10+ years

[Anonymous]

Wanted to get in one last post via NNTP. After more than 10 years it's sad
to think it's going away. I'll reserve judgment on the new web interface
until it's up and running. Fingers crossed (but breath not being held).

See you (maybe) on the flip side.

--
Sean Dotson, PE
www.mcadforums.com
www.ipropwiz.com

[sdotson]

Wow, is this text small or what?  (Yeah I know I can change it on my end but it's TINY).  Have not played around with it enough to make any judgements.

Pete, RSS works for skimming blogs.  Not for web forums.  Once oyu find something interesting you have to end up going them to see the entire thread anyway.

NNTP was the best for newgroups (that's why it was invented in the first place).  Web forums will never be as good for discussion groups of this size.

[sdotson]

Yeah Kent I see what you mean about spell check not working here.  Obviously it's not HTML 4.0 compliant.

[kellings]

Dennis, you may have turned off automatic subscription, but did you go to the threads that you were subscribed to and unsubscribe from each one of them?

When I first replied to this thread, I subscribed to it. I then came back and turned off my subscription to this thread and it quit sending me emails, so it seems to be working for me.

I know this web forum isn't as good as NNTP, but it is much better than the previous web version. I haven't used NNTP in a couple of years or so, so I am liking the changes. I would like to still have NNTP access for those who want it, but NNTP is starting to die.

[Dennis_Jeffrey]

Finally found it after looking in all the possible places except the left side top.  I've been developing websites since 1994, But I'd never choose web over NNTP, simply because NNTP is far superior for lists like discussion groups.

Advantages of NNTP over web accessed databases:

1. Headers only are downloaded, waiting to become active when selected.

2. Easily able to handle large lists and countless users.

Disadvantages of web based access:

1. Everytime a thread is accessed, the server must do an activer server search, then populate the page.

2. When a particular post is selected, the server must do another active page to display all responses

On a high traffic site, once the server has run do hundreds or thousands of active page generation, things slow way down.

Just wait until this site gets very busy again...  I'd love to be proved wrong.

[~master]

Dennis has a point. The active server pages  do require   Where is the f-ing cursor? No cursor while I am typing here. Completely inline with Adesk experience, stuff that works gets messed up, while a bunch of new things gets thrown in.

Anway, the active server pages do increase network traffic.  That wouldn't be a problem if Inventor didn't hog a network traffic by itself. But it does.

Where are tags?

Where is the cursor?

[kellings]

I wouldn't worry about too many page views unless Autodesk is running this NG on a Pentium 4 box that they keep in the corner in the back of the offices

I am sure this NG is on a server that can handle the traffic. Think about how MSN and Yahoo and Google and I could keep going get probably 100x the traffic as this NG does and they seem to be fine.

I can see a cursur when I use this forum. It looks like it would in any word processing program.

Oh and I was going to mention, I quit using NNTP a couple of years ago (maybe 3?) because I the disc space that the topics were taking up on my HDD. I don't really want to store stuff unless I have some use for it. So I switched to the web side. Again, I would rather we had the option of using whatever method the user wanted.

[Mike_Maenpaa]

To be productive, the interface really needs to be layed out like Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.

Select discussion group in left pane, Message header in top frame and message body in bottom frame.

Only having New Messages shown in OE, I could easily skim through several topics from several forums.

Now, I have to go through several pages and a lot of mouse scrolling.

The web interface is way too slow; but, if it was at least layed out like OE, it would be easier to navigate.

Mike

[sam_m]

yes, I was a nntp user and been spending the last 10mins trying to work out where things are and how best to set this up - general conclusing "friggin pile of sh*t"

Please bring back NTTP...  If needed, make us sign into NNTP with our Autodesk logins if this update was justified by better control of those posting - therefore our nntp posts will still be tied to our Autodesk accounts.  RSS isn't a solution as it's a 1 way street - can read but not post.  (as others have said) completely unsuitable for a message board.

I've lost all my previously watched topic 😞

I can no longer quickly browse multiple forums (e.g. inventor, MDT, Fusion, cadmanagers, hardware, etc) - have to keep going back to the discussion front and reload each, just takes an age compared to nntp.

I've just tried searching for my username to subscribe to old topics and that's a joke...  Found the correct Search box (not the ony marked "Search" at the top right of the page (which was the only seach box visible from my account details), change the drop-down to "users" and wait a good 10 seconds only to find a mess of a list...   What's even better... "Sam M" in users and get 4 results back - they're all me, so how do i get them all linked (and ideally how can i link them to my/this forum account)?

Just realised I've lost my spell-checker too 😞

On a side note - where's the "user previous posts" list that you usually get with a forum?  In my account info it says I already have 1 forum post - where?  what is it?  This account is old and I have no idea where/what it is.  How can i find it (oh, please don't say I need to go near that search box again).

honestly what's the appeal for old NNTP users to post now?  When we were warned about the loss of NNTP (without an explanation why) there were a load of questions and concerns without a single word of reasurance from Autodesk.  Why should users contiue to support each other when we get little support from AD?  1st we get screwed with the Alias Design for Inventor and now this - what a good year for the Inventor community 😞

[lgr]

ByBy newsgroupNNTP rules

[finnurp]

A sad day indeed.  The web interface is so slow, there is no overwiev and the letters are too small and I must admit that since I went on Windows 7 I haven't been in here very often due to the lack of OE.

Thanks to all for the great help you have provided over the years.

Finnur P.

[ampster401]

---

@samm wrote:

honestly what's the appeal for old NNTP users to post now?

Yeah, that and where is the appeal of NNTP users to actually read or browse thru all of this?

You can only read or see the contents of one message at a time...too many negatives to list.

Good Luck to anybody seeking help in the future.

[брайян_ивашкевич]

Nostradamus predicted the loss of the NNTP protocol as one of the harbingers of the end of the world in 2012.

[sam_m]

Do a google for "lithium forum nntp" - lots of large businesses use Lithium and it sounds like a familiar story everywhere...

Lots of requests for nntp support which Lithium apparently don't offer - would have thought if Autodesk, Symantec, Virgin Media, Blackberry, Sage, etc all have users asking for nntp it would be in Lithium's interest to offer it.  Hell, presumably Autodesk (and the others) have all paid for this forum - they should be able to ask for features they want (which should be a reflection of what us, their paying customer, want - simply no denying that nntp shouldn't be on that list.)

also lots of familiar complaints at the bad layout, interface and speed of Lithium...

oh well imaging Dassault are laughing if Autodesk subscribers are screwed over, so at least this all pleases someone...  And to look forward to in the future, if this forum hemorrhages its major users then it might (just) become a usable speed - I'd laugh if it wasn't so true...