum has essentially replaced this newsgroup as the de facto discussion forum for touring paddlers in the UK. I've met and paddled with the originator, and know that he is passionately in favour of a not-for-profit *resource* for paddlers - the forum complements the river guides. The site "owner" (in so much as a resource of that nature can be "owned" by one person) does not charge for the ads placed on "his" site, although I believe he occasionally receives discounted paddling gear from several of them. He has for several years funded all the server costs from his own pocket. The teeshirt "enterprise" is, by his own admission, due to popular request from many of the users. If you don't like the idea of putting money in his pocket, no-one is forcing you to wear a shirt or click on the links. As for the format, it comes down to personal choice - modern web forums are undeniably prettier and for most people are easier to use (e.g. inserting links, pictures is more straightforward). On the other hand, USENET ngs have a nice solid ASCII feel to them and of course are far easier on that old 28kbps modem you refuse to throw away. As for content, the ukrgb forum has over 3000 registered users and attracts seemingly dozens of new posts per day. I have seen very little evidence of moderation - and in the rare cases when the moderator's brush has been swished around, it has usually been welcomed by other posters. This ng has a handful of regular posters who are still apparently trotting out the tired old stuff about the BCU / child abuse / David Train / blah blah blah that they have been for the past five years. Best, philm |
Anyone out there???????
wrote:
Back in this ng's heyday (showing my age here, that was something like 1998...) I used to be one of the regular posters here. For the reasons already discussed above, the signal-to-noise ratio got unacceptably low for many folk, and most of us disappeared to other forums. This happened at about the same time as website design was improving and more people were getting faster connections, so that web-based forums became pretty standard fare across the internet. Pity they're still crap interfaces with a fraction of the utility of Usenet with a decent reader, though. The ukrgb forum has essentially replaced this newsgroup as the de facto discussion forum for touring paddlers in the UK. But I have no interest in labouring against a web based interface because it takes too much time and effort, so I'd rather have no discussion than work too hard for some. I'll just 'phone up my pal with more touring experience than anyone else I know if I want some Important Questions answered. I've met and paddled with the originator, and know that he is passionately in favour of a not-for-profit *resource* for paddlers - the forum complements the river guides. The site "owner" (in so much as a resource of that nature can be "owned" by one person) does not charge for the ads placed on "his" site, although I believe he occasionally receives discounted paddling gear from several of them. He has for several years funded all the server costs from his own pocket. Well Good For Him, but it doesn't alter the fact that compared to newsfeeds, web forums suck so much you could box them up with a brush and crevice tool and market them as vacuum cleaners. As for the format, it comes down to personal choice - modern web forums are undeniably prettier and for most people are easier to use (e.g. inserting links, pictures is more straightforward). On the other hand, USENET ngs have a nice solid ASCII feel to them and of course are far easier on that old 28kbps modem you refuse to throw away. I'm reading through a direct feed to SuperJANET at several orders of magnitude quicker than that, have been for a long time, and I still find web forums suck. Inserting links is hard? I just type the link and it's done. As for content, the ukrgb forum has over 3000 registered users and attracts seemingly dozens of new posts per day. I have seen very little evidence of moderation - and in the rare cases when the moderator's brush has been swished around, it has usually been welcomed by other posters. This ng has a handful of regular posters who are still apparently trotting out the tired old stuff about the BCU / child abuse / David Train / blah blah blah that they have been for the past five years. But at least it doesn't feel like hard work to use the reading mechanisms, and I don't have to visit several different locations with different interfaces to follow discussions of my cycling, gaming, mountaineering and professional interests. Pete (not a fan of ****e user interfaces, and that's no reflection on the site owner or the people posting there). -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
Anyone out there???????
"JH" wrote in message ... (big snip) Hmmm, this explanation of what has happened to the group rings a number of bells. It seems to have happened on other interest groups on usenet which I visit. Shame if a combination of f***wits and laziness kills off a simple, easy to use format (usenet) and puts in its place a cumbersome, commercially involved, "moderated" one. (Good old Micro$oft, eh)? But then I guess that is happening with everything. One person's comment about a large number of .net users not even knowing about usenet probably hits it on the head. After all, just look at the number of experts on McDonald's latest menu, who have never cooked anything wholesome for themselves. J. (back to lurking) Usenet has it's place, even though things have moved on since it's heyday - the likes of UKRGB has a place as well and you only have to look at the amount of traffic to apprecaite that there are a great many people who like and enjoy using it. Some people still like and enjoy steam engines - most of us drive somethinga little more modern. |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
JH wrote:
So where is there a sea paddling group which is UK based and not moderated? Why not start posting here and see what happens? |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"Rob" wrote in message ... "SatNav" wrote in message ... "Kegs" wrote in message ... "SatNav" writes: "MatSav" m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D OT c o m wrote in message ... On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH wrote: Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with Davy Jones? Discussion has migrated to url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet users to a commercial page. Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the readership. Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that, without directly charging the end-users. My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going. You know what happens when your website depends financially on someone? Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't upset them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc. This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially funded web site. The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site gets. That'll explain way UKRGB doesnt actually charge for its ads then. Always worth getting the facts right. Well I _am_ confused now ... 'Kegs' reckons UKRGB uses advertising income 'to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads'. 'Rob' states that 'UKRGB doesn't actually charge for its ads' at all. Now that sounds seriously bizarre, like someone afraid of the tax man, or understandably squeamish about commercially exploiting the site's intellectual property, or both. Makes you wonder why they bother with ads then? As some sort of eye candy from hell? And who decides which banner ads appear on page 1? With paddle sports being a multi-million pound market, and with 3000 alleged subscriptions to UKRGB I'd be in there like a shot. Come to think of it, I may place an ad on UKRGB meself: 'Like your Whiskey straight and your paddle sports discussions independent? The discussion has migrated to uk.rec.boats.paddle' (OK OK I won't give up the day job) |
Anyone out there? - only 15th posting this month
"SatNav" wrote in message ... (Massive snip to reduce the length repeat of discussion - not an issue with Forums, but clealry a problem with Usenet) Well I _am_ confused now ... 'Kegs' reckons UKRGB uses advertising income 'to pay for the, non-negligable, overheads'. Yes he does - but he's wrong. A reasonable assumption, but unsubstantiated. 'Rob' states that 'UKRGB doesn't actually charge for its ads' at all. Now that sounds seriously bizarre, like someone afraid of the tax man, or understandably squeamish about commercially exploiting the site's intellectual property, or both. Makes you wonder why they bother with ads then? As some sort of eye candy from hell? But the answer is here, on this very Usenet thingie - you'll have read the detailed explanation by southoftheriver - 24/10/2005 - 21:59?? I cannot comment on the motivation of the person concerned, I've never met him, but it seems honourable enough to me. There are still people who just genuinley want to do something for the general good, beleive it or not. And who decides which banner ads appear on page 1? With paddle sports being a multi-million pound market, and with 3000 alleged subscriptions to UKRGB I'd be in there like a shot. Subscriptions? That suggests "cost" / charges - there are 3000 "registered users". Come to think of it, I may place an ad on UKRGB meself: You can always ask. 'Like your Whiskey straight and your paddle sports discussions independent? The discussion has migrated to uk.rec.boats.paddle' (OK OK I won't give up the day job) Indeed. |
Anyone out there???????
Rob wrote:
Some people still like and enjoy steam engines - most of us drive somethinga little more modern. Where in this particular case the "more modern" is more awkward to use, slower and generally more crap. Sort of a Thamslink Trains vs. the Brighton Belle... "more modern" and "more fashionable" is not necessarily better. The easiest way to demonstrate the superiority of usenet over any web forum I've yet seen is look at uk.rec.cycling through a news feed and through the web interface cyclingforums have put onto the newsfeed to present the same posts. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
Anyone out there???????
"Peter Clinch" wrote in message ... Rob wrote: Some people still like and enjoy steam engines - most of us drive somethinga little more modern. Where in this particular case the "more modern" is more awkward to use, slower and generally more crap. Sort of a Thamslink Trains vs. the Brighton Belle... "more modern" and "more fashionable" is not necessarily better. The easiest way to demonstrate the superiority of usenet over any web forum I've yet seen is look at uk.rec.cycling through a news feed and through the web interface cyclingforums have put onto the newsfeed to present the same posts. Ok, fair comment - fact remains though that the numbers speak for themselves, and relative (real or perceived) ease of use wins every time. Just look at the traffic here in comparison to (for example) UKRGB's forum - it can't all be because of the history here. |
Anyone out there???????
Rob wrote:
Ok, fair comment - fact remains though that the numbers speak for themselves, and relative (real or perceived) ease of use wins every time. Just look at the traffic here in comparison to (for example) UKRGB's forum - it can't all be because of the history here. It's not ease of use, it's knowledge of existence! Almost all of it will be that everyone knows about the Web and relatively few people know about usenet. Does that mean we should actively abandon the better medium, or encourage people to use it? I'd say the latter, and if you really don't want to listen to Allan (or me, or anyone else) all you have to do is amend your killfile: it's not rocket science (and it isn't easily possible on web forums either!) Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
Anyone out there???????
"Peter Clinch" wrote in message ... Rob wrote: Ok, fair comment - fact remains though that the numbers speak for themselves, and relative (real or perceived) ease of use wins every time. Just look at the traffic here in comparison to (for example) UKRGB's forum - it can't all be because of the history here. It's not ease of use, it's knowledge of existence! Almost all of it will be that everyone knows about the Web and relatively few people know about usenet. Does that mean we should actively abandon the better medium, or encourage people to use it? I remain to be convinced it's the "better medium" - it has it's place - but it lacks a number of the features and benefits of a web based forum, notably images. That said, I use a lot of usenet accounts. And very helpful they can be. The ability to search the vast knowledge base via Google Groups is certainly a massive and valuable resource, and generally easier to do than within a web forum. I'd say the latter, and if you really don't want to listen to Allan (or me, or anyone else) all you have to do is amend your killfile: it's not rocket science (and it isn't easily possible on web forums either!) Ah yes - killfiles. While I accept your argument that its not rocket science, it's not all that simple as you know. The perpertrators just pop up in someones reply. There is of course the addition of the Usenet "Police" who insist on telling people what they can, and cannot do - how they should post, in what format - to snip or not, etc ad infinitum. Please lets not start another boring and tedious top-posting / bottom posting debate, but you'll have to agree there is rather less pedantry on most web forums. |
Anyone out there???????
In message
Peter Clinch wrote: Rob wrote: Some people still like and enjoy steam engines - most of us drive somethinga little more modern. Where in this particular case the "more modern" is more awkward to use, slower and generally more crap. Sort of a Thamslink Trains vs. the Brighton Belle... "more modern" and "more fashionable" is not necessarily better. The easiest way to demonstrate the superiority of usenet over any web forum I've yet seen is look at uk.rec.cycling through a news feed and through the web interface cyclingforums have put onto the newsfeed to present the same posts. The big difference for me is that when I've read a news post I click the right arrow key and the next post appears immediately. When I do whatever the equivalent on a forum is I have to wait while the page is fetched. It might be a small delay, as I'm on 2M broadband, but multiply it by a hundred or so - each day - and you see why I don't bother with the forum format. Incidentally I think that the biggest problem is that with any really informative message, by the time you've read it, the next button has scrolled off the top of the screen, so instead of one key to move on you have to scroll up or down (and remember which one it is on this particular forum), find the button click - wait - wait - and then find that it's something you are not interested in, and repeat the process for the next. Oh, and did I mention font sizes and colours that don't produce easily read text - in a newsreader I control the font, and colour scheme, to one that I want to read. Until CSS2 becomes universal and browsers really allow you to override elements of the CSS, instead of the current only option of disabling it completely, I prefer to be in control. Sorry, a decent newsreader makes handling this sort of thing fast, easy and comfortable. Maybe the problem is that people don't have newsreaders. Alan -- Alan Adams http://www.nckc.org.uk/ |
Anyone out there???????
|
Anyone out there???????
"Alan Adams" wrote in message ... Maybe the problem is that people don't have newsreaders. Alan I use outlook express - don't /most/ people have this? Keith |
Anyone out there???????
"Keith Meredith" writes:
"Alan Adams" wrote in message ... Maybe the problem is that people don't have newsreaders. I use outlook express - don't /most/ people have this? Leaving aside the issues of using outlook express as a usenet client[1]. Mainly I suspect it is because ISPs don't advertise the fact that they have an nntp server, even if they do have one. AOL don't even run a usenet service anymore. If people don't know they have access to a service they will assume that they either don't have access, or that they will have to pay for access, so they don't bother.[2] The other thing is that as the wonderful whizzy world of the web gets all the attention these days, some the other less glamourous parts of the internet get correspondingly less attention, so people don't even know they are there. Doesn't help that it is slightly more complex to configure usenet access than it is to configure someother things. [1] It does, if you have nothing better, but there are better clients available for free (ditto oe for email). [2] Did that make sense? it has been a long day. -- James jamesk[at]homeric[dot]co[dot]uk "Boom. Boom boom boom. Boom boom. Boom! Have a nice day." (Lt. Cmdr. Ivanova, B5) |
Anyone out there???????
In message
"Keith Meredith" wrote: "Alan Adams" wrote in message ... Maybe the problem is that people don't have newsreaders. Alan I use outlook express - don't /most/ people have this? Yes, but I'm referring to a newsreader, rahter than email software. OE doesn't handle news well, which I suspect is why most people don't like using news. I'm using MessengerPRO which handles it seamlessly. The last time I used news on a PC I used Netscape4, which did a reasonable job. Alan -- Alan Adams http://www.nckc.org.uk/ |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:30 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 BoatBanter.com