Subject:
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Re: Message awaiting authentication
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.admin.suggestions
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Date:
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Fri, 30 Jan 2004 03:53:49 GMT
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Viewed:
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1182 times
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"Tim David" <talltim@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Hp86w5.wHy@lugnet.com...
> In lugnet.faq, Neb Okla wrote:
> > I don't want to use the web client. It's clunky.
> >
> > With NNTP, I can read posts offline, choose my NNTP client (thus finding • a
> > UI that is right for me), etc.
>
> I should start by saying I've never used NNTP, or even seen it in action
Google Groups is a web interface for NNTP.
NNTP stands for Network News Transfer Protocol - if you're posting in a
newsgroup - or "forum/community/etc." as kids like to call them nowdays,
then it should use this format to be understood by the widest variety of
clients. And, like SMTP email and HTTP WWW protocols, if it doesn't do
everything you want, you can extend them without eliminating baseline
functionality.
The trick is finding an NNTP server - but most ISP's provide one if you
check their web site or call customer service. There are also a few free
NNTP servers out there - and even a few like Google Groups that are
web-based.
> However I fail to see whats wrong with the web client, its by far the best
> method of organising online forums that I have seen on the web,
Well, you just said you've never used or seen NNTP - that's probably why you
don't see what's wrong with the web forums.
> If you really want to read posts offline you could always subscribe to
> news-by-mail and choose your own (caching) mail client. You can still • write
> replies off-line and send when you connect. (you do have to authenticate • tho' so
> you've still got that problem).
Mail clients don't support message threading - and neither does Lugnet as
richly as the average NNTP client.
> sorry to sound negative, just expressing my liking for the web client
really.
Nobody is suggesting that the web client should go away. We're just
suggesting that any number of fixes be applied to the existing NNTP service
(that I used to post this message!). See, I'm not hurting your beloved HTTP
interface right now. :)
> (PS, the web client allows you to do far more, for example I can look up • +lars'
> Lugnet homepage to find out what he's like ;) I don't beleive (correct me • if
> I'm wrong) that elements like this are available on NNTP)
Actually, that's what WHOIS servers and LDAP servers are for. NNTP is for
network news only and trying to do other things with it is an exercise in
silliness - like trying to use a bar of soap to eat spaghetti or something.
Believe it or not, before people bastardized the HTTP protocol and tried to
do everything with it (in a very slow and clunky way) many functions
imitated by HTTP sites were implemented quite elegantly using a variety of
protocols that are still widely supported - and used to this day.
As the web became more mainstream, people started misusing protocols and all
kinds of craziness. But you shouldn't be afraid to try out the old way -
you might not know what you're missing.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Message awaiting authentication
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| (...) I should start by saying I've never used NNTP, or even seen it in action However I fail to see whats wrong with the web client, its by far the best method of organising online forums that I have seen on the web, both by it's navigation and its (...) (21 years ago, 1-Dec-03, to lugnet.admin.suggestions)
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