If you haven't accessed RSN via Google Groups lately you might be surprised, because the current response time for updates is usually less than a minute. This is indeed a marked change from the way Google used to do updates for their Usenet stuff. Anuyway, that should be fast enough for conversational threads -- I know I can't think much faster than that anyway.
Jim Bob wrote:> a couple of minor corrections/elaborations:>
"Kenneth Salzberg" <ksalzber@piper.hamline.edu> wrote in message> newsine.GSO.4.44.0502181040010.4653-100000@gauss.hamline.edu...> >
It's up to 4 or 5 by now. One thing I should again explain for any
are confused: the e-mail list (nordic-ski@piper.hamline.edu) is
ported to> > the news group (rec.skiing.nordic). As long as the system is working, all> > the notes to the list appear on the group, and all the notes posted to the> > group appear as e-mails to the list members. If the list ends, the group> > will still be there, and, assuming you are willing to use a newsreader> > (like Google groups), you will be able to read, and respond to, all
traffic.>
Google Groups isn't really a newsreader, but it a way to read news
(did that> make any sense?). Google bought DejaNews a while back and (being google) is> a great way to search USENET (the news groups system's formal internet name)> for information that has been posted. Google's primary function here is to> archive the newsgroups (oh, and to sell advertising to show when you read> USENET through their web interface . Being essentially an archiving> service, Google is not as up-to-date as other (real) news servers. I don't> use Google to read and post because that lack of timelyness makes it> practically impossible to carry on a conversation in a news thread - by the> time I read a post and try to respond, the thread has gone off in some other> direction >
I *can* see how it could be convenient to use a web interface or to
newsfeeds in digest form (e.g. a day's worth of posts in one big
email each> day) or as individual emails (one per post) especially for people who aren't> sitting in from of an internet connected computer all day. I don't do any of> these things because of the "delay" and because I *am* connected to
internet all day long.>
I hope that there's some way to keep the group going, even if
school decides to drop it. I'm a technical simpleton, but would> > > something like a yahoo group work as well?> >
A yahoo group would work just fine, but. . . (we are in the process
doing this for a small e-mail list I've been running for a group of
local> > skiers and hikers who get together every weekend for a training,
talking, and coffee session). The problem is the porting. I have
no idea> > how or if you can arrange that with a Yahoo group. I know that changing> > the porting service, which I had to do a few years ago, was not easy.> >
-Ken>
Setting up an effective new USENET group requires the approval of
thousands> of individual news server admins. That is, each news server admin receives> many requests from new news groups a day. The admin can't carry them
(and probably shouldn't try) so most of the attempts to establish a
USENET group fail.>
In contrast, Yahoo news groups are relatively easy to set up. That's
their> strength. Yahoo groups are great for small (geographically, readership, or> both) interest groups. My neighborhood in San Jose (about one square mile)> uses one to great effect. However, I don't think they are designed to be a> relay for USENET. Yahoo is a separate system.>
Good luck keeping your e-mail list going, Ken. The internet runs on
commitment of people like you (and all the other admins, webmasters,> etc ---- you know who you are, Janne! .>
