The microsoft newsgroups are closing down?

[Carrie]

I noticed ones I had been on (like Publisher) just disappeared, almost in
front of me. Found a notice on another group about this, it said they'd be
on another format or something. I didn't understand?
I looked at the Google Groups version of it (Public Publisher) it was
still there but didn't have any posts after Aug 25
Does anyone know where the groups are going to be, and how to get on them?
I know no body asked me, but seems like Microsoft had too many different
newsgroups. There could have been a basic one for each topic (Publisher,
Word, etc) There seemed to be a lot of different ones people didn't use, and
sometimes spam took over.
I will miss reading on the ones I did, to learn, and asking questions when
I needed to.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

I noticed ones I had been on (like Publisher) just disappeared, almost
in
front of me. Found a notice on another group about this, it said they'd
be
on another format or something. I didn't understand?
I looked at the Google Groups version of it (Public Publisher) it was
still there but didn't have any posts after Aug 25
Does anyone know where the groups are going to be, and how to get on
them?
I know no body asked me, but seems like Microsoft had too many
different
newsgroups. There could have been a basic one for each topic (Publisher,
Word, etc) There seemed to be a lot of different ones people didn't use,
and
sometimes spam took over.
I will miss reading on the ones I did, to learn, and asking questions
when
I needed to.

Microsoft Responds to the Evolution of Communities
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx

Newsgroups removed as of June 1, 2010
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2010/06/05/closin-the-nntp.aspx

You can still access the groups on some non-MS servers such as Eternal
September, but how long the quality of questions and replies lasts is
unknown.

Eternal September
http://www.newsgroupreviews.com/eternal-september.html

The replacement forums.

Microsoft Answers - First Time Users
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What Bruce said. This newsgroup & Win64-bit General newsgroup will be
discontinued on the MS newsserver on 12 September 2010.

The newsgroups are being replaced by Answers Forums
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/categories

WinXP-specific forums:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windowsxp

MS Office forums:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/group/Office

IE forum (IE6, IE7 & IE8 running in WinXP, Vista & Win7):
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/InternetExplorer/threads

Windows Update forum (WinXP, Vista & Win7):
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads

 

[Tim Slattery]

What Bruce said. This newsgroup & Win64-bit General newsgroup will be
discontinued on the MS newsserver on 12 September 2010.

But they will still be available on other Usenet/NNTP servers. Check
your ISP, google for free (or not free) Usenet servers. Check
www.eternal-september.com, I use them to get groups that MS has
dropped, as well as other Usenet groups.

 

[Bert Hyman]

In Tim Slattery

www.eternal-september.com,

That should be www.eternal-september.org

 

[Carrie]

I noticed ones I had been on (like Publisher) just disappeared, almost
in
front of me. Found a notice on another group about this, it said they'd
be
on another format or something. I didn't understand?
I looked at the Google Groups version of it (Public Publisher) it was
still there but didn't have any posts after Aug 25
Does anyone know where the groups are going to be, and how to get on
them?
I know no body asked me, but seems like Microsoft had too many
different
newsgroups. There could have been a basic one for each topic (Publisher,
Word, etc) There seemed to be a lot of different ones people didn't use,
and
sometimes spam took over.
I will miss reading on the ones I did, to learn, and asking questions
when
I needed to.

Microsoft Responds to the Evolution of Communities
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx

Newsgroups removed as of June 1, 2010
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2010/06/05/closin-the-nntp.aspx

You can still access the groups on some non-MS servers such as Eternal
September, but how long the quality of questions and replies lasts is
unknown.

Eternal September
http://www.newsgroupreviews.com/eternal-september.html

The replacement forums.

Microsoft Answers - First Time Users
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA

I have usenet newsgroups offered from my cable company (Charter) maybe
they will be on there.
I saw the Publisher one disappear right in front of me! That one was
very active and had a lot of good stuff on it.
What I liked is, I'd find answers to questions others would ask that I
hadn't gotten to yet and maybe never would, but if I did, I'd now know the
answers.

 

[Carrie]

What Bruce said. This newsgroup & Win64-bit General newsgroup will be
discontinued on the MS newsserver on 12 September 2010.

The newsgroups are being replaced by Answers Forums
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/categories

WinXP-specific forums:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windowsxp

MS Office forums:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/group/Office

IE forum (IE6, IE7 & IE8 running in WinXP, Vista & Win7):
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/InternetExplorer/threads

Windows Update forum (WinXP, Vista & Win7):
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads


Thanks!
I'm sure it will be just as good, and I'll get used to it.

 

[Carrie]

What Bruce said. This newsgroup & Win64-bit General newsgroup will be
discontinued on the MS newsserver on 12 September 2010.

But they will still be available on other Usenet/NNTP servers. Check
your ISP, google for free (or not free) Usenet servers. Check
www.eternal-september.com, I use them to get groups that MS has
dropped, as well as other Usenet groups.
--
Tim Slattery
(e-mail address removed)
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

Oh good! I have Charter Cable which offers newsgroups (in Outlook
Express) I still have WinXP so still have this.
I get some of the usenet groups, also. Doesn't seem like they are as
popular as they once were. And, a lot (if not used much) turn into porn and
spam.
I know life "moves on" and computer/internet does even faster, but we
have a saying here in VT
"If it ain't broke don't fix it" LOL
I'd have been satisfied with Win 98 SE, and now have XP and happy with
that.
I know. progress....

 

[Y. Soserious]

Sure they'll be available. But, in case you hadn't noticed, the traffic is
down to a trickle and the experts and MVPs are migrating to the forums.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Also available on the aioe.org server where I access them from time to time
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Alias]

Also available on the aioe.org server where I access them from time to time

Most XP and pre Windows 7 questions can be resolved by searching the
Google data base of the appropriate MS newsgroup. Windows 7, OTOH, will
require putting up with those lame web forums.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

But they will still be available on other Usenet/NNTP servers...

Did I say anything about other newsservers? No.

 

[milt]

I noticed ones I had been on (like Publisher) just disappeared, almost in
front of me. Found a notice on another group about this, it said they'd be
on another format or something. I didn't understand?
I looked at the Google Groups version of it (Public Publisher) it was
still there but didn't have any posts after Aug 25
Does anyone know where the groups are going to be, and how to get on them?
I know no body asked me, but seems like Microsoft had too many different
newsgroups. There could have been a basic one for each topic (Publisher,
Word, etc) There seemed to be a lot of different ones people didn't use, and
sometimes spam took over.
I will miss reading on the ones I did, to learn, and asking questions when
I needed to.

The groups are going bye bye... sure, the groups will still be on other
servers but they will be effectively dead. So, why bother? Sounds like
as of Sept. 12th both this one and the Vista group are toast. At that
point, as far as I'm concerned, these groups will be for all intents and
purposes dead.

 

[~*Laughingstar*~]

Back in the 90s, when internet chat and support groups were rising, there
was sufficient data on the groups to indicate they 1) had to physically meet
once a year, and/or; 2) keep together as an online group for the benefit of
all to be maintained. Where was this lost over the decades?

 

[ctowers]

The groups are going bye bye... sure, the groups will still be on
other servers but they will be effectively dead. So, why bother?
Sounds like as of Sept. 12th both this one and the Vista group are
toast. At that point, as far as I'm concerned, these groups will be
for all intents and purposes dead.

The groups will be here, Microsoft is going bye bye.

 

[milt]

The groups will be here, Microsoft is going bye bye.

The Microsoft server is going bye-bye, the groups might still be on
other servers but that doesn't mean they will have any traffic. No
traffic and they ARE dead.

 

[John Hacker]

The Microsoft server is going bye-bye, the groups might still be on
other servers but that doesn't mean they will have any traffic. No
traffic and they ARE dead.

Pig-Bear will be still there if his health allows him so he will create
the necessary traffic to support these newsgroups. He is very good at
posting garbage which incites people to respond and so the traffic is
generated by stealth!