Microsoft Communities = msnews.microsoft.com?

[CWLee]

My new computer (Vista Ultimate) came with Windows Mail and
within Windows Mail there is "Microsoft Communities". From
my previous computer I imported two sets of news groups, one
of them being msnews.microsoft.com. Microsoft Communities
seems to be just a different heading for
msnews.microsoft.com - right? Any reason not to delete one
or the other? Can one delete Microsoft Communities without
problems?

--

 

[Charlie42]

Microsoft Communities seems to be just a different heading for
msnews.microsoft.com - right?

Right. It is also the underlying server for the web front-end at
www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups.

Any reason not to delete one or the other?

Well, you do not need to have two instances of the same ng in your client.

Can one delete Microsoft Communities without problems?

Yes. You can always set it back up in Tools > Accounts if you want so at a
later time. However, I recommend you stop the MS newsgroups subscriptions at
your other server instead, because when you use the default setup in Windows
Mail you will have access to the Communities functions.

Charlie42

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

I have detected no difference. I have used them both, together, and each
separately. They performed the same to me.

--
Was this helpful? Then click the "Yes" Ratings button. Voting helps the web
interface.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm#RateAPost

Mark L. Ferguson

..

 

[Charlie42]

I recommend you stop the MS newsgroups subscriptions at your
other server instead, because when you use the default setup in Windows
Mail you will have access to the Communities functions.

Oh, and msnews.microsoft.com displays news posts pretty quickly, other nntp
servers may not because the posts have to be distributed to them first.

Charlie42

 

[Bob]

My new computer (Vista Ultimate) came with Windows Mail and within Windows
Mail there is "Microsoft Communities". From my previous computer I
imported two sets of news groups, one of them being msnews.microsoft.com.
Microsoft Communities seems to be just a different heading for
msnews.microsoft.com - right? Any reason not to delete one or the other?
Can one delete Microsoft Communities without problems?

Yes.

 

[RalfG]

I find MC is somewhat erratic. Since switching to Microsoft Communities I've
noticed, with this NG in particular, that many new messages are not being
forwarded to me, including ones I've posted myself. Some new threads appear
already in progress but with the initial messages missing. Checking the NG
in the web interface confirms that the messages are present but certain ones
never show up in the newsreader. Never saw that problem when connecting
directly to the MS news servers using OE.

 

[CWLee]

... I recommend you stop the MS newsgroups subscriptions
at your other server instead, because when you use the
default setup in Windows Mail you will have access to the
Communities functions.

What are "Communities functions"? Are you suggesting there
are news groups or other information sources available via
"Microsoft Communities" that are not available through
"msnews.microsoft.com? If so, please elaborate, since I
have not found any difference.

Thanks.

 

[Charlie42]

What are "Communities functions"? Are you suggesting there are news
groups or other information sources available via "Microsoft Communities"
that are not available through "msnews.microsoft.com?

No. Depending on what NNTP provider you use, you can probably access all the
public Microsoft newsgroups.

Microsoft Communities' NNTP server is msnews.microsoft.com. If you access
this server with Windows Mail, you have the option to log on with a LiveID
and classify posts in the newsgroups ("Communities functions"). This you
cannot do if you use any different news server.

The Communities' server only offers Microsoft newsgroups, you need a second
NNTP server in order to access the rest of Usenet.

Charlie42

 

[RalfG]

I haven't bothered to check into all the Community features but one of the
added functions available in Communities is a "Rate this Post" button when
you preview or open posts.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Charlie42.

I agree - except for a couple of quibbles.

OE, WM and WLM are newsreaders or news clients, not news servers. And WLM -
as well as WM - will allow the Communities functions, such as Rate this
Post.

And, to anyone reading along (I know you know this, Charlie, but others may
not):

Usenet offers well over 100,000 newsgroups now, in just about every language
in the world. ALL of these newsgroups are available to anyone with
OE/WM/WLM or any other newsreader and access to a news server that carries
Usenet. Each ISP I've used has included access to a free Usenet news server
as part of their subscription bundle. (And Google gets over 70,000 hits on
"free news server".) Microsoft public newsgroups - also known as Microsoft
Communities and sometimes called discussion groups or even forums - number
over 2,000, also in many different languages. ALL of these newsgroups are
available free to anyone with OE/WM/WLM and access is installed
automatically when Windows/Vista is installed. Most of these MS public NGs
are also "slurped" by other news servers and furnished to those servers'
subscribers (usually without credit to Microsoft), but the messages and
responses are relayed back and forth to the MS server, often resulting in
posts that are delayed or out of sequence or just plain lost. Its best to
subscribe to the MS server for these NGs and to your ISP's news server for
the rest of Usenet.

Most newbies who post questions seem to prefer the Communities interface.
Most experienced newsgroup users prefer the newsreader interface. You can
decide for yourself which suits you better.

For a first look at the NNTP interface, if you are not familiar with it,
just click here to start OE/WM/WLM and read this same message in that
format:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.vista.general

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)

 

[Charlie42]

OE, WM and WLM are newsreaders or news clients, not news servers. And WLM
as well as WM - will allow the Communities functions, such
as Rate this Post.

I am sorry if my post was unclear about WM being client-side software. Thank
you for mentioning Windows Live Mail, I forgot, and for an informative post
on accessing the Usenet. More should know!

Windows Live Mail download:
http://get.live.com/

Charlie42