Anybody From Microsoft Here?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

<scientistnewsgroups@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121868830.917372.112760@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Maybe you could have a word with the people who run the MS newsgroup
> servers to see what they can do about keeping persistent off-topic
> posters and cross-posters off of these newsgroups e.g. Bible John.
>
> As they are touted on the MS website as a user resource it would be sad
> if users were put off seeking help or offering advice through others'
> selfishness.
>


How about using a kill file and moderating what you don't like yourself?

It comes under the guise of "self-moderation" and "Freedom of choice".
Sometimes we often do not like to hear an unpopular voice, but at times we
might be the unpopular ones.

It would seem that asking for heavy-handed moderation would be a prime
example of selfishness, wanting viewpoints that comform to a certain type.

..02, unpopular as that may be.

(sorry folks - touchy topic with a simpleton such as myself).

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

xTenn wrote:
> <scientistnewsgroups@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1121868830.917372.112760@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> > Maybe you could have a word with the people who run the MS newsgroup
> > servers to see what they can do about keeping persistent off-topic
> > posters and cross-posters off of these newsgroups e.g. Bible John.
> >
> > As they are touted on the MS website as a user resource it would be sad
> > if users were put off seeking help or offering advice through others'
> > selfishness.
> >
>
>
> How about using a kill file and moderating what you don't like yourself?
>
> It comes under the guise of "self-moderation" and "Freedom of choice".
> Sometimes we often do not like to hear an unpopular voice, but at times we
> might be the unpopular ones.

I am using an RSS reader to pick up this news feed which doesn't appear
to have a kill-file equivalent. But once the thread is started and
cross-posted people from all sorts of areas dive in and reply giving a
very large signal to noise ratio, I can't kill-file everybody.

In the case of this newsgroup it is very clear as what the purpose of
it is, PocketPC and related topics. Bible John might be talking about
pickling cauliflowers or tattooing dachshunds' bellies, whatever it is
it is an abuse of this newsgroup if it isn't PocketPC. Would you be
happy to sit down and listen to an orchestra in a concert hall with
somebody else standing on the stage making a loud speech on a megaphone?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

John Eddy [MSFT] wrote:
> <scientistnewsgroups@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1121868830.917372.112760@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> > Maybe you could have a word with the people who run the MS newsgroup
> > servers to see what they can do about keeping persistent off-topic
> > posters and cross-posters off of these newsgroups e.g. Bible John.
> >
> > As they are touted on the MS website as a user resource it would be sad
> > if users were put off seeking help or offering advice through others'
> > selfishness.
>
> I would recommend using a newsreader and accessing the newsgroups directly
> at msnews.microsoft.com for a much cleaner experience. Outlook Express
> comes with WindowsXP and, if you would rather use a different newsreader, I
> would recommend http://www.newsreaders.com to get a list of other
> newsreaders.
>
> If you are unable to access newsgroups due to port restrictions, you may
> want to utilize Microsoft's web based newsreader at
> http://www.microsoft.com/communiti [...] .pocketpc.
>
> John Eddy
> Microsoft Newsgroups Administrator

Thanks for the reply John however I find my RSS reader more convenient
as I can use just the one application for all my information sources. I
will ask the developer if any kill-file support is likely to be
implemented in the near future, otherwise I may try another reader

Is there no policy in place at Microsoft to filter out serial abusers
of your newsgroups? I could understand the legal difficulties and
possibly technical ones but either way they seriously harm the mutual
support experience.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

<scientistnewsgroups@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121875238.409318.204990@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> I would recommend using a newsreader and accessing the newsgroups
>> directly
>> at msnews.microsoft.com for a much cleaner experience. Outlook Express
>> comes with WindowsXP and, if you would rather use a different newsreader,
>> I
>> would recommend http://www.newsreaders.com to get a list of other
>> newsreaders.
>>
>> If you are unable to access newsgroups due to port restrictions, you may
>> want to utilize Microsoft's web based newsreader at
>> http://www.microsoft.com/communiti [...] .pocketpc.
>>
>> John Eddy
>> Microsoft Newsgroups Administrator
>
> Thanks for the reply John however I find my RSS reader more convenient
> as I can use just the one application for all my information sources. I
> will ask the developer if any kill-file support is likely to be
> implemented in the near future, otherwise I may try another reader

There's no way to point your RSS Reader at a different nntp server? Most
RSS Readers I've used allow me to pick whatever server I want to subscribe
to newsgroups.


> Is there no policy in place at Microsoft to filter out serial abusers
> of your newsgroups? I could understand the legal difficulties and
> possibly technical ones but either way they seriously harm the mutual
> support experience.

If I might make a suggestion, before you ask that question, try looking at
the newsgroup actually *on* Microsoft's servers.

John Eddy
Microsoft Newsgroups Administrator

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"John Eddy [MSFT]" <johneddy@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:eaAq%23wUjFHA.2904@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>

> I think if you subscribe to this newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com, you'll
> find that the off-topic posts are *not* there.

I think you're correct. I only see the Bible John guy every once and a while
(he's just a laugh at this point). Nothing else off topic or excessively
cross posted.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 13:06:18 -0400, Chance Hopkins wrote:

>I only see the Bible John guy every once and a while

I never see Bible John. He's killfiled, for all eternity.

Amen.

--
"I'd far rather be happy than right any day."
- Slartibartfast

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

<scientistnewsgroups@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121932820.359029.91880@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> John Eddy [MSFT] wrote:
>
> I appeare to be firewalled out of NNTP completely, is there an RSS feed
> available from the msnews.microsoft.com server? I currently get the
> unfiltered version from Google.

No, we don't provide RSS feeds of our nntp newsgroups. You would either
need to use our web based newsreader or discuss with your IT department
allowances to connect to a public nntp server.

John Eddy
Microsoft Newsgroups Administrator