Hi folks.

Raymond was wondering why people keep "jumping ahead" in the Harvey
Gerst thread.

It's a funcion of how the newsreader orders things Raymond, so going
to roadrunner will not change anything there. It's essentially a 'most
recent poster' ordering.

Another option you might try is accessing groups through google. Some
here have tried it and said that they didn't like it, but don't say
why. I like it because it reads in HTML, which allows me to use my
preferred larger amber colored fonts over a charcoal background. Much
easier on the eyes.

when you first get to a group via google/HTML, it will be in
'origional format', which means there is a sidecar on the left, main
screen to the right. When you click on a thread, the nested 'BBS
style' listing of posters to that thread appears in the sidecar, so
you can see all at once who posted. If you're just going to read in
order, you don't need the sidecar taking up space, so there's an
option at the top of the side car to get rid of it, and read the
thread/post 'fullscreen'. Then, at the upper right of the window is
the 'origianal format' option to restore the sidecar when you wish.

Don't make the mistake i did though. After i figured out that i read
posts based on the subject, and not the posters, i would immediately
lose the side car as soon as i came in. After awile it 'remembered'
for me so that i was in 'full screen' mode upon entering. Great, huh?
Only problem is, it simultaneously took away the 'origional format'
option at the same time. (i was going to remove the last 4
tautological words there, as i edit, but it's more entertaing to
leave them in g) On rare occassion i'd like to see the sidecar
poster listings, but i don't have the option anymore. We might hope
that with google's new found IPO moola, they could afford to hire
somebody smart enough to understand that 'assuming a default' doesn't
equate to 'i don't even want the option anymore'.

Anyways, an easy prevention is to go to 'full screen' (i forget what
it's actually called, 'cos it's been so long) upon entering, then go
to 'origional format' before you leave. It won't 'remember', but the
two extra clicks are worth it to keep the option.

In HTML mode it's listed by most recent thread (as anywhere), the next
column naming the most recent poster to that thread. When you click on
a thread, it always starts with the origional poster. The order of
things may change after the OP and the first to respond, depending
upon which post someone is responding to, but the OP is always first
when you click on that thread. Hence my confusion about "jumping
ahead".

At the bottom of each message is a 'respond to this post' link. Your
message to, say, the fifth poster in a thread will line up behind
however many others have reponded to *that* post. Remember also, the
3-9 hr. time lag from 'post to print'.

Anyhoo, in HTML format i can read it in my customized screen and
browser settings. I don't have the outlook express gizwahs and whatnot
at the top and side, taking up space. "Comfortable reading" is my
priority here. But actually, the functionality seems to suit me better
too. A nice, big font 'subject' is easier to click on than a tiny box.

It's worth a try.

JF

John Fowler wrote:
Raymond was wondering why people keep "jumping ahead" in the Harvey
Gerst thread.

It's a funcion of how the newsreader orders things Raymond, so going
to roadrunner will not change anything there. It's essentially a 'most
recent poster' ordering.

You mean to say there are still newsreader programs out there that
don't default to threaded mode? Why would you use something that
puts things in an unnatural order when the technology to put them
in a natural order has been around for well over 10 years? I was
reading in threaded mode with trn in like 1991...

Another option you might try is accessing groups through google. Some
here have tried it and said that they didn't like it, but don't say
why. I like it because it reads in HTML, which allows me to use my
preferred larger amber colored fonts over a charcoal background. Much
easier on the eyes.

Well, hopefully most decent newreader software will let you set the
font and text colors! But probably not all of it...

- Logan

"John Fowler" wrote ...
Raymond was wondering why people keep "jumping ahead"
in the Harvey Gerst thread.

It's a funcion of how the newsreader orders things Raymond,
so going to roadrunner will not change anything there. It's
essentially a 'most recent poster' ordering.

NNTP is a very ancient, pre-internet protocol. It uses a
"store-n-forward" technology developed decades before
the P2P filesharing of today. Distribution of messages is
"best-effort" and carries absolutely no guarantees that any
message will arrive in any particular order (or even to
arrive at all).

The timestamps are those of the sending computers and if
your computer clock is a few minutes (or hours, days, or even
years) off, your message may appear to be "out of order".

And then there are dozens/scores of different newsreader
client applications which may or may not display the
messages in the sequence you would prefer.

Another option you might try is accessing groups through
google. Some here have tried it and said that they didn't
like it, but don't say why. I like it because it reads in HTML,
which allows me to use my preferred larger amber colored
fonts over a charcoal background. Much easier on the eyes.

Note that while Google Groups uses HTML to display certain
formatting on your browser screen, NEVER actually post HTML
(or "rich text" of any kind) to the newsgroups. Most text-only
newsgroups like this one abhor anything beyond plaintext.

John Fowler wrote:
Raymond was wondering why people keep "jumping ahead" in the Harvey
Gerst thread.

It's a funcion of how the newsreader orders things Raymond, so going
to roadrunner will not change anything there. It's essentially a 'most
recent poster' ordering.

I think its sometimes the reader I use and sometimes somebody wanting to
correct something I posted. I don't mind if someone point's out something I
stated is wrong or out of subject, I will be the first to face up to being
wrong if someone does it in a professional manor. I also some times lose
threads (or they get jumbled around) and then they come back, this I know is
the reader and there is nothing I can do about it.

"Richard Crowley" wrote in message ...
"John Fowler" wrote ...
Raymond was wondering why people keep "jumping ahead"
in the Harvey Gerst thread.

It's a funcion of how the newsreader orders things Raymond,
so going to roadrunner will not change anything there. It's
essentially a 'most recent poster' ordering.

NNTP is a very ancient, pre-internet protocol. It uses a
"store-n-forward" technology developed decades before
the P2P filesharing of today. Distribution of messages is
"best-effort" and carries absolutely no guarantees that any
message will arrive in any particular order (or even to
arrive at all).


Logan, Richard, i hear your *RRRRRR!!!!* "wrong!" button loud and
clear. Mea culpa, sirs. I haven't been on news readers for quite
awhile, as i say. My conjecture, based on his description of the
problem, was mistakenly presented as 'fact' by me. Sorry 'bout that.

My terminology was terrible too, thanks for getting me up to date
there.

My intention was to present Raymond, and others, with the option of
accessing through google, and to welcome folks such as yourselves to
help with newsreader issues. If you feel so inclined, you can read his
3 most recent posts on the "Harvey Gerst" thread and see if you can
understand what he's talking about.
It wasn't just the 'jumping ahead', he also said something to the
effect that he could only post at the end of a thread, but i'm not
clear about that because of the wording.


Note that while Google Groups uses HTML to display certain
formatting on your browser screen, NEVER actually post HTML
(or "rich text" of any kind) to the newsgroups. Most text-only
newsgroups like this one abhor anything beyond plaintext.

Not to worry Richard. So far as i know, messages are always sent in
'newsgroup' plaintext style, regardless of whatever form you read in.
I know that's the case here. The titles 'subject' and 'your message',
e.g. are in my customized fonts, over my b/g. But the box i'm typing
in is in plain text, white text/black b/g being the only other option
there.

Anyways, thanks for you guys jumping in on this and straightening it
out before Raymond saw my OP. You both saved him a bit of head
scratching there. Your info should give him a head start on understing
the issue in any case.

Best regards.


JF

Richard Crowley wrote:

The timestamps are those of the sending computers and if
your computer clock is a few minutes (or hours, days, or even
years) off, your message may appear to be "out of order".

Not allowing the critter to do "summer time" will also cause the time to
be correct, at least with this version of windows. This message is
posted around UTC 22:08 ...


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************

Richard Crowley wrote:

The timestamps are those of the sending computers and if
your computer clock is a few minutes (or hours, days, or even
years) off, your message may appear to be "out of order".

Not allowing the critter to do "summer time" will also cause the time to
be correct, at least with this version of windows. This message is
posted around UTC 22:08 ...


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************