Newsgroups, Windows live mail

On 27 Jan 2011, Jim wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

Apparently "Gravity" is functionally limited,

How so? What function do you want that it doesn't have?

Everything in the world is functionally limited. There is nothing with
unlimited functionality.

On 1/27/2011 5:44 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 16:16:54 -0600, wrote:

I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader.

Others have said it better than me, but the "best" newsreader is the
one that YOU like best. We all have different tastes, expectations,
and ways that we work, so one size does not fit all. No one can tell
you which one to use or which one is best. Try them all and see what
you like. Some are free and the rest mostly have free trials, so you
aren't out anything but some time.


I would prefer to get both email and newsgroup access on the same
program. Can someone list several that are widely used? If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails). So far, I would prefer Windows Live, but I can't get to the
newsgroup access section on WL. (Although I have a subscription to a
private newsgroup reader program.) I have a recent version of Windows
Live Mail, and when I click on "newsgroups" in WL, I get a message
"can't access the internet," even though the WL email service works
fine, and IE and FireFox have no problems getting on the internet.

Suggestions will be appreciated. Incidentally, is this an appropriate
question for this particular newgroup, or should I go somewhere else?

Jim

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:18:12 -0700, Ken Blake
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:44:16 -0600, Char Jackson
wrote:

On 27 Jan 2011 16:16:54 -0600, Jim wrote:

I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader.

Others have said it better than me, but the "best" newsreader is the
one that YOU like best. We all have different tastes, expectations,
and ways that we work, so one size does not fit all. No one can tell
you which one to use or which one is best. Try them all and see what
you like. Some are free and the rest mostly have free trials, so you
aren't out anything but some time.


You said the same thing I said, but differently. Different as what we
said was, I don't know that mine was any better than yours.

I had you in mind, Ken, and it looks like you recognized it. ;-)

--

Char Jackson

On 27 Jan 2011 19:31:01 -0600, Jim wrote:

On 1/27/2011 5:44 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 16:16:54 -0600, wrote:

I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader.

Others have said it better than me, but the "best" newsreader is the
one that YOU like best. We all have different tastes, expectations,
and ways that we work, so one size does not fit all. No one can tell
you which one to use or which one is best. Try them all and see what
you like. Some are free and the rest mostly have free trials, so you
aren't out anything but some time.


I would prefer to get both email and newsgroup access on the same
program. Can someone list several that are widely used?

Thunderbird and Agent are two that come immediately to mind. I use and
like Agent, but that shouldn't sway you.

If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails).

The font size wasn't adjustable?

So far, I would prefer Windows Live, but I can't get to the
newsgroup access section on WL. (Although I have a subscription to a
private newsgroup reader program.)

I don't know what you mean by a "private newsgroup reader program",
but if it's truly a newsreader then it'll have no relation to another
newsreader of your choosing. You can run multiple newsreaders side by
side with no ill effects. Instead, if you meant to say it's a
subscription to a newsserver, then all you have to do is configure the
other newsreaders to use that newsserver. Either way, you shouldn't
have any problems so post any error messages and we'll help you out.

I have a recent version of Windows
Live Mail, and when I click on "newsgroups" in WL, I get a message
"can't access the internet," even though the WL email service works
fine, and IE and FireFox have no problems getting on the internet.

I'm betting it's simply not yet configured to use your newsserver.

Suggestions will be appreciated. Incidentally, is this an appropriate
question for this particular newgroup, or should I go somewhere else?

It's fine here.

--

Char Jackson

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:43:11 -0500, "Peter Foldes"
wrote:

"Ken Blake" wrote in message
...

You might be interested in reading this article on partitioning I've
written: "Understanding Disk Partitioning" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326


Ken

Great article and nicely written. Thanks


Thank *you* for the kind words, Peter.

Wot on earth is Windows Live Mail?
--
choro
*****

On 28/01/2011 02:41, Char Jackson wrote:
On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:18:12 -0700, Ken
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:44:16 -0600, Char
wrote:

On 27 Jan 2011 16:16:54 -0600, wrote:

I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader.

Others have said it better than me, but the "best" newsreader is the
one that YOU like best. We all have different tastes, expectations,
and ways that we work, so one size does not fit all. No one can tell
you which one to use or which one is best. Try them all and see what
you like. Some are free and the rest mostly have free trials, so you
aren't out anything but some time.


You said the same thing I said, but differently. Different as what we
said was, I don't know that mine was any better than yours.

I had you in mind, Ken, and it looks like you recognized it. ;-)

On 28/01/2011 01:31, Jim wrote:
On 1/27/2011 5:44 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 16:16:54 -0600, wrote:

I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader.

Others have said it better than me, but the "best" newsreader is the
one that YOU like best. We all have different tastes, expectations,
and ways that we work, so one size does not fit all. No one can tell
you which one to use or which one is best. Try them all and see what
you like. Some are free and the rest mostly have free trials, so you
aren't out anything but some time.


I would prefer to get both email and newsgroup access on the same
program. Can someone list several that are widely used? If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails). So far, I would prefer Windows Live, but I can't get to the
newsgroup access section on WL. (Although I have a subscription to a
private newsgroup reader program.) I have a recent version of Windows
Live Mail, and when I click on "newsgroups" in WL, I get a message
"can't access the internet," even though the WL email service works
fine, and IE and FireFox have no problems getting on the internet.

Suggestions will be appreciated. Incidentally, is this an appropriate
question for this particular newgroup, or should I go somewhere else?

If you ask such questions, you are likely to be told to **** off!

Wot is rong with Tunderbirdie? Me likes it!
--
choro
*****

Jim

On 1/27/2011 8:48 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 19:31:01 -0600, wrote:




I would prefer to get both email and newsgroup access on the same
program. Can someone list several that are widely used?

Thunderbird and Agent are two that come immediately to mind. I use and
like Agent, but that shouldn't sway you.

I haven't tried Agent, so I'll check it tomorrow.


If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails).

The font size wasn't adjustable?

The font size for messages (the full email message) is adjustable in TB,
but not the font for the listings of new emails, to which I refer often.
The font is very small, and the lines are very close together, and
it's just not a pleasant tool for something I check several times a day.



So far, I would prefer Windows Live, but I can't get to the
newsgroup access section on WL. (Although I have a subscription to a
private newsgroup reader program.)

I don't know what you mean by a "private newsgroup reader program",
but if it's truly a newsreader then it'll have no relation to another
newsreader of your choosing. You can run multiple newsreaders side by
side with no ill effects. Instead, if you meant to say it's a
subscription to a newsserver, then all you have to do is configure the
other newsreaders to use that newsserver. Either way, you shouldn't
have any problems so post any error messages and we'll help you out.

I'm sorry that I'm not clear on the correct terminology (news reader,
news server, etc.) What I have is a subscription to Newscene, for which
I pay a small monthly fee. (I subscribed after my DSL service
(At&t/using Yahoo mail) told us last year that they would no longer
support NG access.) Incidentally, I plugged Newscene's name/address into
the appropriate section of Thunderbird, and was provided with access to
the newsgroups. But I can't figure out how to do it with Yahoo or
Microsoft mail live.

I have a recent version of Windows
Live Mail, and when I click on "newsgroups" in WL, I get a message
"can't access the internet," even though the WL email service works
fine, and IE and FireFox have no problems getting on the internet.

I'm betting it's simply not yet configured to use your newsserver.

If that's the problem, does anyone have a suggestion for reconfiguring
WML correctly? Note that with the current configuration I can see the
"Newsgroups" selection (the term "Newsgroups") on the bottom of the left
column, but I can't go further and can't find any instructions from MS
re NG access. (I've also read notes from others about difficulties going
to newsgroups using the latest versions of Window Mail Live.) As noted
above, WLM works fine for incoming and outgoing email, and I can get on
the internet via FireFox or IE with no problems. I could be wrong, but
it seems that the "newsgroups" to which WML refers may actually be
discussion groups that Microsoft has set up rather than conventional
NMTP newsgroups.


Jim

In article , Jim avocat5
@sbcglobaL.net said...


I'm still looking for recommendations for a good ng reader. Apparently
"Gravity" is functionally limited, Thunderbird seems rather crude, and
MS Live isn't helpful. (In my case, with the latest version, the NG
reader tells me that it can't access the internet.) What about earlier
versions of MS Live?

I've been quite happy with Gravity after many years with Xnews. The only
shortcoming I know of in Gravity is that archiving an article means
saving it somwhere as a text file that you have to name. I don't use
archiving enough to care but it's a pain.

On 27 Jan 2011 22:47:01 -0600, Jim wrote:

On 1/27/2011 8:48 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 19:31:01 -0600, wrote:




only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails).

The font size wasn't adjustable?

The font size for messages (the full email message) is adjustable in TB,
but not the font for the listings of new emails, to which I refer often.
The font is very small, and the lines are very close together, and
it's just not a pleasant tool for something I check several times a day.

Take a look he
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Font_settings_in_Thunderbird

Are you referring to the "Thunderbird User Interface", toward the
bottom of the page, just above the "Bug Reports" section? If so, it
looks like the font can be adjusted by using a different theme. If
Thunderbird is like Firefox, there are probably enough themes
available to keep you busy a long time.

So far, I would prefer Windows Live, but I can't get to the
newsgroup access section on WL. (Although I have a subscription to a
private newsgroup reader program.)

I don't know what you mean by a "private newsgroup reader program",
but if it's truly a newsreader then it'll have no relation to another
newsreader of your choosing. You can run multiple newsreaders side by
side with no ill effects. Instead, if you meant to say it's a
subscription to a newsserver, then all you have to do is configure the
other newsreaders to use that newsserver. Either way, you shouldn't
have any problems so post any error messages and we'll help you out.

I'm sorry that I'm not clear on the correct terminology (news reader,
news server, etc.) What I have is a subscription to Newscene, for which
I pay a small monthly fee. (I subscribed after my DSL service
(At&t/using Yahoo mail) told us last year that they would no longer
support NG access.) Incidentally, I plugged Newscene's name/address into
the appropriate section of Thunderbird, and was provided with access to
the newsgroups. But I can't figure out how to do it with Yahoo or
Microsoft mail live.

Yahoo doesn't have a newsreader that I know of, and I have never used
"Microsoft mail live" even if that means Windows Live Mail.
(Terminology matters!) Plenty of other people use Windows Live Mail
(WLM) version 14 and even the broken version 15 for Usenet access, so
I assume it's fairly straightforward. Having said that, WLM is among
the worst choices for newsreaders so hopefully you'll find something
else that you like.

I have a recent version of Windows
Live Mail, and when I click on "newsgroups" in WL, I get a message
"can't access the internet," even though the WL email service works
fine, and IE and FireFox have no problems getting on the internet.

I'm betting it's simply not yet configured to use your newsserver.

If that's the problem, does anyone have a suggestion for reconfiguring
WML correctly? Note that with the current configuration I can see the
"Newsgroups" selection (the term "Newsgroups") on the bottom of the left
column, but I can't go further and can't find any instructions from MS
re NG access. (I've also read notes from others about difficulties going
to newsgroups using the latest versions of Window Mail Live.) As noted
above, WLM works fine for incoming and outgoing email, and I can get on
the internet via FireFox or IE with no problems. I could be wrong, but
it seems that the "newsgroups" to which WML refers may actually be
discussion groups that Microsoft has set up rather than conventional
NMTP newsgroups.

NMTP should be NNTP...and no, it means the Usenet newsgroups. The
forums are web-based so you'd use a web browser to get there unless
you want to use one of the NNTP Bridge programs, but that's not what
you're looking for right now. Does WLM have a Help function? Check the
menu or press F1. Since you haven't configured it for Usenet access,
it makes sense that you can't access Usenet.

--

Char Jackson

On 27 Jan 2011 22:47:01 -0600, Jim wrote:

On 1/27/2011 8:48 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On 27 Jan 2011 19:31:01 -0600, wrote:




I would prefer to get both email and newsgroup access on the same
program. Can someone list several that are widely used?

Thunderbird and Agent are two that come immediately to mind. I use and
like Agent, but that shouldn't sway you.

I haven't tried Agent, so I'll check it tomorrow.


Like Char, I also use and like Agent (and I've tried most of the
others), but also like Char, I think you just choose what *you* like
best .

On 27 Jan 2011 22:47:01 -0600, Jim wrote:


I'm sorry that I'm not clear on the correct terminology (news reader,
news server, etc.)


I'm not sure whether you're saying you weren't clear or you're still
not clear. But just in case you're still not clear, let me explain.

A newsreader is the program on your computer that you use to read and
write newsgroup messages.

A news server is a computer somewhere that you connect to and use your
newsreader to access and read messages on it and write messages to it.


If that's the problem, does anyone have a suggestion for reconfiguring
WML correctly?


In my view, the problems with Windows Live Mail are not configuration
issues. It's just a very poor newsreader.

Ken Blake wrote:

On 27 Jan 2011 22:47:01 -0600, Jim wrote:


I'm sorry that I'm not clear on the correct terminology (news reader,
news server, etc.)

I'm not sure whether you're saying you weren't clear or you're still
not clear. But just in case you're still not clear, let me explain.

A newsreader is the program on your computer that you use to read and
write newsgroup messages.

A news server is a computer somewhere that you connect to and use your
newsreader to access and read messages on it and write messages to it.

If that's the problem, does anyone have a suggestion for reconfiguring
WML correctly?

In my view, the problems with Windows Live Mail are not configuration
issues. It's just a very poor newsreader.

True - and worst still, it is not the user that suffers, it's everyone that
has to read the mangled mess it makes of the mail. That makes it slightly
different from the normal choice of newsreader, because consideration for
others should come into it too.
--
Behind every successful man is a woman - that's because he keeps his wallet
in his back pocket!

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:48:43 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:

If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails).

The font size wasn't adjustable?

I'll answer this part of the thread here :-)

1. I can't find a way to change the fonts in Thunderbird's header pane.
I even went to their web site and searched.

2. OTOH, the font size is very normal. I have no idea why Jim can't read
it, unless he has some vision problems (but hey, my eyes aren't what
they used to be either, and as I said, I have no problem). Or maybe he
has a 10" screen with 1920x1200 resolution...

Well, that's a bit facetious, but in reality, if his screen is
relatively small and yet has a lot of pixels, that would make the type
pretty small.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:30:18 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:48:43 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:

If so, I'll
follow your suggestions and try them and see which I like best. - The
only such combination I have found so far is Thunderbird. It works, but
I don't like the layout (e.g., the small fonts on lists of unread
emails).

The font size wasn't adjustable?

I'll answer this part of the thread here :-)

1. I can't find a way to change the fonts in Thunderbird's header pane.
I even went to their web site and searched.

This was the first hit for me in Google
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Font_settings_in_Thunderbird

If I read it right, you can change that specific font by changing the
theme. As fixes go, is a different theme too drastic? I don't have
T'bird installed so I can't check for myself at the moment.

2. OTOH, the font size is very normal. I have no idea why Jim can't read
it, unless he has some vision problems (but hey, my eyes aren't what
they used to be either, and as I said, I have no problem). Or maybe he
has a 10" screen with 1920x1200 resolution...

Well, that's a bit facetious, but in reality, if his screen is
relatively small and yet has a lot of pixels, that would make the type
pretty small.

"Dunno", as my teen son used to always say.

--

Char Jackson