WLM and Eternal-September

I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
a different news reader get it out of their systems.] I appear to have
everything configured properly but the only groups I can read (and post to)
are the E-S help groups, which apparently means WLM is not providing the E-S
server with my ID and password. I've checked and double-checked everything,
reloaded the list of groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without
success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new group that
worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with anyone who
solved the same problem I'd like to hear about it.

As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which I'm
using now) and it works fine with E-S with the exception that I have to
enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't remember it.

Helpful advice appreciated.

On 01/12/2011 23:07, DGDevin wrote:
> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
> using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
> a different news reader get it out of their systems.] I appear to have
> everything configured properly but the only groups I can read (and post to)
> are the E-S help groups, which apparently means WLM is not providing the E-S
> server with my ID and password. I've checked and double-checked everything,
> reloaded the list of groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without
> success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new group that
> worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with anyone who
> solved the same problem I'd like to hear about it.
>
> As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which I'm
> using now) and it works fine with E-S with the exception that I have to
> enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't remember it.
>
> Helpful advice appreciated.
>
>

It's a very well known problem with Eternal-September users.
You have to tick "request authentication with this server" in the
settings, and then reset the group list. It will then ask for user and
password once.

Does OE get all the groups? If so I can't fathom why it won't hold your
password.

Ed

In news:jb91ci$ge3$,
DGDevin wrote:
> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having
> trouble using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose only
> recommendation is to use a different news reader get it out of their
> systems.] I appear to have everything configured properly but the
> only groups I can read (and post to) are the E-S help groups, which
> apparently means WLM is not providing the E-S server with my ID and
> password. I've checked and double-checked everything, reloaded the
> list of groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without
> success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new group
> that worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with
> anyone who solved the same problem I'd like to hear about it.
> As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which
> I'm using now) and it works fine with E-S with the exception that I
> have to enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't
> remember it.
> Helpful advice appreciated.

Well everything you stated makes perfect sense to me. I used to use WLM,
but it just seems to be a broken OE to me. Either OE or Thunderbird is
what works (although I really dislike TB for newsgroups). And I never
had any desire for XP mode, as the real XP works far better. XP Mode is
just a tradeoff.

And I have used eternal-september.org for years and before the name
change. But there are certain times that it will reject a good username
and password. Nothing to worry about, as it could take a few hours to
clear up. Another thing is eternal-september.org desn't like too many
threads hitting it from one account. If it does, it too will lock you
out for a few hours or so.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3

DGDevin wrote:
> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
> using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
> a different news reader get it out of their systems.] I appear to have
> everything configured properly but the only groups I can read (and post to)
> are the E-S help groups, which apparently means WLM is not providing the E-S
> server with my ID and password. I've checked and double-checked everything,
> reloaded the list of groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without
> success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new group that
> worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with anyone who
> solved the same problem I'd like to hear about it.
>
> As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which I'm
> using now) and it works fine with E-S with the exception that I have to
> enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't remember it.
>
> Helpful advice appreciated.
>

As Ed says, authentication is an optional step. And on servers
that support both unauthenciated and authenticated operation,
it can make it difficult for a user to determine what is going on.

E-S has maybe a dozen groups listed when you connect unauthenticated.
That allows a new user, to "dial into" E-S and leave a message
they're not getting the full group list. Using the E-S support
group in that situation, you can ask for help.

If you tick a box in your newsreader software, to send authentication,
then the protocol includes "user" and "pass" type commands.

If the authentication is successful, you need to refresh the group list
(download the group list again), to get the thousands of them accessible
to an authenticated user. Then you can subscribe to things like alt.window7.general.

You can watch all of this with Wireshark packet sniffer, as long as
you're connected to port 119. If you use an encrypted port, the
username and password would not be visible in plaintext in the packet
sniffer.

If you use WLM 15, that doesn't support proper quoting of messages,
and leads to all sorts of bad blood. If you use WLM 14, that may
at least keep "peace in the valley".

Paul

"DGDevin" <> wrote in message news:jb91ci$ge3$...
>I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose
>only recommendation is to use a different news reader get it out of their systems.] I appear to have everything
>configured properly but the only groups I can read (and post to) are the E-S help groups, which apparently means WLM is
>not providing the E-S server with my ID and password. I've checked and double-checked everything, reloaded the list of
>groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new
>group that worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with anyone who solved the same problem I'd like
>to hear about it.
>
> As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which I'm using now) and it works fine with E-S with
> the exception that I have to enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't remember it.
>
> Helpful advice appreciated.
>


Just to add to what the others have already posted, check your settings. Under the Server tab, "This server requires me
to log on" and "Remember password" should both be checked (and, of course, the Account name and Password should be
filled in). Under the Advanced tab, the port number should be 563 and the Secure connection box should be checked.
That's the way mine is on both my WLM and OE machines.

If any of these have to be changed, you'll have to retrieve the group listing again to see them all.
--
SC Tom

On Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:07:49 -0800, DGDevin wrote:
>
> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
> using WLM with E-S.

Excellent!

> [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
> a different news reader get it out of their systems.]

If you don't want to be hated in every newsgroup you post to, you
will do exactly that.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

On 2/12/2011 10:37 AM, Paul wrote:
> DGDevin wrote:
>> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having
>> trouble using WLM with E-S. [Pause to let those whose only
>> recommendation is to use a different news reader get it out of their
>> systems.] I appear to have everything configured properly but the only
>> groups I can read (and post to) are the E-S help groups, which
>> apparently means WLM is not providing the E-S server with my ID and
>> password. I've checked and double-checked everything, reloaded the
>> list of groups, unsubscribed and resubscribed to groups without
>> success. One odd exception is I was able to subscribe to a new group
>> that worked properly, weird. If this situation rings any bells with
>> anyone who solved the same problem I'd like to hear about it.
>>
>> As an experiment I fired up XP Mode and tried Outlook Express (which
>> I'm using now) and it works fine with E-S with the exception that I
>> have to enter my password every time, for some reason OE won't
>> remember it.
>>
>> Helpful advice appreciated.
>
> As Ed says, authentication is an optional step. And on servers
> that support both unauthenciated and authenticated operation,
> it can make it difficult for a user to determine what is going on.
>
> E-S has maybe a dozen groups listed when you connect unauthenticated.
> That allows a new user, to "dial into" E-S and leave a message
> they're not getting the full group list. Using the E-S support
> group in that situation, you can ask for help.
>
> If you tick a box in your newsreader software, to send authentication,
> then the protocol includes "user" and "pass" type commands.
>
> If the authentication is successful, you need to refresh the group list
> (download the group list again), to get the thousands of them accessible
> to an authenticated user. Then you can subscribe to things like
> alt.window7.general.
>
> You can watch all of this with Wireshark packet sniffer, as long as
> you're connected to port 119. If you use an encrypted port, the
> username and password would not be visible in plaintext in the packet
> sniffer.
>
> If you use WLM 15, that doesn't support proper quoting of messages,
> and leads to all sorts of bad blood. If you use WLM 14, that may
> at least keep "peace in the valley".
>
> Paul
>
I'm using Thunderbird and everything works ok using the encrypted
connection server (on port 563) and ticking the send authentication box.
Also note I had to force the reader to accept the invalid SSL security
certificate, which it won't do by itself, otherwise the secure server
won't talk tot he client. Dunno if this might be part of your problem
with WLM, but it can't hurt to be aware of it.

"Stan Brown" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
>> using WLM with E-S.
>
> Excellent!

I knew there would be at least one.

>> [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
>> a different news reader get it out of their systems.]
>
> If you don't want to be hated in every newsgroup you post to, you
> will do exactly that.

I try not to waste hatred on something as petty as the software a person
uses, but that's just me.

On 12/02/2011, DGDevin posted:
> "Stan Brown" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>>> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having trouble
>>> using WLM with E-S.
>>
>> Excellent!

> I knew there would be at least one.

>>> [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
>>> a different news reader get it out of their systems.]
>>
>> If you don't want to be hated in every newsgroup you post to, you
>> will do exactly that.

> I try not to waste hatred on something as petty as the software a person
> uses, but that's just me.

Make it two :-)

One problem with the latest edition of WLM is simply that the bad
(read: non-existent) quoting style makes figuring out who said what in
a reply difficult to impossible.

If that's what you want, go for it.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

"DGDevin" <> wrote in message
news:jbb6pt$m8d$...
>
> "Stan Brown" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>>> I signed up with eternal-september.org for Usenet and I'm having
>>> trouble
>>> using WLM with E-S.
>>
>> Excellent!
>
> I knew there would be at least one.
>
>>> [Pause to let those whose only recommendation is to use
>>> a different news reader get it out of their systems.]
>>
>> If you don't want to be hated in every newsgroup you post to, you
>> will do exactly that.
>
> I try not to waste hatred on something as petty as the software a
> person uses, but that's just me.
>
The problem is that the software in question is broken in a way that
makes it difficult, if not impossible, to tell who said what when
reading replies posted by that newsreader. Even more so when two
people using that newsreader are replying in the same thread. So,
often regulars will advise the poster that the problem exists and
recommend changing to a different newsreader. Those who do not follow
that advise are often relegated to the killfiles of many regulars to
the group since it just isn't worth the time trying to parse the
replies.

So ultimately it is your choice of course, but good netiquette
suggests you heed the advise.

--
Zaphod

Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster: A cocktail based on Janx Spirit.
The effect of one is like having your brain smashed out
by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.