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#1
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newsgroup reader/ changing browsers
Hi all,
OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett |
#2
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"K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. Hi K, Changing your reader from OE doesn't fix the problem of your ISP changing Usenet access. Except for the problem of changing your email address, maybe you'd be better off changing ISPs. If you look for a new ISP, I recommend Verizon. As a freelance writer and photographer, I travel a lot and have never been anywhere I couldn't get a local access number for dial-up connection. Verizon also gives me access to every newsgroup. I use MS Outlook which invokes OExpress for a news reader, but not email. I use the tools and rules features to cut down on SPAM and reject obnoxious posters. Virus and worms are dealt with by Norton Anti-Virus which automatically checks (in the background) for updates every time I go online and forces an update weekly, whether it needs to or not. Regards, Casey Wilson Freelance Writer and Photographer |
#3
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K,
I just got switched to Giganews also. What I like is that the pictures on abpo apparently stay for about 3 weeks instead of a day or less. Bob "Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote in message news:6YADd.253$SS6.132@trnddc07... "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. Hi K, Changing your reader from OE doesn't fix the problem of your ISP changing Usenet access. Except for the problem of changing your email address, maybe you'd be better off changing ISPs. If you look for a new ISP, I recommend Verizon. As a freelance writer and photographer, I travel a lot and have never been anywhere I couldn't get a local access number for dial-up connection. Verizon also gives me access to every newsgroup. I use MS Outlook which invokes OExpress for a news reader, but not email. I use the tools and rules features to cut down on SPAM and reject obnoxious posters. Virus and worms are dealt with by Norton Anti-Virus which automatically checks (in the background) for updates every time I go online and forces an update weekly, whether it needs to or not. Regards, Casey Wilson Freelance Writer and Photographer |
#4
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K,
I just got switched to Giganews also. What I like is that the pictures on abpo apparently stay for about 3 weeks instead of a day or less. Bob "Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote in message news:6YADd.253$SS6.132@trnddc07... "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. Hi K, Changing your reader from OE doesn't fix the problem of your ISP changing Usenet access. Except for the problem of changing your email address, maybe you'd be better off changing ISPs. If you look for a new ISP, I recommend Verizon. As a freelance writer and photographer, I travel a lot and have never been anywhere I couldn't get a local access number for dial-up connection. Verizon also gives me access to every newsgroup. I use MS Outlook which invokes OExpress for a news reader, but not email. I use the tools and rules features to cut down on SPAM and reject obnoxious posters. Virus and worms are dealt with by Norton Anti-Virus which automatically checks (in the background) for updates every time I go online and forces an update weekly, whether it needs to or not. Regards, Casey Wilson Freelance Writer and Photographer |
#5
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K Barrett wrote:
Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett Read my sig line! I changed to the free programs Firefox and Thunderbird a while ago and I LOVE THEM!!! (And yes, I was shouting there.) As to viruses, as far as I am concerned, nothing beats having a good virus scanner. I have AVG running and it scans all incoming and outgoing mail. Mozilla should be less vulnerable to viruses, but I can't vouch for that since I know too little about it. Firefox stops pop-ups unless you choose to allow them. Thunderbird, the mail and newsreader, blocks remote images in email, so they load much faster and without those annoying ads. Thunderbird also has a very good junk mail filter. Firefox also lets you use RSS feeds, which is a time and energy saver. Apparently you can read RSS feeds in Thunderbird, too, but I haven't looked into setting that up yet. What I will say is that you need a teensy bit more than just beginner user knowledge to get them up and going the way you want. I found it easy, but I found computers easy from the very beginning (how can I say this without sounding like I am bragging?). Give it a try. I will bet you will be pleasantly surprised. -- Reka This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it! http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html Reclaim Your Inbox! http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ Rediscover the Web! http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/products/firefox/ They're free! |
#6
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K Barrett wrote:
Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett Read my sig line! I changed to the free programs Firefox and Thunderbird a while ago and I LOVE THEM!!! (And yes, I was shouting there.) As to viruses, as far as I am concerned, nothing beats having a good virus scanner. I have AVG running and it scans all incoming and outgoing mail. Mozilla should be less vulnerable to viruses, but I can't vouch for that since I know too little about it. Firefox stops pop-ups unless you choose to allow them. Thunderbird, the mail and newsreader, blocks remote images in email, so they load much faster and without those annoying ads. Thunderbird also has a very good junk mail filter. Firefox also lets you use RSS feeds, which is a time and energy saver. Apparently you can read RSS feeds in Thunderbird, too, but I haven't looked into setting that up yet. What I will say is that you need a teensy bit more than just beginner user knowledge to get them up and going the way you want. I found it easy, but I found computers easy from the very beginning (how can I say this without sounding like I am bragging?). Give it a try. I will bet you will be pleasantly surprised. -- Reka This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it! http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html Reclaim Your Inbox! http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ Rediscover the Web! http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/products/firefox/ They're free! |
#7
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K Barrett wrote:
Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett Read my sig line! I changed to the free programs Firefox and Thunderbird a while ago and I LOVE THEM!!! (And yes, I was shouting there.) As to viruses, as far as I am concerned, nothing beats having a good virus scanner. I have AVG running and it scans all incoming and outgoing mail. Mozilla should be less vulnerable to viruses, but I can't vouch for that since I know too little about it. Firefox stops pop-ups unless you choose to allow them. Thunderbird, the mail and newsreader, blocks remote images in email, so they load much faster and without those annoying ads. Thunderbird also has a very good junk mail filter. Firefox also lets you use RSS feeds, which is a time and energy saver. Apparently you can read RSS feeds in Thunderbird, too, but I haven't looked into setting that up yet. What I will say is that you need a teensy bit more than just beginner user knowledge to get them up and going the way you want. I found it easy, but I found computers easy from the very beginning (how can I say this without sounding like I am bragging?). Give it a try. I will bet you will be pleasantly surprised. -- Reka This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it! http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html Reclaim Your Inbox! http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ Rediscover the Web! http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/products/firefox/ They're free! |
#8
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When I switched to Comcast as my ISP, it came with Giganews, and I
find it anything but difficult! It has more groups, long retention times, even for binaries, and I've not had a problem in several years. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett |
#9
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When I switched to Comcast as my ISP, it came with Giganews, and I
find it anything but difficult! It has more groups, long retention times, even for binaries, and I've not had a problem in several years. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. Therefore I'm taking this opportunity to research changing from Outlook Express to some other news reader. I'm also taking this opportunity to finally stop using Internet Explorer as a browser. Something I intended to do 4-5 yrs ago, heh. I'm considering Mozilla/Firefox and Agent. (Unless Mozilla has its own newsreader... hadn't thought of that) Any input as to ease of use or frequency of attacks by popups/worms/viruses etc with these alternate programs? Like would they be more/less open to attack? I find I have gotten stuck in my ways and only understand programs of the 1995-1998 vintage, so I'm anticipating a steep learning curve, as well as frustration and hair pulling when I make this switch. Its hell getting old. K Barrett |
#10
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In article .com,
"K Barrett" wrote: computerectomy --disclaimer-- i am only a very minor computer geek, however..... i'm using something called MT-newswatcher right now; no worms, virii, greek equines etc. some quirks, but nothing worse than anything else i've used. shows pictures beautifully, and i've been able to post pics with no problem (other than doing it so infrequently that i keep forgetting how...) the browser of choice on the machine is firefox; no popups, no malignancies so far. (also available: IE, netscape, safari, and some stuff i don't recognize. mozilla seems fine.) (yes the computer's owner is a graphics dude who creates web pages.) carrier is comcast, giganews, i use comcast's mail utility for my personal account. caveat: this is a mac G5. YMMV. --j_a |
#11
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In article .com,
"K Barrett" wrote: computerectomy --disclaimer-- i am only a very minor computer geek, however..... i'm using something called MT-newswatcher right now; no worms, virii, greek equines etc. some quirks, but nothing worse than anything else i've used. shows pictures beautifully, and i've been able to post pics with no problem (other than doing it so infrequently that i keep forgetting how...) the browser of choice on the machine is firefox; no popups, no malignancies so far. (also available: IE, netscape, safari, and some stuff i don't recognize. mozilla seems fine.) (yes the computer's owner is a graphics dude who creates web pages.) carrier is comcast, giganews, i use comcast's mail utility for my personal account. caveat: this is a mac G5. YMMV. --j_a |
#12
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Kathy,
I am confused - I *pay* to use giganews because my ISPs news servers are such crap. Why would your ISP switching to Giganews cause problems? I've found good ole Outlook Express to work fine for newsgroups but I definitely recommend Firefox as your browser. You'll wonder why you didn't switch before. -Eric in SF www.orchidphotos.org "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. [...] |
#13
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Kathy,
I am confused - I *pay* to use giganews because my ISPs news servers are such crap. Why would your ISP switching to Giganews cause problems? I've found good ole Outlook Express to work fine for newsgroups but I definitely recommend Firefox as your browser. You'll wonder why you didn't switch before. -Eric in SF www.orchidphotos.org "K Barrett" wrote in message oups.com... Hi all, OK, this is on topic only because we're all reading this group on computers, so I have a computer question. My ISP changed to Giganews, making access to Usenet difficult. [...] |
#14
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On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 20:36:25 +0100, Reka
wrote: K Barrett wrote: Hi all, warning - clipped lines ahead. Read my sig line! I changed to the free programs Firefox and Thunderbird nothing beats having a good virus scanner. Firefox stops pop-ups unless you choose to allow them. Thunderbird, the mail and newsreader, blocks remote images in email, so they load much faster and without those annoying ads. Thunderbird also has a very good junk mail filter. Reka....... Ok. Now John and I have been with Mozilla for several years and several upgrades. My only objection to this change over is the split of Firefox from Thunderbird.. what names. I can not hit 1 icon and have the whole mess loaded. G We use Agent to read and post to news. I have not tried the new Mozilla, although I have seen the entry on my laptop. I know it is available. I would not do it any other way. The last upgrade from 'Mozilla' vanilla to Foxfire and Thunderbird I did and it was just a click on icon to download and update my system. Yes, you will have a bit more to do. You have to get your data out of IE before it blows up. It is not difficult. Keep playing with the junk and spam filters and you can train Thunderbird to delete to Junk 99% of the junk for you to scan for the occasional slip when it puts OGD into the Junk file. G Although some of those slips are on the too hot to read days. Good spell check too. It used to be a second download and an add on now it is part of the program. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#15
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On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 20:36:25 +0100, Reka
wrote: K Barrett wrote: Hi all, warning - clipped lines ahead. Read my sig line! I changed to the free programs Firefox and Thunderbird nothing beats having a good virus scanner. Firefox stops pop-ups unless you choose to allow them. Thunderbird, the mail and newsreader, blocks remote images in email, so they load much faster and without those annoying ads. Thunderbird also has a very good junk mail filter. Reka....... Ok. Now John and I have been with Mozilla for several years and several upgrades. My only objection to this change over is the split of Firefox from Thunderbird.. what names. I can not hit 1 icon and have the whole mess loaded. G We use Agent to read and post to news. I have not tried the new Mozilla, although I have seen the entry on my laptop. I know it is available. I would not do it any other way. The last upgrade from 'Mozilla' vanilla to Foxfire and Thunderbird I did and it was just a click on icon to download and update my system. Yes, you will have a bit more to do. You have to get your data out of IE before it blows up. It is not difficult. Keep playing with the junk and spam filters and you can train Thunderbird to delete to Junk 99% of the junk for you to scan for the occasional slip when it puts OGD into the Junk file. G Although some of those slips are on the too hot to read days. Good spell check too. It used to be a second download and an add on now it is part of the program. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
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