Topic: AutoCAD Discussion Newsgroups go byebye

[Kerry]

I've spent the morning synchronising my Newsgroup listings.
In case you've missed the news, Autodesk are stopping the NNTP service, so the Newsgroups will no longer be accessable by any means other that through their forums.

Here's the notification :
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=775779&tstart=0

Just as a matter of interest, the website forum quoted shows 0 replies.
The Newsgroup shows numerous replies, mostly expressing distain.
Looks like my newsreader grabbed the replies before 'someone' erased them from the server.

[erased comment cause this is not the place for them. :kdub]

so I now have confirmed my access to millions   half a million peer to peer posts that I can search locally.

If [you] want to do the same, be quick about it  


[edit: fixed my exagerated post count : kdub]

[rkmcswain]

My personal feelings aside.... I suspect in the short term, several NNTP only people will stay away, but they will either eventually come around and participate, or be 'replaced' by other 'experts' - I doubt there will be any real measurable effect in the long run.

[Kate M]

Just as a matter of interest, the website forum quoted shows 0 replies.
The Newsgroup shows numerous replies, mostly expressing distain.
Looks like my newsreader grabbed the replies before 'someone' erased them from the server.

Kerry, nothing's been erased. The thread you linked here to was in the VBA forum, and I don't see any replies there on the webside or NNTP. The change notice was posted in all discussion groups, and has generated some lively (un-erased) discussions, especially in the 2011 forum.

Before you bail on the forums entirely, see what the webside actually looks like later this week -- I don't know details of the changes, but don't judge it based on what it looks like today.

[JohnK]

Sniffing and Spoofing because of "infringements" and even the legit bite the dust too (It was just a matter of time.).

Duke, Microsoft, Autodesk, ...?

Next order of buisness:
BB's next?

[JCTER]

Dear Lord, one look at the thread in the 2011 forum reminds just why I hadn't been to that part of the autodesk site in so very, very long.

[Bob Wahr]

That's kinda eerie weird.  I read your post and the name Tony Tanzillo popped into my head.  Imagine my surprise...

[Strucmad]

Good to read Cadaver is still ticking....

I do miss the old fart.

[Kerry]

subst in http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=33535.msg389475#msg389475 "ticking" "trolling"

[Bob Wahr]

Well played, sir.

[JohnK]

RE: http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=775707&tstart=0

Who here thinks money savings or controlling content is part of Autodesk's decision to shutdown nntp servers?

[Mark]

Who here thinks money savings or controlling content is part of Autodesk's decision to shutdown nntp servers?

My guess. The IT guy that kept the NNTP server running is retiring soon and there isn't anyone at Adesk that knows the system well enough to run it. That and they don't want to pay someone with that kind of experience so it ultimately comes down to money. I personally don't feel Adesk is that hung-up on controlling the content.

[JCTER]

Back when I -did- frequent the boards on a heavy basis...

The only censorship I -ever- saw was exactly what some other rational person in that thread mentioned... someone was being EXCESSIVELY inflammatory to another person on a personal level.  Imagine why TT seems to be the one with the censorship problems.  Go figure.

I've had discussions regarding Solidworks and Inventor on the AD boards before.  I do not recall the conversation being limited or removed in part of in full.  Funny how that worked out.  I have even had discussions about alternative software rendering capabilities in a thread started frequented by an Autodesk employee, and surprise, surprise... nothing happened.  /shrug

I think if you are decently civil, you'll not have your posts edited.  However, if you go off the FAR DEEP end with your inflammatory posting habits, you may get snipped, which may -happen- to include some references to other software, but it most likely was not at all motivated by anti-competition clauses in their moderation handbook.

[dgorsman]

I have seen a few posts about how to bypass certain features like the EDU plot stamp get removed, and some script-kiddie nonsense posts but yeah - they are pretty liberal about moderation.  More liberal than a number of other places, in fact - makes me wish for Deathshadow, a moderator from another discussion group I used to frequent.  *Anybody* stepped outside the ground rules and punishment was swift but evenhanded.

[dgorsman]

RE: http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=775707&tstart=0

Who here thinks money savings or controlling content is part of Autodesk's decision to shutdown nntp servers?

Money savings, yes.  While the respected posters who make the majority of posts use the service I suspect (personal opinion here) that the majority of readers/loiterers use the web side.  They don't post anything and only link in through Google search results, so there is no real record of them from our side of the screen.

Controlling content, maybe.  Better moderation?  We can only hope.  "Evil empire/we will only allow our own opinions and filter out anything contrary", we can only hope not.  Of course doing that would cost money and invalidate point 1.

[JCTER]

For one, the only people who give a poop enough to vote are going to be the whiners who use the newsfeed, for the most part.  The people who voted for the web side are probably like me, and don't really care, but wanted to vote for whatever the whiners were opposed to, just to spite them.

Above all of that, I'm reasonably sure that the votes -maybe- comprise such a small fraction of the populace, probably a fraction of one whole percent... that it doesn't mean jack crap anyways, not to mention the obvious vote jacking and compromised vote tallying.  The poll is retarded and irrelevant.  How big must their egos be to think that the newsfeed authors are the experts on the software, and that without the newsfeed users, the forums will not have anyone to teach them (or belittle them).  How big must their egos be, to think that out of the entirety of the Autodesk user base, and forum user base, that the... what... 30-40 people who voted in favor of newsfeeds (assuming they were actually one vote per person...) are at all significant enough to be a blip on anyone's radar?  Add to that the fact that any change is going to bring about people who want to complain for the sake of complaining and.... yea.