Strange posting failure

[Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)]

Much of what I've posted since January 21st has gone into a black hole.
After running many tests it turns out that only the newsgroups on the NNTP
server msnews.microsoft.com ("Microsoft Communities") are affected.
Posting to newsgroups other than the public Microsoft ones was normal.
After much troubleshooting, the logical conclusion was that my Microsoft
Communities account in Windows Mail was corrupted. Yet all the sent
posts saved to Sent Items, without any error message. Deleting the account
and recreating it did not fix the problem. Tried two other newsreaders,
Agent and Windows Live Mail, same result. Tried both Vista and Windows 7
computers, same result. Posting to the test newsgroups resulted in about a
50% success rate, with no rhyme or reason.

Nothing has changed on my end, but am trying again to see what happens.

 

[...winston [MVP]]

Gary,
A quick look at this end...I see a similar gap(nothing from Jan 22 until
your Feb 2 post starting this thread).
Same results in the web UI(this post was from that UI) as in WLM and
OE(ouch..been along time since I used OE)

I'm not seeing the same at this end with mine...though iirc, I've seen a few
other posts where the new thread showed up here as an Re...though I did not
look to see if the post originated from outside Msft(e.g. egghead etc)

 

[Ron Sommer]

Why does Ctrl + F3 show From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)"
<[email protected]> ?

 

[...winston]

The Feb 2 post shows
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>
- cross posted to WLM and WM newsgroup

Earlier posts with the (MVP) in the From field show similar
- WM newsgroup

Dec 4
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>

A few with (MS MVP) in the from field
Nov 19
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MS MVP\)" <[email protected]>

Pre (MVP) in from field
Nov 19
From: "Gary VanderMolen" <[email protected]>

 

[Ron Sommer]

The Message header shows Gary VanderMolen (MVP) [[email protected]] when
Ctrl + F3 shows Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>
The \ is not showing.

I wonder if Gary's post would have posted if he had used the Web interface.

I guess will have to wait for more posts from Gary to see if this post was
one of the 50% or if his problem is fixed.

 

[Steve Cochran]

I thought you were on vacation. <G>

Try changing your fake email address (although this one works). The server
may be targeting that. Also you can enable an NNTP log file under Tools |
Options | Advanced | Maintenance in WinMail and that might help diagnose the
issue.

Maybe you were posting too much and the server thought you were spamming it.
<VBG>

steve


Much of what I've posted since January 21st has gone into a black hole.
After running many tests it turns out that only the newsgroups on the NNTP
server msnews.microsoft.com ("Microsoft Communities") are affected.
Posting to newsgroups other than the public Microsoft ones was normal.
After much troubleshooting, the logical conclusion was that my Microsoft
Communities account in Windows Mail was corrupted. Yet all the sent
posts saved to Sent Items, without any error message. Deleting the account
and recreating it did not fix the problem. Tried two other newsreaders,
Agent and Windows Live Mail, same result. Tried both Vista and Windows 7
computers, same result. Posting to the test newsgroups resulted in about a
50% success rate, with no rhyme or reason.

Nothing has changed on my end, but am trying again to see what happens.

 

[Ron Sommer]

If the server is targeting the fake email address, would the address also be
targeted if using the Web interface?

 

[Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)]

Whatever my issue was, it seems to be resolved now.

 

[Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)]

I have no idea, but I had noticed the same. Looking at my older
posts dating back as far as November 15, they show the same thing,
so I don't think it caused the recent problem. Nevertheless, I think I'll
switch to using brackets rather than parentheses in my 'From' name.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

I don't know if this is related, but there is an old thread that I posted a
reply to and I never saw the reply. A couple days later I re-sent the reply
and I never saw that reply either. I think that all my other replies are
getting through.

The message I have been trying to send has a list of process names in it
that are potential problems for someone else that asked for help here. It is
just process names, but my theory was that the message was being rejected
only because it has in it a certain process name but I don't know what that
would be. There is nothing different about the messages that are getting
through.

The message I have been trying to reply to has the subject "Re: Email
messages not opening correctly" sent December 12 by Noni. That message is
still in my Windows Mail.


Much of what I've posted since January 21st has gone into a black hole.
After running many tests it turns out that only the newsgroups on the NNTP
server msnews.microsoft.com ("Microsoft Communities") are affected.
Posting to newsgroups other than the public Microsoft ones was normal.
After much troubleshooting, the logical conclusion was that my Microsoft
Communities account in Windows Mail was corrupted. Yet all the sent
posts saved to Sent Items, without any error message. Deleting the account
and recreating it did not fix the problem. Tried two other newsreaders,
Agent and Windows Live Mail, same result. Tried both Vista and Windows 7
computers, same result. Posting to the test newsgroups resulted in about a
50% success rate, with no rhyme or reason.

Nothing has changed on my end, but am trying again to see what happens.

 

[Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)]

The NNTP log file didn't show anything amiss. It appeared as though
the server was initially accepting my posts, but later had second thoughts
about actually posting it. I did try a different fake 'From' address, but it
made no difference. Perhaps there was something in my signature that
the server didn't like.

 

[...winston]

Yes...but the same variation is present in prior posts well before the recent window of missing posts.
--
...winston
ms-mvp mail

The Message header shows Gary VanderMolen (MVP) [[email protected]] when
Ctrl + F3 shows Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>
The \ is not showing.

I wonder if Gary's post would have posted if he had used the Web interface.

I guess will have to wait for more posts from Gary to see if this post was
one of the 50% or if his problem is fixed.
--
Ron Sommer
MS MVP- Windows Live Mail

The Feb 2 post shows
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>
- cross posted to WLM and WM newsgroup

Earlier posts with the (MVP) in the From field show similar
- WM newsgroup

Dec 4
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MVP\)" <[email protected]>

A few with (MS MVP) in the from field
Nov 19
From: "Gary VanderMolen \(MS MVP\)" <[email protected]>

Pre (MVP) in from field
Nov 19
From: "Gary VanderMolen" <[email protected]>

 

[Peter Foldes]

Was wondering myself. I lost 3 postings on the 22nd. in this group but lost much
more in the Server and Office groups. All on the 22nd. Nothing before and nothing
after

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

Much of what I've posted since January 21st has gone into a black hole.
After running many tests it turns out that only the newsgroups on the NNTP
server msnews.microsoft.com ("Microsoft Communities") are affected.
Posting to newsgroups other than the public Microsoft ones was normal.
After much troubleshooting, the logical conclusion was that my Microsoft
Communities account in Windows Mail was corrupted. Yet all the sent
posts saved to Sent Items, without any error message. Deleting the account
and recreating it did not fix the problem. Tried two other newsreaders,
Agent and Windows Live Mail, same result. Tried both Vista and Windows 7
computers, same result. Posting to the test newsgroups resulted in about a
50% success rate, with no rhyme or reason.

Nothing has changed on my end, but am trying again to see what happens.

 

[Ildhund]

We sure missed you! I tried a search from your profile at the web interface
for recent posts - and drew a complete blank. (Your query for "Gary
VanderMolen" did not return results. The following may help you find the
results you were looking for:
* Check your spelling.
* Enter a term or phrase that's less specific.
* Try different phrasing.
* Try fewer words.)

Using one of your various aliases and searching in all of Windows Live
threw up nothing newer than last October. Sad, really.
Still, it's good to have you back.
--
Noel

Whatever my issue was, it seems to be resolved now.

 

[...winston]

Noel,
afiak...the search feature in the web UI has been amiss for months...when I searched for Gary's posts and finding only October and
earlier, did the same on mine...same results, nothing since last year even though they were present when viewing individual
threads.

Unlike Gary's, missing posts from the Jan 21 and later window, all mine are present in the web UI and in my nttp clients(almost all
WLM with a few using OE and WM).

If the communities feature(box checked in an the nttp client) was used, it's been known for some time that option was never
reliable and prone to failure(increasingly a issue since WM was in beta and continued with no remedy well after WLM(i.e. Same old
etc). In Gary's case, iirc, that feature was not checked...thus it would appear the issue is further upstream before the web or
nttp servers...and somewhat mysteriously resolved(hopefully with long term success) on Feb 1/2.

I recall a similar event long ago on the old msnnews(now defunct) server with a few weeks of missing posts..not much was in common
amongst those experiencing the problem...resets, account removal also having no impact..then if by magic, the problem disappeared.

Peter F. also noted(in this thread)of missing posts in at least 3 newsgroups...and that may point the finger to the servers though
still without an explainable reason beyond....$$it happens.

 

[Gary VanderMolen [MVP]]

Thanks for the 'welcome back' wishes.
I'm convinced there are some mysterious gremlins in the 'Microsoft
Communities' implementation, both in the web server and the NNTP
server, although this is the first time in over 10 years that the NNTP
server gave me serious fits.

 

[Gary VanderMolen [MVP]]

I'm convinced there is a very rare gremlin present in the
msnews.microsoft.com NNTP server. However, I don't recall ever
running into this particular issue before.

 

[Steve Cochran]

No one knows how the MS servers work. Including sometimes those at MS.

steve

 

[Steve Cochran]

Years ago we used to think there was some "higher power" with a delete
button that would randomly appear from time to time. <G>

steve

I'm convinced there is a very rare gremlin present in the
msnews.microsoft.com NNTP server. However, I don't recall ever
running into this particular issue before.

 

[Peter Foldes]

And there is no SPA this time. Brings back memories