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Forte agent



 
 
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  #16  
Old January 10th 18, 06:09 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Doomsdrzej[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 262
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 10:48:24 +0100, occam wrote:

On 10/01/2018 01:08, Doomsdrzej wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 14:01:52 -0800, Drew
wrote:

Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.


8 here.

To be honest, I prefer Thunderbird but refuse to use it because
Mozilla has become a social justice company which donates to Antifa.


You /prefer/ Thunderbird? I've always toyed with the idea of Forte, but
find the integrated ('lazy') approach of TB for both email and usenet
more convenient. I have always wondered about the advantages (if any) of
a dedicated newsgroup tool like Forte. I normally stick to text only
posts, avoiding binaries or warez.


One of the biggest advantages of Thunderbird is that it uses plug-ins
so, if you want, you can decide to use something like GnuPG in a
newsgroup to ward off trolls. We did it with Snit in
comp.os.linux.advocacy for while. Since he refused to just go away and
some people refused to ignore the loser, some of us posted encrypted
text with GnuPG so he could essentially see our posts, but not read a
word of them. Of course, this also prevents anyone who isn't a regular
from seeing the messages either since the messages are only
unencrypted to those who were specifically selected by the poster.

However, even the keyboard shortcuts in Thunderbird are much better
than those in Forte Agent. A simple press of the spacebar goes to the
next unread post with TB whereas CTRL-N is necessary in Forte if you
want to see the next post _and_ download its contents. If you at the
bottom of a window and the next unread is at the top of it, CTRL-N
won't go back to it at all. It'll only chime to indicate that there
are no further posts even though you know that there are some..

Filtering with Forte is also pretty pathetic. With TB, you can create
IF, AND, OR rules very easily and intuitively whereas with Forte, a
proper filter requires you to read a manual. I made some effective
filters a while back but it was so cumbersome that I hope never to
have to do them again.
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  #17  
Old January 10th 18, 06:11 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Doomsdrzej[_2_]
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Posts: 262
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 11:39:32 +0000, Andy Burns
wrote:

Paul wrote:

Thunderbird is hosted at Mozilla, but they're trying to find
another home for it.


I know they were looking to "lose" TB, but have they changed their mind
now? Taking on new hires ...

https://blog.mozilla.org/thunderbird/2017/12/new-thunderbird-releases-and-new-thunderbird-staff/

would be nice to have some definitive info ...


They stopped development of it a while back since there were no new
features that they thought they could add to the program. Building
GnuPG directly into the program never occurred to them, apparently.
However, they seemed to have changed their mind on that.
  #18  
Old January 10th 18, 09:43 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
s|b
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,496
Default Forte agent

On Tue, 09 Jan 2018 17:27:32 -0500, Paul wrote:

Free versions might include version 2 (used by jokers),
and version 3 or so (the last free version maybe).


The last free version is 3.3. It can still be downloaded at
forteinc.com. Unlike previous versions 3.3 has no separate Free Agent
and (full) Forté Agent. The full version will be installed and after 30
days it will revert to the free version.

Feature comparison:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060411175139/http://www.forteinc.com/agent/features.php

--
s|b
  #19  
Old January 10th 18, 09:45 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
s|b
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Posts: 1,496
Default Forte agent

On Tue, 09 Jan 2018 19:08:05 -0500, Doomsdrzej wrote:

Stick to Thunderbird if you don't hate Mozilla. Agent is really not
very good IMO.


Compared to Agent TB is really ****e. (I'm talking about Agent and TB as
a _newsreader_, not as a mailclient.)

--
s|b
  #20  
Old January 10th 18, 09:49 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
s|b
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,496
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:09:44 -0500, Doomsdrzej wrote:

Filtering with Forte is also pretty pathetic. With TB, you can create
IF, AND, OR rules very easily and intuitively whereas with Forte, a
proper filter requires you to read a manual.


Or you simply ask in alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent. There are
some filter gurus in that newsgroup who are happy to help you out.

BTW 'and' and 'or' in an Agent filter? Simply type 'and' ( & ) or 'or'
( | ). Doesn't get any easier than that...

--
s|b
  #21  
Old January 10th 18, 11:54 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Yousuf Khan[_2_]
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Posts: 2,447
Default Forte agent

On 1/9/2018 5:01 PM, Drew wrote:
Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.

I of course use Tbird on this machine but I am also on at least 3 others
that do not have email accounts associated with them really. I have
never really used Forte agent but hear a lot about it. Any
recommendations here? It gets old leaving one to check another.

All these systems run windows10 64. all high ram count of at least
16gigs and all decent processor speed of at least 3gig. I doubt that
makes a difference but just in case.


Thunderbird's Usenet system is broken, uses up a lot of memory and has
low performance, and there is very little incentive for developers to
fix it. However, it's good enough for text groups. It's when you use
binary groups that you want to stay away from Thunderbird, and use Forte
Agent. But Agent isn't the only Usenet binary client available. There's
things like NZBGet, or Sabnzbd, etc.

https://usenetreviewz.com/free-usenet/usenet-clients/
  #22  
Old January 11th 18, 12:09 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Doomsdrzej[_2_]
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Posts: 262
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 21:49:27 +0100, "s|b" wrote:

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:09:44 -0500, Doomsdrzej wrote:

Filtering with Forte is also pretty pathetic. With TB, you can create
IF, AND, OR rules very easily and intuitively whereas with Forte, a
proper filter requires you to read a manual.


Or you simply ask in alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent. There are
some filter gurus in that newsgroup who are happy to help you out.

BTW 'and' and 'or' in an Agent filter? Simply type 'and' ( & ) or 'or'
( | ). Doesn't get any easier than that...


Good to know. I'm saving this post if ever I forget.
  #23  
Old January 11th 18, 11:51 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
No_Name
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Posts: 160
Default Forte agent

Agent for many years, v8 now, newsreader only, IE for mail.
  #24  
Old January 11th 18, 02:31 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Doomsdrzej[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 262
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 17:54:08 -0500, Yousuf Khan
wrote:

On 1/9/2018 5:01 PM, Drew wrote:
Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.

I of course use Tbird on this machine but I am also on at least 3 others
that do not have email accounts associated with them really. I have
never really used Forte agent but hear a lot about it. Any
recommendations here? It gets old leaving one to check another.

All these systems run windows10 64. all high ram count of at least
16gigs and all decent processor speed of at least 3gig. I doubt that
makes a difference but just in case.


Thunderbird's Usenet system is broken, uses up a lot of memory and has
low performance, and there is very little incentive for developers to
fix it.


Wel,, it IS open-source.

However, it's good enough for text groups. It's when you use
binary groups that you want to stay away from Thunderbird, and use Forte
Agent. But Agent isn't the only Usenet binary client available. There's
things like NZBGet, or Sabnzbd, etc.

https://usenetreviewz.com/free-usenet/usenet-clients/


For those of us who don't use binaries, Agent is mostly lacking. Once
I get a better hang of how the filters work, I might change my mind
though.
  #25  
Old January 11th 18, 03:15 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
CRNG
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 444
Default Forte agent

On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 14:01:52 -0800, Drew
wrote in

Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.


I'm using v8.0 on a Win7/32bit machine.
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.
  #26  
Old January 11th 18, 03:16 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
CRNG
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 444
Default Forte agent

On Tue, 09 Jan 2018 18:45:10 -0500, Joel wrote
in

I've been using Agent for about 18 years, it's by far the best
software I've seen for accessing Usenet (on any OS), both for text and
binary groups.


+1
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.
  #27  
Old January 11th 18, 03:27 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Char Jackson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,449
Default Forte agent

On Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:31:12 -0500, Doomsdrzej wrote:

For those of us who don't use binaries, Agent is mostly lacking. Once
I get a better hang of how the filters work, I might change my mind
though.


I think it would be more accurate to say that Agent has always been
text-centric, so it excels in that area. Binary support was added later,
by popular demand. Even so, binaries are handled much better with
newsreaders that make that a priority, such as Newsleecher and Newsbin
Pro.

  #28  
Old January 11th 18, 03:30 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
KenW[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 72
Default Forte agent

On Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:15:03 -0600, CRNG
wrote:

On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 14:01:52 -0800, Drew
wrote in

Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.


I'm using v8.0 on a Win7/32bit machine.


The H key shows post information including what client is in use.


KenW
  #29  
Old January 11th 18, 06:15 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ken Blake[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,221
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 09:28:13 -0600, Char Jackson
wrote:


On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 08:18:26 -0700, Ken Blake
wrote:


On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 14:01:52 -0800, Drew
wrote:


Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.

I of course use Tbird on this machine but I am also on at least 3 others
that do not have email accounts associated with them really. I have
never really used Forte agent but hear a lot about it. Any
recommendations here? It gets old leaving one to check another.

All these systems run windows10 64. all high ram count of at least
16gigs and all decent processor speed of at least 3gig. I doubt that
makes a difference but just in case.




I use Agent 6.0 on 64-bit Windows 10 with 16GB of RAM. I've never
upgraded past 6, since I've seen no real improvements I wanted in 7 or
8.

I use Agent only as a newsreader. I use Microsoft Outlook for E-mail.


Ditto. Even though Agent can do email, I only use it as a newsreader. I
use Outlook for email. My version of Agent is 2.0 from 2004, but Usenet
hasn't changed since then so it works fine.


I've used Agent for many years and I've been very happy with it.
Every now and then I've tried another newsreader, but I've never found
anything I liked better than Agent.


Ditto.

To the OP, Agent has a free trial, so I'd encourage you to check it out.
Heck, check out several newsreaders so you can see what's out there,
then decide for yourself which suits you best.



I especially agree with that last sentence. For any type of product,
what I think is best or you think is best isn't necessarily best for
everybody.
  #30  
Old January 11th 18, 06:32 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ken Blake[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,221
Default Forte agent

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 17:54:08 -0500, Yousuf Khan
wrote:


On 1/9/2018 5:01 PM, Drew wrote:

Curious to know which of the Forte agent versions people are using here.

I of course use Tbird on this machine but I am also on at least 3 others
that do not have email accounts associated with them really. I have
never really used Forte agent but hear a lot about it. Any
recommendations here? It gets old leaving one to check another.

All these systems run windows10 64. all high ram count of at least
16gigs and all decent processor speed of at least 3gig. I doubt that
makes a difference but just in case.


Thunderbird's Usenet system is broken, uses up a lot of memory and has
low performance, and there is very little incentive for developers to
fix it. However, it's good enough for text groups. It's when you use
binary groups that you want to stay away from Thunderbird, and use Forte
Agent. But Agent isn't the only Usenet binary client available. There's
things like NZBGet, or Sabnzbd, etc.

https://usenetreviewz.com/free-usenet/usenet-clients/




Sorry, but I don't think much of that site. There are three major
problems with it:

1. It only talks about *free* newsreaders, so it gives you no
information about how Agent (or any other paid-for newsreader)
compares with those it lists. Yes, something being free makes it more
desirable, but if a paid-for product is much better and doesn't cost
very much, I'm willing to buy it.

2. It also tells you nothing about some of the other free newsreaders,
such as Outlook Express (for those people still running Windows XP),
Free Agent, or XNews, which a lot of people like.

3. It doesn't do any direct comparisons between the various
newsreaders. To be really useful, it should present a chart with the
newsreaders listed vertically and features listed horizontally. That
would enable one to choose which one he wanted based on checkmarks for
the features *he* deemed important.
 




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