Using Thunderbird for Usenet
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From: Roger Mills on 22 May 2010 10:55 Having moved to a new computer, I've finally decided to bite the bullet and get shot of Outlook Express as a newsreader - and have opted for Thunderbird, largely because I'm using Firefox as a browser, and it's from the same stable - and free! Anyone know whether there's an Idiot's guide anywhere, telling ex-OE users how to use Thunderbird for newsgroup access? There doesn't seem to be any targetted help - the Help menu takes you to a website which seems mainly geared towards use as an email client. Specifically, I need to know: - How to mark interesting threads so that they show up in red - How to automatically treat all messages as "read" when exiting a group - How to set the View options so that only new messages (since the last time I read a group) are displayed Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. -- Cheers, Roger ____________ Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom checked.
From: John Rumm on 22 May 2010 11:30 On 22/05/2010 15:55, Roger Mills wrote: > Having moved to a new computer, I've finally decided to bite the bullet > and get shot of Outlook Express as a newsreader - and have opted for > Thunderbird, largely because I'm using Firefox as a browser, and it's > from the same stable - and free! > > Anyone know whether there's an Idiot's guide anywhere, telling ex-OE > users how to use Thunderbird for newsgroup access? There doesn't seem to > be any targetted help - the Help menu takes you to a website which seems > mainly geared towards use as an email client. There is a little bit here: http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Newsgroup_access_tips#Thunderbird > Specifically, I need to know: > - How to mark interesting threads so that they show up in red You can manually tag (and colour) a post with a tap of the numbers 1 to 5. You can add a star to a message with S. You can set a thread to "watched" with a w. Watching is quite handy because you can easily filter on it later. (these are all on the message menu as well) > - How to automatically treat all messages as "read" when exiting a group Right click - Mark as all read > - How to set the View options so that only new messages (since the last > time I read a group) are displayed View | Threads | unread > Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Filters are worth using as well. You can make life greatly easier. So for example I have a filter that recognised my posts and colours them green, and sets the watch flag on the thread they appear in. That way I can set View | Threads | Watched with unread - and see just the threads I have participated in that have new messages. You can obviously colour other posters as you see fit. I have one that sets dribble to "read" on arrival - since reading one post is much like any of the others! (generally, anything you can do manually can also be done with a filter) Kill a thread with K (it will be marked at the time, and will have vanished next time you return to the group). Kill a sub thread with shift K. -- Cheers, John. /=================================================================\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \=================================================================/
From: Andy Burns on 22 May 2010 11:32 Roger Mills wrote: > - How to mark interesting threads so that they show up in red Press '1' when a message has focus to tag it as important, that single message will show in red, press 'W' to watch a thread. > - How to automatically treat all messages as "read" when exiting a group No option for that, try the "Mark All Read Button" add-on > - How to set the View options so that only new messages (since the last > time I read a group) are displayed Right click your toolbar, customise, drag the 'mail views' widget onto some empty space in the toolbar, then you can easily switch filters for 'all, 'unread' and custom filters you create yourself such as 'replied to', 'last 24hours' etc
From: BillW50 on 22 May 2010 11:40 In news:85q9j1Fg12U2(a)mid.individual.net, Roger Mills typed on Sat, 22 May 2010 15:55:47 +0100: > Having moved to a new computer, I've finally decided to bite the > bullet and get shot of Outlook Express as a newsreader - and have > opted for Thunderbird, largely because I'm using Firefox as a > browser, and it's from the same stable - and free! > > Anyone know whether there's an Idiot's guide anywhere, telling ex-OE > users how to use Thunderbird for newsgroup access? There doesn't seem > to be any targetted help - the Help menu takes you to a website which > seems mainly geared towards use as an email client. > > Specifically, I need to know: > - How to mark interesting threads so that they show up in red > - How to automatically treat all messages as "read" when exiting a > group - How to set the View options so that only new messages (since > the > last time I read a group) are displayed > > Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Hello Roger! I have been using Thunderbird for many years and I still like Outlook Express v6 with OE-QuoteFix far better. At least for newsgroups. And no newsreader except OE has the "Show Replies to my Messages" (CTRL-H) view. Which IMHO makes everything else so bad as a newsreader. As I think this should be a feature on all newsreaders. But I guess the other programmers just don't get it. Thunderbird doesn't call them Watched threads like OE does. But you can mark them with a Star. Another option is by marking them with a flag (I think there are 5 different default type of flags). And flags you can change the color of the header. Kind of like OE. I am not sure if you can make a newsgroup as read when you exit. I know you can mark it as read manually. And I remember you should be able to show only the unread messages under TB. Btw, TB has been released to different versions. I believe the popular ones are v1.5, v2.0, and v3.0. And depending on which one you are using, the answers maybe different. I actually like 2.0 the best, but I also like 1.5 too. I think this newsgroup maybe able to help you for the questions we here can't give you. netscape.public.mozilla.mail-news -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - Windows XP SP3
From: John Rumm on 22 May 2010 12:40
On 22/05/2010 16:40, BillW50 wrote: > Hello Roger! I have been using Thunderbird for many years and I still > like Outlook Express v6 with OE-QuoteFix far better. At least for > newsgroups. And no newsreader except OE has the "Show Replies to my > Messages" (CTRL-H) view. Which IMHO makes everything else so bad as a > newsreader. As I think this should be a feature on all newsreaders. But > I guess the other programmers just don't get it. The programmers seem to "get it" just fine. However by making some of the filtering tools a little more flexible, they are perhaps not quite as simple. However they give far greater scope if you spend a little time learning what they can do. So, using the technique I described elsewhere (watching threads to which you post, and then restricting the view to watched threads) you get get pretty much the functionality you desire. Hitting "n" (next) will take you to each unread new post in a thread you have either started or replied to. > Thunderbird doesn't call them Watched threads like OE does. But you can <panto mode> Oh yes it does! </panto mode> > mark them with a Star. Another option is by marking them with a flag (I Or mark it as watched with a w > think there are 5 different default type of flags). And flags you can > change the color of the header. Kind of like OE. You can add additional flags if you want. > I am not sure if you can make a newsgroup as read when you exit. I know > you can mark it as read manually. And I remember you should be able to > show only the unread messages under TB. Btw, TB has been released to > different versions. I believe the popular ones are v1.5, v2.0, and v3.0. > And depending on which one you are using, the answers maybe different. I > actually like 2.0 the best, but I also like 1.5 too. There are two stable releases generally 2.0.x.x and 3.0.x, three has some additional group options like killing a sub thread and better searching (if you let it index anyway). 2 is a tad faster. > I think this newsgroup maybe able to help you for the questions we here > can't give you. > > netscape.public.mozilla.mail-news -- Cheers, John. /=================================================================\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \=================================================================/ |