good 'free' newsreader

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I do not really get your point here. I asked for reccomendations for a
free newsreader, and most people gave me their reccomendations. I did
not ask for or require opinions.

Life is like that. You don't always get what you ask for.

I gave you what I thought was good advice. Feel free to ignore it, if
you don't like it.

 

[PD]

I respect your opinions, but they are just that...opinions.

You'd do well to pay attention to his opinions.

I've been doing Usenet for 17 years... Forte Agent is my choice and
has been since version .9

There are still FREE versions available all over the net... normally
earlier than 2.0.

 

[Tony]

Again I say I asked for advice not opinions. The matter is closed.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Windows XP Home SP2

Does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader.
Currently using Outlook Xpress 6 (used to use
Forte Free Agent (now no longer free)) but want to
use a separate reader.

Here's my view:

1. Wanting to use a "separate" reader makes no sense to me.
Separateness, in and of itself, has no real value. You should use
whatever newsreader, separate or not, that best meets your needs and
that you like best.

2. Outlook Express is a good newsreader for many people, but it
depends entirely what your needs are. If you frequent binary
newsgroups, it's a poor choice, but it's fine for text ones.

3. If you don't like Outlook Express, fine, then look for another
choice. But you need to get clear in your own mind, exactly what you
don't like about Outlook Express, and what differences you would
like to see, and then, if you want a recommendation, tell us what
kinds of things you're looking for. Otherwise you'll likely just
get ten different recommendations from ten people.

4. I used Outlook Express for years, and it met my needs. I
currently use Forte Agent 4.2 (although it's not free). There are
some things I like better about Agent, and other things I liked
better about Outlook Express.

I do not really get your point here. I asked for reccomendations
for a free newsreader, and most people gave me their
reccomendations. I did not ask for or require opinions.

I respect your opinions, but they are just that...opinions.

Thank you all the same.

Life is like that. You don't always get what you ask for.

I gave you what I thought was good advice. Feel free to ignore it,
if you don't like it.

Again I say I asked for advice not opinions. The matter is closed.

Advice *is* opinions, especially in this case...

You - like it or not - asked for opinions.

If you didn't want opinions - you should have asked for people to provide
you with a "list of free newsreaders that only have a singular purpose, that
of utilizing newsgroups" - then you would have gotten facts - not opinions.

Just because I like/use a particular program and I recommend it to someone -
that does not mean it is the *best* for them or the other million people
that might read my recommendation. Some of them may be blind and need it to
work with their other software. Some may like to control the interface *a
lot* - so they can manage the layout. Others may need it for binary
newsgroups, some just for text.

It's all semantics...

To be honest - looking at your original post - you actually asked nothing.

You stated "Does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader.", but that's not
really a question - or it is not typed as such. And even if you meant (and
you did) "Does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader?" --> you are asking
for opinions on whether or not if anyone knows about a 'good free
newsreader' and your only requirement that could be quantified there is
"free". "Good" is determined by those using it - their opinion on the
product.

You did quantify it further with "Currently using Outlook Xpress 6 (used to
use Forte Free Agent (now no longer free) but want to use a separate
reader." However - there is no "Outlook Xpress" (semantics, remember?) and
Forte Free Agent is actually still free - just stopped being
updated/supported after v3.3. v4 for Forte Agent is not free and is still
supported/maintained. Want to download the last Forte Free Agent?
http://www.archive.org/details/ForteFreeAgent3.3

Of course - then again - a correct answer to your 'query' could have been
"Yes, I know of a good 'free' newsreader. Thanks for asking." ;-)

Again - all semantics..

So - at this point - most intelligent readers know you currently use Outlook
Express 6 for your newsreader and that you are looking for a free product
(newsreader) that doesn't also do something else (like an email application,
etc.) They had to make a few assumptions to get to that - even if they were
silent and unthinking ones. They might also assume that you liked Forte
Free Agent when you used it before - as you botheed to mention it. Of
course - they could just as easily assume that you liked Outlook Express
more since you stopped using Forte Free Agent and started using Outlook
Express 6. They might make the connection that you stopped using it because
it was no longer supported as a free product - they might not.

If you don't want opinions - don't ask for advice - ask for a list of
products.
In fact - if all you want is a list of products - don't ask - use Google.
;-)

My point - before you ask as you have already in this thread of someone
else - is "be sure what you ask for is clearly defined." If you leave room
for ambiguity - you will get ambiguity in a crowd this large.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Advice *is* opinions, especially in this case...

You - like it or not - asked for opinions.

He's a moron.

Don't waste your time.

 

[John]

Again I say I asked for advice not opinions. The matter is closed.

It is not closed until we stop posting...

John.

 

[John Waller]

I'm a little confused. You complained about other news readers not being

updated, and it seems that the last update for XanaNews was 6th December
2006.

That thought crossed my mind too but as long as he's happy with his choice I
guess he's got what he's looking for.

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

1. Wanting to use a "separate" reader makes no sense to me.

Separateness, in and of itself, has no real value. You should use
whatever newsreader, separate or not, that best meets your needs and
that you like best.

2. Outlook Express is a good newsreader for many people, but it
depends entirely what your needs are. If you frequent binary
newsgroups, it's a poor choice, but it's fine for text ones.

3. If you don't like Outlook Express, fine, then look for another
choice. But you need to get clear in your own mind, exactly what you
don't like about Outlook Express, and what differences you would like
to see, and then, if you want a recommendation, tell us what kinds of
things you're looking for. Otherwise you'll likely just get ten
different recommendations from ten people.

4. I used Outlook Express for years, and it met my needs. I currently
use Forte Agent 4.2 (although it's not free). There are some things I
like better about Agent, and other things I liked better about Outlook
Express.

The butcher doesn't ask the vegetarian what he wants to eat so why
would you use an e-mail client to interface with the NNTP protocol /
Usenet? Outlook is not a newsreader. Period.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Windows XP Home SP2

Hi. does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader.
Currently using Outlook Xpress 6 (used to use
Forte Free Agent (now no longer free)) but want to
use a separate reader.

Help appreciated

Tony

Tony,

I remembered a page from the yEnc.org page that listed some
newsreaders on it and totally forgot about Microplanet Gravity which
is free. There's also some others listed there so check out the
category "Type" and see the ones listed as "Reader"

http://www.yenc.org/windows.htm

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Tony]

So okay I think I got this wrong. I apologise to everyone I have
offended or pissed off. It was not my intention at all. I need you
people more than you nee me, so once again I apologise.

Thanks for all your advice and 'opinions' I do appreciate the time and
effort you put in.

Tony

 

[Beege]

Windows XP Home SP2

Hi. does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader.
Currently using Outlook Xpress 6 (used to use
Forte Free Agent (now no longer free)) but want to
use a separate reader.

Help appreciated

Tony

Tony,

If you find XanaNews is NOT what you need, you can try Pan.

http://paninstall.googlepages.com/

Beege

 

[Plato]

So okay I think I got this wrong. I apologise to everyone I have
offended or pissed off. It was not my intention at all. I need you
people more than you nee me, so once again I apologise.

I've been using Netscape 3.0 for years for Newsgroups. Easy and fast.

 

[witan]

Windows XP Home SP2

Hi. does anyone know of a good 'free' newsreader.
Currently using Outlook Xpress 6 (used to use
Forte Free Agent (now no longer free)) but want to
use a separate reader.

Help appreciated

Tony

Just now I have come to know that FeedDemon which was ShareWare
earlier is now FREE. I have no experience with FeedDemon, but intend
to give it a try. The free version is available for downloaded at
http://www.newsgator.com/download/FeedDemon/FeedDemonInstall.exe