Not in the cards

[Andy]

I think it's in the cards that I never get a newsreader working.

I was able to post one message, but now I get this.

NNTP error : banlist

Andy

 

[JJ]

I think it's in the cards that I never get a newsreader working.

I was able to post one message, but now I get this.

NNTP error : banlist

Andy

No wonder...

 

[Paul]

I think it's in the cards that I never get a newsreader working.

I was able to post one message, but now I get this.

NNTP error : banlist

Andy

OK, I'm guessing you attempted to post to the Linux
advocacy group (COLA).

AIOE "turns off" posting in key groups, as a function
of perceived "abuse". If someone writes the admin of
AIOE and says "someone posted a naughty, and used
your AIOE", then the group may get closed to posting.
The group is not closed forever - it could open tomorrow,
or for the more abused groups, it could be closed for
a month.

Most new users to AIOE, perceive that they, personally,
have been banned from posting to the entire server.
While such a thing is possible, the more common
"problem" is the Admin has closed the group you're posting
too. "Banlist" means the group is closed to posting,
to every AIOE user.

And to make it "more fun", the Administrator there, does
not provide a web page showing which groups are "banlist".
This is to annoy spammers, who would bang on that status
web page all day long, waiting for the banlist to open on
some group. So the server avoids useful status info,
to make the job of spammers harder. I presume, if a spammer
"tests" the "banlist" on a group enough times, the spammer
would be locked out for 24 hours.

*******

We sent you to AIOE, as a means to prove that you could,
indeed, set up a news client. We use the AIOE server
as a "training server", because you don't need to apply
for an account.

Now that you've succeeded, you've graduated to the next
level. Now, fill out the Eternal-September form, use
a valid email, so Wolfgang can send you your new
account information.

http://www.eternal-september.org/RegisterNewsAccount.php?language=en

Then, using the same Thunderbird interfaces, set up
your new account with eternal-september.org . E-S
has fewer rules to annoy, and less need of a banlist.
If you piss off the admin, he just closes your account.
If you read the TOS (Terms Of Service), he's quite permissive.
Since the server is located in Germany, it's subject
to German law - regional law requirements will always
seem a little strange to people from other countries.
But the administrator has to abide by them, or use a
COLO in Antarctica.

You will need to click the "Always Request Authentication"
box in the Server configuration window. As well, there should
be some sort of tick box to "remember my password". You want
to enable that as well, to reduce nuisance typing of the
password, over and over again.

One thing some of the servers have, is cross-post
filters. If you attempt to spew bile into soc.* for
example, a study showed that the vast majority of
posts to soc.* were just intended to incite hatred.
Cross-posted hatred. To stop that, some of the servers,
if they catch you cross-posting there, the post is rejected.
If you want to write a thoughtful message to a soc.* group,
try posting to just one group at a time. You can still be
just as hateful, but it's more work.

It's the little things in life that count.

Paul