I'm looking for a way to reduce the time spent on this site scanning
threads of interest for new postings.

Currently I'm accessing this site through Excelforum.com, selecting My
Profile (through quick links), finding all posts by me and clicking on
my entry in each one individually and scanning to see if new posts have
been made. This is time intensive. Usually nothing new is posted and
I've just wasted that search time. Is there a better way?

And what is the best way of highlighting threads I've not posted to but
which I want to monitor for new postings? I want to cull out anything
without new postings.


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John James
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Yes, it's called a newsreader. A newsreader is much faster and more
flexible than any of the web interfaces. There are many:

http://newsreaders.com/

though Agent has a very good reputation, and Outlook Express can
pretend to be one in a pinch:

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/ie/oe6nws01.htm

also, for searching, see

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/xlnews.htm



In article ,
John James
wrote:

Is there a better way?

Thanks, JE McGimpsey

I've downloaded & installed Agent Free as a newsreader.

Agent is not picking up all postings from the excel newsgroups (e.g.
microsoft.public.excel.misc). It may miss some parts of a thread, or
the thread altogether. Don't understand why. Haven't found a pattern
for the parts of threads not picked up.

Any ideas of how to fix or where to look for solution?

TIA

JE McGimpsey Wrote:
Yes, it's called a newsreader. A newsreader is much faster and more
flexible than any of the web interfaces. There are many:

http://newsreaders.com/

though Agent has a very good reputation


--
John James
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Does anyone have a newsreader that they recommend?

Agent was useless because it randomly downloaded half of the postings
and ignored the rest. And there's no help on this issue. Luckily I
tried before buying, so it was only my time that was lost!


--
John James
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John

I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Forte Agent.

I have used it for years through many version upgrades.

Currently using 2.0.................tried 3.0 but did not care for the
interface.

Have never had a problem with downloading postings.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP




On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 15:19:24 -0500, John James
wrote:


Does anyone have a newsreader that they recommend?

Agent was useless because it randomly downloaded half of the postings
and ignored the rest. And there's no help on this issue. Luckily I
tried before buying, so it was only my time that was lost!

John,

I use OE but it really sucks, I am just so used to it. I have also talked to
a lot of people quite skilled when it comes to newsreaders and they say
Agent is far superior to OE in all regards. It sounds to me as either a
setting that you have missed or server problems. Others I have heard
recommended are Xnews, NewsXpress and Mozilla

I have never heard anyone recommending OE


--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

http://nwexcelsolutions.com




"John James" wrote
in message ...

Does anyone have a newsreader that they recommend?

Agent was useless because it randomly downloaded half of the postings
and ignored the rest. And there's no help on this issue. Luckily I
tried before buying, so it was only my time that was lost!


--
John James
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http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32690
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Thanks Gord and Peo,

Forte Agent appears to be off the hook.

I configured Outlook Express to point to microsoft.public.excel.misc
and it successfully connected as well. But it had the same problem of
not seeing many of the postings - only slightly worse. It is not a
timing issue.

I rang my ISP provider and they said that it is not a problem with
their service because there is a connection. They suggested it was a
Microsoft problem.

I rang Microsoft and they said they wouldn't investigate it unless I
paid them a fee. I explained the only reason I was looking to use a
newsreader was to manage access this group - and the only reason for
accessing this group was to provide FREE, VOLUNTEER support on a
Microsoft product - Excel.

Even though I explained I was only asking for their help to help them
by providing this free support, they decided that I would have to pay
them to do this!!!!!!! They kept me on the line for about an hour
(largely listening to their music whilst waiting to speak to the next
person who would not help). They wouldn't even point me in a direction
to investigate.

Not impressed, Microsoft!


--
John James
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