Great!

"Brent" <undefined> wrote in message
news:Op4a06l3HHA.5984[at]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
- quote -

Features? What you term "features", Ben, I call dumbing-down.

A perfect example occurred three days ago when, after posting an
attachment for someone, it suddenly dawned on me that she was using this
"feature"-laden Web client and couldn't access the attachment.

I also don't like Vista obscuring news server addresses under
"%UserProfile%"\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail". Instead of
displaying something useful like "news.so.centurytel.net" as with my
other news providers, Microsoft is kind enough to spare me such
information overload by only displaying "Microsoft Communities".

In fact, this post, as well as my others, were indeed made with Windows
Mail, which I invoke with the "/outnews" switch so that its name becomes
Microsoft Outlook Newsreader, which somehow makes it seem more
palatable, even though it can no longer be invoked from Outlook.

Don't worry about me, Ben, I "got it".


"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:jJCdnUNnGJNvW13bnZ2dnUVZ_tCrnZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

Indeed. I guess I wasn't thinking when I read your comment about web client.

"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:UPednZYlH4h9mFzbnZ2dnUVZ_tSknZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

Exactly, just as I said...

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:Ogf8xyg3HHA.5740[at]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
- quote -

Note that this is an exposure, through some use and/or extension of nntp, of
capability that's been on the Web version of the microsoft.public newsgroups
available from Microsoft for some time.

"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:jJCdnUNnGJNvW13bnZ2dnUVZ_tCrnZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

You almost got it...

In addition to the MS web-based Communities access, the new Windows Live
Mail (Outlook Express replacement) desktop client has also incorporated the
Communities features. You can do the same Communities stuff there as when
you're using the web client.

Thanks though...

"Brent" <undefined> wrote in message
news:#qndG$a3HHA.4584[at]TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
- quote -

"Microsoft Communities" is Microsoft's typical newbie-speak associated
with its Web-based newsreader on Microsoft.com, but in fact, Microsoft
newsgroups are standard USENET newsgroups and as such, messages posted
to one server are propagated to all others.

The primary difference is that message retention of Microsoft's own
newsgroups on Microsoft's news servers is dramatically shorter than that
of any other news provider I have had experience with, including ISPs
CenturyTel and EarthLink. By contrast, CenturyTel's news servers
currently have microsoft.public.money messages dating back to June 2003.

Unless I require access to an old thread, however, I typically use
Microsoft's news servers instead because
(1) they require no login,
(2) they don't affect our monthly newsgroup download limit,
(3) they don't require a properly formatted e-mail address and
(4) fewer messages per newsgroup results in quicker newsreader
response, both loading and updating.


"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:bN6dnRfaNupJ4CLbnZ2dnUVZ_rWtnZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

Found it, in case anyone else was wondering:

http://www.microsoft.com/library/gal...GettingStarted

"It isn't necessary to be signed in to Communities to search for posts, read
posts, expand threads, or show specific threads in discussion groups.
However, there are certain things you can do in discussion groups that
require you to sign in. To add your own post, rate posts, or sign up for
e-mail notifications, you are required to use a .NET Passport to sign in.
Signing in helps ensure that you are who you say you are, and that no one
else can pretend to be you. Because you may build a reputation in the
Community by answering questions accurately, and you build other people’s
reputations when you rate their answer to your question, it is important
that others can trust that you are who you say are each time you participate
in Communities."

"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:8fOdnVHAJZ8ACCLbnZ2dnUVZ_qiinZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

Thanks... guess it doesn't matter then. Tried to Google the 'microsoft
communities features' but didn't come up with much. No biggie -- just
trying to find out what those features are...

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:uMKGjST3HHA.5724[at]TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
- quote -

I think if you look you will find that the Vista "Communities" account
server points to msnews.microsoft.com--just like my non-Vista machines. The
prime difference seems to be the setting telling the reader that it supports
the Communities features.

"Ben" <no_spam[at]junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:bN6dnRfaNupJ4CLbnZ2dnUVZ_rWtnZ2d[at]giganews.com...
- quote -

I noticed the same newsgroup is available via a regular news server
(Giganews) as well as the Microsoft Communities server. Interesting, the
same group there had messages going back as far as 2003.

Do messages posted on either wind up on both? Is there an advantage to
using one over the other?

Thanks!