Newsreader with certain functionality

[Michael Wilcox]

I started Usenet on OE (bad, I know), but now I'm switching since M$ is
phasing it out. Anyway, I'm in need of a newsreader with the following
features:

1. Threading that's always on. I personally believe (based on using Google
Groups and OE) that threads should always stay together and should be able
to be sorted and stay together. Nevertheless, I've found many newreaders
that put each message (i.e. every reply) as a new message, with an option to
sort by thread. Pretty useless, if you ask me.

2. The ability to "watch" threads. I got used to this feature with OE, but
I've seen things like it in other readers. I really like being able to have
all of my threads that I'm participating in easily available.

3. Being able to read yEnc is a definate plus.

Strict, I know, but I really would like something like this.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

I started Usenet on OE (bad, I know), but now I'm switching since
M$ is phasing it out.

The announcement that they were discontinuing it was a mistake. OE
is still to be developed by Microsoft.

Anyway, I'm in need of a newsreader with the
following features:

Xnews has them. I'm sure a few other readers do as well, but I'll
limit myself to Xnews here. (I can't recall the features of all the
readers I've tried - I should have taken notes.)

1. Threading that's always on. I personally believe (based on
using Google Groups and OE) that threads should always stay
together and should be able to be sorted and stay together.
Nevertheless, I've found many newreaders that put each message
(i.e. every reply) as a new message, with an option to sort by
thread. Pretty useless, if you ask me.

Xnews has many view options. I have mine set to threaded view, with
threads initially collapsed. You can set up any view you like to be
the default and never change it, or you can switch between views
with the touch of a key. I /think/ the view you want is the
out-of-the-box default, but I am not sure.

2. The ability to "watch" threads. I got used to this feature with
OE, but I've seen things like it in other readers. I really like
being able to have all of my threads that I'm participating in
easily available.

Xnews can be easily used to watch threads, by using the scoring
features. You highlight a post in the thread and bring up the
scoring dialog. there are options to 'watch entire thread' or to
'watch thread from here' - the latter just highlights articles which
are descendants of the post you have picked.

Xnews can also automatically highlight posts which are replies to
yours. There is a setting for how far down the thread you want this
automatic highlighting to be continued.

3. Being able to read yEnc is a definate plus.

Xnews handles yEnc fine.

 

[badgolferman]

Xnews can be easily used to watch threads, by using the scoring

features. You highlight a post in the thread and bring up the
scoring dialog. there are options to 'watch entire thread' or to
'watch thread from here' - the latter just highlights articles which
are descendants of the post you have picked.

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I think it
is too much to bring up a second window and type in a score to watch a
thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a column and make the whole
thread watched.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I
think it is too much to bring up a second window and type in a
score to watch a thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a
column and make the whole thread watched.

There is no need to type in a score. It takes three keystrokes to mark
a thread to be watched. I barely see the dialog box pop up and then
disappear. But if a single click is all that will satisfy you, Xnews
is indeed not for you.

 

[Max Quordlepleen]

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I
think it is too much to bring up a second window and type in a
score to watch a thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a
column and make the whole thread watched.

You can score up a thread with a single click. I know, because I do it
accidentally all the time. Just click in the "Score column of the
thread, and 9999 will appear there, the thread is now scored up.
http://maxqnz.com/xnews1click.jpg

 

[J44xm]

["badgolferman"; Sat, 27 Sep 2003 21:08:24 GMT]

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I think
it is too much to bring up a second window and type in a score to watch
a thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a column and make the
whole thread watched.

I hated this about Xnews when I switched from OE too. I'd say that that is
the one thing that OE does better than Xnews. I hate the scoring system,
though many others like it. It's just too complicated. That's one thing
about Xnews -- it has a good learning curve on it. But overall, it's great.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

<
[about Xnews]

You can score up a thread with a single click. I know, because I
do it accidentally all the time. Just click in the "Score column
of the thread, and 9999 will appear there, the thread is now
scored up. http://maxqnz.com/xnews1click.jpg

Those scores are temporary, though. At least for me, they do not
survive closing and reopening the group.

 

[Max Quordlepleen]

Those scores are temporary, though. At least for me, they do not
survive closing and reopening the group.

I just ried it, scoring a thread up like that, then pressing F8 and
closing the group. I also tried without F8, just closing after scoring
up. On both occasions, the scores persisted. Something in the .ini,
perhaps?

 

[bambam]

There is no need to type in a score. It takes three keystrokes to
mark a thread to be watched. I barely see the dialog box pop up
and then disappear. But if a single click is all that will
satisfy you, Xnews is indeed not for you.

I right click the small folder symbol at the start of the thread, this
marks the thread as "keep" and by default gives all messages a score of
8888. It doesn't mark each new message as "keep" but is easy to
identify the threads that I wish to watch.
Works for me.

 

[Mcubed]

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I
think it is too much to bring up a second window and type in a score
to watch a thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a column
and make the whole thread watched.

I agree, I never use the "watch" feature because of having to bring up
the scoring window in order to invoke it. I usually only bring up the
scoring window to downscore trolls, upscore favorite posters, or
add/modify subject filters -- all things that will have a long-term
effect on the way I read the group.

When I want to watch a thread, I just mark it as keep, which by default
is Shift+[ (keyboard shortcut) or Mark Selected As->Keep from the Group
drop-down menu. It's fast and painless and it will highlight the thread
until either it expires on the server or I "unkeep" it.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

I just ried it, scoring a thread up like that, then pressing F8
and closing the group. I also tried without F8, just closing after
scoring up. On both occasions, the scores persisted. Something in
the .ini, perhaps?

Could be. Or maybe header storage? I don't use any storage. I dunno
what F8 does by default. I use it to 'catch up and kill crossposts',
which is almost always the way I exit a group. After I do that and
reenter the group with 'open special' to get read headers, the threads
I had scored that way are back to normal, zero score.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

I agree, I never use the "watch" feature because of having to
bring up the scoring window in order to invoke it. I usually only
bring up the scoring window to downscore trolls, upscore favorite
posters, or add/modify subject filters -- all things that will
have a long-term effect on the way I read the group.

I have the score dialog mapped to S, and in the dialog W marks the
radio button for watching. S,W,Enter is all I use. (I used to expect
to find myself in a kitchen with a bag that smells of onions when I did
that - it never happens that way

When I want to watch a thread, I just mark it as keep, which by
default is Shift+[ (keyboard shortcut) or Mark Selected As->Keep
from the Group drop-down menu. It's fast and painless and it will
highlight the thread until either it expires on the server or I
"unkeep" it.

That makes sense. Keeping articles can be easily be done by clicking,
too, which is close to what badgolferman wanted. I use keep in a very
different way, so that would not work for me.

 

[Blinky the Shark]

I have the score dialog mapped to S, and in the dialog W marks the
radio button for watching. S,W,Enter is all I use. (I used to expect
to find myself in a kitchen with a bag that smells of onions when I
did that - it never happens that way

I need a life. When I read "S,W,Enter", I flipped right into Zork mode,
myself, before I got to your parenthetical note.

 

[Ray Kinserlow]

I started Usenet on OE (bad, I know), but now I'm switching since M$ is
phasing it out. Anyway, I'm in need of a newsreader with the following
features:

1. Threading that's always on. I personally believe (based on using Google
Groups and OE) that threads should always stay together and should be able
to be sorted and stay together. Nevertheless, I've found many newreaders
that put each message (i.e. every reply) as a new message, with an option to
sort by thread. Pretty useless, if you ask me.

2. The ability to "watch" threads. I got used to this feature with OE, but
I've seen things like it in other readers. I really like being able to have
all of my threads that I'm participating in easily available.

3. Being able to read yEnc is a definate plus.

Strict, I know, but I really would like something like this.

I made the transition to Agent 1.93 from OE and am very happy with
that choice.

http://www.forteinc.com/main/homepage.php

Ray Wesley Kinserlow Jr.
Lubbock, Texas

 

[Duddits]

I started Usenet on OE (bad, I know), but now I'm switching since M$ is
phasing it out. Anyway, I'm in need of a newsreader with the following
features:

1. Threading that's always on. I personally believe (based on using Google
Groups and OE) that threads should always stay together and should be able
to be sorted and stay together. Nevertheless, I've found many newreaders
that put each message (i.e. every reply) as a new message, with an option to
sort by thread. Pretty useless, if you ask me.

2. The ability to "watch" threads. I got used to this feature with OE, but
I've seen things like it in other readers. I really like being able to have
all of my threads that I'm participating in easily available.

3. Being able to read yEnc is a definate plus.

Strict, I know, but I really would like something like this.

40tude Dialog
http://www.40tude.com/dialog/

Does everything you ask and more.

regards

Dud

 

[John Fitzsimons]

news:W_mdb.25740$0Z5.15072@lakeread03:

When I want to watch a thread, I just mark it as keep, which by default
is Shift+[ (keyboard shortcut)

In Dialog pressing the "k" key does that. Somewhat faster/easier IMO.

or Mark Selected As->Keep from the Group
drop-down menu. It's fast and painless and it will highlight the thread
until either it expires on the server or I "unkeep" it.

In Dialog http://www.40tude.com/dialog/history.htm one can "keep"
things as you suggest OR "watch" things.

The "watch" process in Dialog requires one to press the "w" key.

Regards, John.

--
****************************************************
,-._|\ (A.C.F FAQ) http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html
/ Oz \ John Fitzsimons - Melbourne, Australia.
\_,--.x/ http://www.aspects.org.au/index.htm
v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/

 

[John Fitzsimons]

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I think it
is too much to bring up a second window and type in a score to watch a
thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a column and make the whole
thread watched.

In Dialog http://www.40tude.com/dialog/history.htm all you need do to
mark a thread "watched" is a single click of the "watch" icon.


Regards, John.

--
****************************************************
,-._|\ (A.C.F FAQ) http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html
/ Oz \ John Fitzsimons - Melbourne, Australia.
\_,--.x/ http://www.aspects.org.au/index.htm
v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/

 

[SINNER]

* badgolferman Wrote in alt.comp.freeware, on Sat, 27 Sep 2003 17:08:24 -0400:

This is the feature that is keeping me from migrating to Xnews. I think it
is too much to bring up a second window and type in a score to watch a
thread. It shouldn't be too difficult to click a column and make the whole
thread watched.

Erm, right click on the icon to the left of the thread, done.

 

[Chuck S.]

Google for Xananews.

 

[Benjamin Racinot]

Google for Xananews.

I tried it out this morning. Smooth installation, very attractive
user interface, and it downloaded the newsgroup list without a hitch.
But when I tried to retrieve current messages for several groups, it
gave messages from last April. A second attempt retrieved messages
from July and August. I gave up on Xananews at that point. Too bad,
it appears to have a lot of nice features.