Test.

[Dr Peter Young]

No news at all has arrived here yet today. This is just to see if it's
still working :-)

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Paul Vigay]

Post by Dr Peter Young
No news at all has arrived here yet today. This is just to see if it's
still working :-)

All arrived here ok. News has been working normally here today, and I've
been keeping a close eye on the server - but all is running smoothly at the
moment.

[Dr Peter Young]

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Dr Peter Young
No news at all has arrived here yet today. This is just to see if it's
still working :-)

All arrived here ok. News has been working normally here today, and I've
been keeping a close eye on the server - but all is running smoothly at the
moment.

Thanks for this, but something odd is happening somewhere. My post and
this reply were the only news messages I had yesterday; this morning
159 messages arrived, some going back as far as 1 June.

Glad it's settled, anyway, as we're off for two weeks in Pembrokeshire
on about 5 hours :-)

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Russell Hafter News]

On 2 Jun 2007 Paul Vigay

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Dr Peter Young
No news at all has arrived here yet today. This is
just to see if it's still working :-)

All arrived here ok. News has been working normally
here today, and I've been keeping a close eye on the
server - but all is running smoothly at the moment.

Thanks for this, but something odd is happening
somewhere. My post and this reply were the only news
messages I had yesterday; this morning 159 messages
arrived, some going back as far as 1 June.
Glad it's settled, anyway, as we're off for two weeks in
Pembrokeshire on about 5 hours :-)

Much the same here too. No news at all yesterday, though
Newshound was connecting to the server OK - it just did not
finds anything.

Then, this morning, a whole load of stuff downlaoded.

Now, in the (Sunday) evening, newshound just reports
"Wailting for retry", so I shall e-mail this as well as
posting it to the NG when contact is restored.

[Paul Vigay]

Now, in the (Sunday) evening, newshound just reports "Wailting for
retry", so I shall e-mail this as well as posting it to the NG when
contact is restored.

I've been monitoring the server ever since someone reported similar
problems yesterday morning - but I can't reproduce anything here and
Newshound appears to be downloading normally.

I can only assume that yesterday was a 'slow news' day, which is odd
because, from a personal basis, I'm subscribed to about 20 general purpose
newsgroups and they were also abnormally quiet.

Perhaps there was a problem upstream with GIganews, whom we buy our
newsfeed from? Although, again, nothing on their status page - and I've
paid the bill this month! :-)

Paul

[Bill (Adopt)]

Newsgroups: argonet.acorn.voyager
Subject: Re: Test.
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:25

Post by Paul Vigay

Now, in the (Sunday) evening, newshound just reports "Wailting for
retry", so I shall e-mail this as well as posting it to the NG when
contact is restored.

I've been monitoring the server ever since someone reported similar
problems yesterday morning - but I can't reproduce anything here and
Newshound appears to be downloading normally.

It doesn't matter whether or not you can reproduce a
fault, Paul ..you have reports that there is a fault
- and from customers whom you should be able to trust
as not only reliable and generally competent, but also
willingly helpful. :))

As others have reported I have the same fault - nothing
at all yesterday nor, repeatedly, this morning and then,
only now in the last few minutes, a sputtering of items.

This is a repeated if infrequent glitch that mostly seems
to clear in less than a day. Almost as if something greedy
somewhere is grabbing your free memory by the juicy bits...

As you know I'm also connected to the Aarlberg Uni server
and, as usual, that continues to perform without glitch,
so I'm alwasy assured of a c.s.a.* download, even when the
World of Orpheus has apparently stopped...

Post by Paul Vigay
I can only assume that yesterday was a 'slow news' day, which is odd
because, from a personal basis, I'm subscribed to about 20 general purpose
newsgroups and they were also abnormally quiet.

..and this doesn't tell you something ..anything..? ;))

Post by Paul Vigay
Perhaps there was a problem upstream with GIganews, whom we buy our
newsfeed from? Although, again, nothing on their status page - and I've
paid the bill this month! :-)

;)) ..glad to see it! (..and thanks for the not
inconsiderable effort at negotiating a reasonable
deal)... :))

..but, just a thought, ;'))

I wonder that if you were to subscribe to your own service,
as an anonymous customer of course, you would then be able
to reproduce these occasional glitches that the rest of us,
your customers, have?

If you are then able to repeat these glitches, as a customer
of Orpheus, you could then set up an ongoing conversation with
yourself, responding to your received comment that /you/ don't
have any problems...

Just think of the theories that could abound between yourselves... ;))

Best wishes O;))

Bill ZFC

[Dr Peter Young]

Post by Paul Vigay

Now, in the (Sunday) evening, newshound just reports "Wailting for
retry", so I shall e-mail this as well as posting it to the NG when
contact is restored.

I've been monitoring the server ever since someone reported similar
problems yesterday morning - but I can't reproduce anything here and
Newshound appears to be downloading normally.
I can only assume that yesterday was a 'slow news' day, which is odd
because, from a personal basis, I'm subscribed to about 20 general purpose
newsgroups and they were also abnormally quiet.
Perhaps there was a problem upstream with GIganews, whom we buy our
newsfeed from? Although, again, nothing on their status page - and I've
paid the bill this month! :-)

There's still a problem here, I'm afraid. Got back from Pembrokeshire
yesterday evening, and there was a grand total of 26 news messages in
two weeks! All on the argonet.* domain, BTW. As NewsHound's status
window flashes past. I think it's telling me that there are about 500
messages on one of the c.s.a. groups, but nothing gets downloaded.
It'll be interesting to see if this message goes, and whether it comes
back!

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Paul Vigay]

Post by Dr Peter Young
There's still a problem here, I'm afraid. Got back from Pembrokeshire
yesterday evening, and there was a grand total of 26 news messages in
two weeks! All on the argonet.* domain, BTW. As NewsHound's status
window flashes past. I think it's telling me that there are about 500
messages on one of the c.s.a. groups, but nothing gets downloaded. It'll
be interesting to see if this message goes, and whether it comes back!

Everything should be working normally. I've certainly not had any news
failures from here, although news has been very quiet over the weekend, but
I've been monitoring via a Demon account as well and that downloaded the
same number of messages, so I assume it's just been fairly quiet, or
there's a problem with a news server elsewhere in the world, which is
having a knock-on effect in the UK.

[Dr Peter Young]

On 18 Jun 2007 Paul Vigay

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Dr Peter Young
There's still a problem here, I'm afraid. Got back from Pembrokeshire
yesterday evening, and there was a grand total of 26 news messages in
two weeks! All on the argonet.* domain, BTW. As NewsHound's status
window flashes past. I think it's telling me that there are about 500
messages on one of the c.s.a. groups, but nothing gets downloaded. It'll
be interesting to see if this message goes, and whether it comes back!

Everything should be working normally. I've certainly not had any news
failures from here, although news has been very quiet over the weekend, but
I've been monitoring via a Demon account as well and that downloaded the
same number of messages, so I assume it's just been fairly quiet, or
there's a problem with a news server elsewhere in the world, which is
having a knock-on effect in the UK.

It gets ever odder! This morning, after several failed news fetches,
NewsHound suddenly started downloading 667 messages from c.s.a.misc;
after about 350, it quit with an error message along the lines of
"peer has broken connection" (though I've enabled full logging, so
much has information has gone into the log that this error message has
fallen off the top if the pile). Then at the next attempt, over 2500
messages from various groups came streaming down, so I'm glad I
upgraded the broadband speed! :-)

I have no idea what's happening, but NewsHound and the news server
don't seem to be getting along together some of the time. Does anyone
have any idea of where I might look? I can also send bits of the log
file of that would be helpful to anyone. I promise I haven't changed
anything in NewsHound's config, apart from enabling the full logging.

Or should I take it to one of the c.s.a. groups? If so, which one
should that be, in order to escape a drucking? >;-)>

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Paul Vigay]

Post by Dr Peter Young
It gets ever odder! This morning, after several failed news fetches,
NewsHound suddenly started downloading 667 messages from c.s.a.misc;
after about 350, it quit with an error message along the lines of "peer
has broken connection" (though I've enabled full logging, so much has
information has gone into the log that this error message has fallen off
the top if the pile). Then at the next attempt, over 2500 messages from
various groups came streaming down, so I'm glad I upgraded the broadband
speed! :-)

That may be my problem. In an attempt to investigate yours (and a couple of
other) claims that something might be up, I reset the news server and
flushed the news cache this morning - just in case there was a corrupted
news message causing problems somewhere.

The problem with news is that you're effectively leaving your server open
for any messages that happen to be going through the Usenet system. Thus,
if a corrupted message is travelling around, several news servers might
throw a wobbly before anyone notices.

Out on the big wide internet, most ISPs don't care about news, so it's
supplied as an 'as is' services - purely because there are too many
variables to monitor. News is constantly flowing like a river and when you
do a newsfetch you're effectively putting a bucket out and collecting some
that happen to flow past. It's all a bit hit and miss - which is why most
ISPs don't offer news, because there's no way to effectively support it.
News is news - just random messages floating around cyberspace! :-)

[Dr Peter Young]

On 18 Jun 2007 Paul Vigay

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Dr Peter Young
It gets ever odder! This morning, after several failed news fetches,
NewsHound suddenly started downloading 667 messages from c.s.a.misc;
after about 350, it quit with an error message along the lines of "peer
has broken connection" (though I've enabled full logging, so much has
information has gone into the log that this error message has fallen off
the top if the pile). Then at the next attempt, over 2500 messages from
various groups came streaming down, so I'm glad I upgraded the broadband
speed! :-)

That may be my problem. In an attempt to investigate yours (and a couple of
other) claims that something might be up, I reset the news server and
flushed the news cache this morning - just in case there was a corrupted
news message causing problems somewhere.

[snip technical explanations]


Thanks for all this, and it's all flowing freely now. Fingers crossed
for the time being! Perhaps the server needs a regular dose of Number
Nine?

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Tennant Stuart]

Post by Paul Vigay
Out on the big wide internet, most ISPs don't care about news, so it's
supplied as an 'as is' services - purely because there are too many
variables to monitor. News is constantly flowing like a river and when you
do a newsfetch you're effectively putting a bucket out and collecting some
that happen to flow past. It's all a bit hit and miss - which is why most
ISPs don't offer news, because there's no way to effectively support it.

News is the best bit! Sigh...


Tennant

[Paul Vigay]

Post by Tennant Stuart
News is the best bit! Sigh...

I know - which is why we're one of the few ISPs which still carry
newsgroups.

However, when you look into the haphazard way news works around the world,
I'm surprised it works as well as it does.

The Orpheus newsfeed is one of the most reliable ones around - not that
there are many left to compare with, as most UK ISPs are dropping Usenet
access.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Tennant Stuart
News is the best bit! Sigh...

I know - which is why we're one of the few ISPs which still carry
newsgroups.
However, when you look into the haphazard way news works around the
world, I'm surprised it works as well as it does.
The Orpheus newsfeed is one of the most reliable ones around - not that
there are many left to compare with, as most UK ISPs are dropping Usenet
access.

I'm with Pipex and if they drop their present decent newsfeed I for one
will immediately change to one which still provides one. So if you stay
competitive price wise expect a goodly number of new customers. ;-)

[Tennant Stuart]

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Tennant Stuart
News is the best bit! Sigh...

I know - which is why we're one of the few ISPs which still carry
newsgroups.
However, when you look into the haphazard way news works around the world,
I'm surprised it works as well as it does.
The Orpheus newsfeed is one of the most reliable ones around - not that
there are many left to compare with, as most UK ISPs are dropping Usenet
access.

That makes news on Orpheus *very* reliable. :)


Tennant

[Bill (Adopt)]

[..]

Post by Tennant Stuart

Post by Paul Vigay
The Orpheus newsfeed is one of the most reliable ones around - not that
there are many left to compare with, as most UK ISPs are dropping Usenet
access.

That makes news on Orpheus *very* reliable. :)

Yes, it may well be, particularly when there's enough server
memory to go around and we ain't left waiting for a slot in
which 'our' subscribed groups can be collected! ;))

..but IPs and news access is not a new issue. You can gain
access yourself to a number of major news servers, worldwide,
either for free or for a small fee of a few gbp or euros paid
quarterly/annually or whatever. The fee is notional, rather
than commercial. (The Internet is wrapped up in it's Usenet
groups - which, unlike microsoft, google, yahoo - and broadly
based web systems, are all commercial addons making a profit
out of your pain.. ;)) It's a fine, but important, point to
understand that 'The Web' is not 'The Internet' ..it merely
uses the Internet...

Use your web access and google/yahoo/alta-vista to identify
free and minimal cost access to the tens of thousands of
active Usenet groups ..and, perhaps, to gain an insight into
the differences between web based systems stored on local IP
servers and the global Internet, which is designed to carry
on even when individual IPs fall by the wayside or have other,
temporary, difficulties...

So what might this mean to us? Well ..firstly, we have Paul -
a not inconsiderable electronic benefit, providing we keep
it's motors, servos and genetic components well oiled...

Secondly, the cost of Orpheus with news, (or more accurately
full Usenet access), together with a full unlimited access
to the rest of the 'net (ie Internet, W3, private spaces etc)
is a few gbp less per month than that other really comprehensive
service, BT - (who in all recent surveys now apparently lead
the way ...for once!).

So Orpheus is equivalent to the acknowledged industry leader,
without some of the additional frills perhaps, such as BTs much
heralded 2GB customer storage facilities, (if you trust such
supervised and regulated storage)! *@'))

The gain? Personal service, a non-onerous monthly contract
and someone to talk to around 03h00 when all fails! ;'))

hh :))

Bill ZFC
e&oe...!

[Paul Vigay]

Secondly, the cost of Orpheus with news, (or more accurately full Usenet
access), together with a full unlimited access to the rest of the 'net
(ie Internet, W3, private spaces etc) is a few gbp less per month than
that other really comprehensive service, BT - (who in all recent surveys
now apparently lead the way ...for once!).

I don't quite understand the above bit. I thought we were discussing news.
BT internet doesn't provide Newsgroup access at all. They dropped
newsgroups some time ago.

So Orpheus is equivalent to the acknowledged industry leader, without
some of the additional frills perhaps, such as BTs much heralded 2GB
customer storage facilities, (if you trust such supervised and regulated

We have more frills than BT generally. We offer support for all computer
systems for a start, provide newsgroup access and also provide unlimited
email storage (although why anyone would want to store more than 2GB is
beyond me. I've not even used 1GB on my entire hard drive here! :-)

The gain? Personal service, a non-onerous monthly contract and someone
to talk to around 03h00 when all fails! ;'))

:-)
Of course, I should point out that I'm not /always/ up and about at 3am.
Plus I've set my answering system with a loud claxxon, red alert siren and
"do not answer" alert when it detects calls from a certain person called
"Bill".... ;-)

[Bill (Adopt)]

Post by Paul Vigay

Secondly, the cost of Orpheus with news, (or more accurately full Usenet
access), together with a full unlimited access to the rest of the 'net
(ie Internet, W3, private spaces etc) is a few gbp less per month than
that other really comprehensive service, BT - (who in all recent surveys
now apparently lead the way ...for once!).

I don't quite understand the above bit. I thought we were discussing news.
BT internet doesn't provide Newsgroup access at all. They dropped
newsgroups some time ago.

Did they! Read again that which I wrote... ;))

Post by Paul Vigay

So Orpheus is equivalent to the acknowledged industry leader, without
some of the additional frills perhaps, such as BTs much heralded 2GB
customer storage facilities, (if you trust such supervised and regulated

We have more frills than BT generally. We offer support for all computer
systems for a start, provide newsgroup access and also provide unlimited
email storage (although why anyone would want to store more than 2GB is
beyond me. I've not even used 1GB on my entire hard drive here! :-)

The storage facilities have nothing to do with email, Paul.
You really need to be customer in good standing with BT to
know what they are /really/ offering ..to keep all your most
personal electronic possessions securely within their main-
frames, being the good, kind and public-spirited company that
they are.. ;))

(As well as their altruistic TV services, anti-virus progs,
hub phones and a range of other bits and pieces - unlimited
of course)... ;))

Post by Paul Vigay

The gain? Personal service, a non-onerous monthly contract and someone
to talk to around 03h00 when all fails! ;'))

:-)
Of course, I should point out that I'm not /always/ up and about at 3am.
Plus I've set my answering system with a loud claxxon, red alert siren and
"do not answer" alert when it detects calls from a certain person called
"Bill".... ;-)

..hehehhe... ;'))

Bill ZFC

[Tennant Stuart]

Post by Paul Vigay

Post by Dr Peter Young
There's still a problem here, I'm afraid. Got back from Pembrokeshire
yesterday evening, and there was a grand total of 26 news messages in
two weeks! All on the argonet.* domain, BTW. As NewsHound's status
window flashes past. I think it's telling me that there are about 500
messages on one of the c.s.a. groups, but nothing gets downloaded. It'll
be interesting to see if this message goes, and whether it comes back!

Everything should be working normally. I've certainly not had any news
failures from here, although news has been very quiet over the weekend,
but I've been monitoring via a Demon account as well and that downloaded
the same number of messages, so I assume it's just been fairly quiet, or
there's a problem with a news server elsewhere in the world, which is
having a knock-on effect in the UK.

The news server totally failed to upload & download at 18:02 last Friday,
but I just waited a couple of hours and then everything worked okay.


Tennant Stuart

[Richard Travers]

Post by Dr Peter Young
Glad it's settled, anyway, as we're off for two weeks in Pembrokeshire
on about 5 hours :-)

Ah. Land of my Fathers.

Or, rather, Land of my Father (he was born in Pembroke Dock).

R