Where is the Windows 7 Newsgroup

[Blue Max]

Where are the Windows 7 newsgroups? We have reviewed all the newsgroups
only to find one for about any version of Windows except Windows 7. Are
there no Windows 7 newsgroups?

 

[housetrained]

alt.windows7.general

 

[Tim Slattery]

Where are the Windows 7 newsgroups? We have reviewed all the newsgroups
only to find one for about any version of Windows except Windows 7. Are
there no Windows 7 newsgroups?

Microsoft has not created any newsgroups in the microsoft.public.*
hierarchy. They want everybody to use the web forums. You can use the
Usenet group alt.windows7.general

 

[Leroy]

Microsoft sponsored NNTP newsgroups are fading away. The new Microsoft
Answers Forums are now the rage:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windows7

 

[The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly]

Microsoft sponsored NNTP newsgroups are fading away. The new Microsoft
Answers Forums are now the rage:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windows7

The 'forums are now the rage' because they piss users off so much with
the crappy interface and biased moderation. IOW don't waste your time
there! Leroy is just an MS shill.
alt.windows7.general
alt.os.windows-7

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Where are the Windows 7 newsgroups? We have reviewed all the newsgroups
only to find one for about any version of Windows except Windows 7. Are
there no Windows 7 newsgroups?

Unfortunately it's highly unlikely that there will be any Microsoft
Windows 7 newsgroups. Apparently Microsoft has decided that web-based
forums are better than newsgroups and they are putting their efforts
there. I'm personally sorry that's the case, but it's their decision,
not mine.

However there is at least one non-Microsoft Windows 7 newsgroup:
alt.windows7.general. Not all servers carry it (at least not yet), but
here's one free news server that does: aioe.org

 

[Leroy]

You are misinformed and totally wrong! Major companies have been using
web-based forums for years! (Dell, HP, Intuit, Cisco, etc).

The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'
wrote:

 

[Ronin]

Doesn't mean they're any good. Doesn't mean they aren't totally infuriating.

Just because one or another web-based forum happens to be well designed,
that doesn't mean that Microsoft's forum is. The main problem MS has with
it's web forum appears to be that Microsoft developed and produced it, and
now, supposedly, maintains it. Considering the rest of their offerings, that
doesn't bode well.

 

[John Doe]

Doesn't mean they're any good. Doesn't mean they aren't totally
infuriating.

Just because one or another web-based forum happens to be well
designed, that doesn't mean that Microsoft's forum is. The main
problem MS has with it's web forum appears to be that Microsoft
developed and produced it, and now, supposedly, maintains it.
Considering the rest of their offerings, that doesn't bode well.

Too true, and not just for Microsoft stuff. Perhaps too many
people cannot handle USENET. I have been on USENET for a decade
and currently use one or two web forums. The moderation sucks, but
their interface sucks worse. You would think that at least they
could have an interface half as graceful as a USENET newsreader.

 

[John Doe]

However there is at least one non-Microsoft Windows 7 newsgroup:
alt.windows7.general. Not all servers carry it (at least not
yet), but here's one free news server that does: aioe.org

Looks great for Windows 7 users. Since there is no spam, apparently
Google Groups has not started carrying it.

 

[Chuck]

So, since Vista and Win 7 are virtually the same, I guess the msnews Vista
forums inherit Win 7?

 

[Leroy]

Ah, you guessed wrong! There are significant differences between Windows
Vista and Windows 7. The savvy Windows 7 users post in the official
Microsoft Answers Forum.

So, since Vista and Win 7 are virtually the same, I guess the msnews Vista
forums inherit Win 7?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

So, since Vista and Win 7 are virtually the same,

Perhaps you think so, but I don't.

I guess the msnews Vista
forums inherit Win 7?

And I don't at all understand what you mean by that.

 

[Peter]

Ah, you guessed wrong! There are significant differences between Windows
Vista and Windows 7. The savvy Windows 7 users post in the official
Microsoft Answers Forum.

These forums s.u.ck to high hell. They're clumsy, the interphase is slow,
finding your way around is a PITA and the caliber of help on these forums is
highly overated, nothing but canned answers and if the question is a
difficult one it mostly goes without good answers. The more knowledgeable
posters are on the newsgroups, not in the forums. The forums are are
terrible and a lot of people turn to other help sites rather than waste
their time in these forums.

People are asking for Windows 7 newsgroups everyday of the week but MS is in
denial and fan boys like you are in even bigger denial thinking that people
prefer these forums over newsgroups, the savvy Windows 7 users are not in
the forums they're in the XP64 group! If Microsoft doesn't want to create
Windows 7 groups then people may as well use the Vista groups, Vista was
(is) a dog anyway and people can't wait to ditch it and move to a better OS,
this newsgroup will just wither so folks may as well make use of it for
Windows 7 help and to hell with MS and their cr@ppy forums!

 

[Chuck]

"And I don't at all understand what you mean by that"

msnews.microsoft.com

Since every other version of windows but win 7 is supported in the
newsgroups, Win 7 logically should be also.
Web based support via the "new scheme" is problematic for some.

I've used both, and since I'm an old cantankerous sort, still prefer the
classic newsgroup support.

So, since Vista and Win 7 are virtually the same,

Perhaps you think so, but I don't.

I guess the msnews Vista
forums inherit Win 7?

And I don't at all understand what you mean by that.

 

[Ronin]

Posts that one replies to are obviously right there in the list of messages,
right above the message being replied to.

Myself, I find it infinitely frustrating to have to scroll down past a bunch
of stuff I've already read in order to see the fresh addition to the thread
unless it's an inline response. Is there really *any* difference between
scrolling up to read quoted text and scrolling down? Not!

Inline replies have their place, bottom-posting is for bottom-dwellers.
You're right, it is your fault and not "Dick's". I'm sure you deserve worse,
but for now I can only think, "What a pompous a--!" More than a bit
disgraceful to see such a proud name be applied to such an ignoble person.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Since every other version of windows but win 7 is supported in the
newsgroups, Win 7 logically should be also.
Web based support via the "new scheme" is problematic for some.

I've used both, and since I'm an old cantankerous sort, still prefer the
classic newsgroup support.

I'm with you entirely, but as I said, it's their decision, not ours.

 

[Canuck57]

Too true, and not just for Microsoft stuff. Perhaps too many
people cannot handle USENET. I have been on USENET for a decade
and currently use one or two web forums. The moderation sucks, but
their interface sucks worse. You would think that at least they
could have an interface half as graceful as a USENET newsreader.

Agreed. I visit only one moderated board for the same reason. Appease
the board masters or else. Which isn't the reason I came there.

I much prefer NNTP news groups as you can read and jump to messages much
faster and often they are not moderated to a point of fascism.

 

[Robert Neville]

If Microsoft doesn't want to create
Windows 7 groups then people may as well use the Vista groups,

You do understand how Usenet works, right? Microsoft doesn't need to create the
groups - anyone can. And any Usenet provider can carry the group.

 

[+Bob+]

You do understand how Usenet works, right? Microsoft doesn't need to create the
groups - anyone can. And any Usenet provider can carry the group.

MS does need to create them on the MS News Server though.