From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

Billy G. <contact-5c2e-000@pugleaf.net> wrote:

here are some free alternatives for reading.
most servers listed need an account for posting.

+ more: open pugleaf servers at Port 119 or 563 SSL
Retention starts: Sep 01, 2025.

Efc?Efca news-can.pugleaf.net | Montreal / Canada
TOR: pkq37mrydcjc4hkv2pu6alvad2f2iysnyffwbkquj5twzi7lshwje7id.onion:119

YGG: [200:2b14:f2d1:f63e:7d97:cd8a:6d1f:a95f]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-lax.pugleaf.net | Los Angeles / USA West
TOR: derpefchhgbmou6nivzq2ajnkegpguk25xc654meujs5ldu6x7avl3id.onion:119

YGG: [200:9359:d9ae:fb4e:05d8:6038:1f24:cb03]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-sfo.pugleaf.net | San Francisco / USA West
TOR: mlmwfop6ysdohrlidazpramtkjeanznrpuj2o54jaxfew7ubqf5gbxqd.onion:119

YGG: [200:6bb2:dbd7:41b4:23e2:5999:88f9:c6cc]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-wdc.pugleaf.net | Washington / USA East
TOR: tws5lk6q4k343oxnvp5ejnxldhkpaolll6wl6yo5etcb3opq4u2333id.onion:119

YGG: [201:fa2e:6602:364a:a091:6ab9:4d30:bc61]:119

Efc|Efc# news-ams.pugleaf.net | Amsterdam / Netherlands
TOR: apjhyuwozpsrxhudiefxp547dpv2u46xowo4l6ufpqgek2xu5irot5yd.onion:119

YGG: [203:4b12:83a0:63d9:8bc6:3f03:b4b1:2da5]:119

Efc-Efc- news-fra.pugleaf.net | Frankfurt / Germany
TOR: daizdh5dzadcx4v56vwilbpw76y4fnfhkutn3pspbkklxp3swkg4oaqd.onion:119

YGG: [201:bd18:433e:96a6:928e:cccb:a5e6:64f7]:119

Efc4Efco news-lon.pugleaf.net | London / United Kingdom
TOR: iat3kqk4wx75ai24rjz7u5lqr6xwbgp7gvqwt5t2kcb74wtkpamfk6ad.onion:119

YGG: [203:0f26:377c:a258:8e6a:22a2:9878:f923]:119

Efc+Efc4 news-sin.pugleaf.net | Singapore / Singapore
TOR: k2jncpwygu7u6p24aol6zxs36jhnyrvey2kjjpq3ktpzr433v7texvad.onion:119

YGG: [201:8874:d610:a9cd:9d0e:173d:8345:5758]:119

Efc| news-tyo.pugleaf.net | Tokyo / Japan

TOR: h7yirgkelxgefct6qrn7esakg7cxjurmttnel2hkhp2lhojr6h5d7kad.onion:119

YGG: [200:1e11:6663:0f50:6773:84ed:51f0:a9cd]:119

--
.......
Billy G. (go-while)
https://pugleaf.net
@Newsgroup: rocksolid.nodes.help
irc.pugleaf.net:6697 (SSL) #lounge
TOR-IRC: ij7fmstcudrwyty5p6iloodeenur4wksovlhbyrfubat7eixplmrxvqd.onion:6667

Why are you encouraging users to use a subdomain under pugleaf.net with
nobody@ on their From lines?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

On Wed, 1 Oct 2025 13:54:02 +0000, "Billy G." <contact-5c2e-000@pugleaf.net> wrote:

here are some free alternatives for reading.
most servers listed need an account for posting.

?? reader-nyc.newsdeef.eu:563 (SSL) (retention begins mid 2025)
+ bziqmed7bllddgxslam4cmykh4kcvye4a232s2i6gqh7ep4xzpb4ghyd.onion:119
+ YGG: [200:4896:b4a8:d3c1:f1db:e619:b074:260]

?? lux-feed1.newsdeef.eu:433 (NO SSL) (floating 1-3 month)
+ pp55dzqem2eufe2wst2u7lunqhs3pkryzrleikrixl2xuvblyeqyg4qd.onion:433

+ more: open pugleaf servers at Port 119 or 563 SSL
Retention starts: Sep 01, 2025.

?? news-can.pugleaf.net | Montreal / Canada
TOR: pkq37mrydcjc4hkv2pu6alvad2f2iysnyffwbkquj5twzi7lshwje7id.onion:119

YGG: [200:2b14:f2d1:f63e:7d97:cd8a:6d1f:a95f]:119

?? news-lax.pugleaf.net | Los Angeles / USA West
TOR: derpefchhgbmou6nivzq2ajnkegpguk25xc654meujs5ldu6x7avl3id.onion:119

YGG: [200:9359:d9ae:fb4e:05d8:6038:1f24:cb03]:119

?? news-sfo.pugleaf.net | San Francisco / USA West
TOR: mlmwfop6ysdohrlidazpramtkjeanznrpuj2o54jaxfew7ubqf5gbxqd.onion:119

YGG: [200:6bb2:dbd7:41b4:23e2:5999:88f9:c6cc]:119

?? news-wdc.pugleaf.net | Washington / USA East
TOR: tws5lk6q4k343oxnvp5ejnxldhkpaolll6wl6yo5etcb3opq4u2333id.onion:119

YGG: [201:fa2e:6602:364a:a091:6ab9:4d30:bc61]:119

?? news-ams.pugleaf.net | Amsterdam / Netherlands
TOR: apjhyuwozpsrxhudiefxp547dpv2u46xowo4l6ufpqgek2xu5irot5yd.onion:119

YGG: [203:4b12:83a0:63d9:8bc6:3f03:b4b1:2da5]:119

?? news-fra.pugleaf.net | Frankfurt / Germany
TOR: daizdh5dzadcx4v56vwilbpw76y4fnfhkutn3pspbkklxp3swkg4oaqd.onion:119

YGG: [201:bd18:433e:96a6:928e:cccb:a5e6:64f7]:119

?? news-lon.pugleaf.net | London / United Kingdom
TOR: iat3kqk4wx75ai24rjz7u5lqr6xwbgp7gvqwt5t2kcb74wtkpamfk6ad.onion:119

YGG: [203:0f26:377c:a258:8e6a:22a2:9878:f923]:119

?? news-sin.pugleaf.net | Singapore / Singapore
TOR: k2jncpwygu7u6p24aol6zxs36jhnyrvey2kjjpq3ktpzr433v7texvad.onion:119

YGG: [201:8874:d610:a9cd:9d0e:173d:8345:5758]:119

?? news-tyo.pugleaf.net | Tokyo / Japan
TOR: h7yirgkelxgefct6qrn7esakg7cxjurmttnel2hkhp2lhojr6h5d7kad.onion:119

YGG: [200:1e11:6663:0f50:6773:84ed:51f0:a9cd]:119

and some more
news.eternal-september.org :119 :563
news.blueworldhosting.com :119 :563
news.corradoroberto.it :119 :563
freenews.netfront.net :119 :563
endofthelinebbs.com :119 :563
paganini.bofh.team :119 :563
news.tcpreset.net :119 :---

^^^^^^^^ <--eelbash alias

news.usenet.ovh :119 :---
news.bbs.nz :119 :563

+ very old archives still alive and connected to world
retention begins 1980/90
?? news.blueworldhosting.com:563 (SSL) (retention begins 1980/90)
+ another archive
?? 81-171-22-215.pugleaf.net:563 (SSL)
+ pp55dzqem2eufe2wst2u7lunqhs3pkryzrleikrixl2xuvblyeqyg4qd.onion:119
+ a mirror with 3 conn limit: ?? lux-feed1.newsdeef.eu:563 (SSL)
+ 3nxvtk6l6fvjel6egccgo5zcerivvvz27ahsdjthvxc7focidpr2xlyd.onion:119
* YGG: https://github.com/yggdrasil-network/yggdrasil-go

news.neodome.net is also popular . . . mail2news@neodome.net is the
only other m2n gateway, besides mail2news@dizum.com, that works with cpunk/mix/yamn anonymous remailers, see news:alt.privacy.anon-server

also recommend newsdeef, blueworldhosting, csiph, netfront, paganini,
but would advise all readers to avoid "tcpreset.net" (eelbash alias)

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

On Oct 1, 2025 at 10:17:31rC>AM CDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

Technically, it was only two a.* groups that were erroneous. alt.free.nntp exists here and in the active file available from ISC.

For Billy G - a.* shouldn't exist, but you'll find it in a lot of articles, particularly in archives. From my perspective, text articles posted there were intended to be posted to alt.*.

Some newsreaders abbreviate newsgroups within the UI, which may confuse naive users (Thunderbird displays n.a.misc for news.admin.misc, for example). Most commericial NSPs accept posts with any value in the Newsgroups header and pass them along.

On instances you are allowing posting, I'd limit accepted newsgroups to what
is currently found at https://downloads.isc.org/usenet/CONFIG/active.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

Jesse Rehmer wrote:

On Oct 1, 2025 at 10:17:31rC>AM CDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

Technically, it was only two a.* groups that were erroneous. alt.free.nntp exists here and in the active file available from ISC.

For Billy G - a.* shouldn't exist, but you'll find it in a lot of articles, particularly in archives. From my perspective, text articles posted there were
intended to be posted to alt.*.

Some newsreaders abbreviate newsgroups within the UI, which may confuse naive users (Thunderbird displays n.a.misc for news.admin.misc, for example). Most commericial NSPs accept posts with any value in the Newsgroups header and pass
them along.

On instances you are allowing posting, I'd limit accepted newsgroups to what is currently found at https://downloads.isc.org/usenet/CONFIG/active.

oh now I see :D should not fly over lines but read sometimes.

why did I put a.* and not alt. ?
no idea... bug in the matrix
don't drink and drive!

Thanks!
--
.......
Billy G. (go-while)
https://pugleaf.net
@Newsgroup: rocksolid.nodes.help
irc.pugleaf.net:6697 (SSL) #lounge
TOR-IRC: ij7fmstcudrwyty5p6iloodeenur4wksovlhbyrfubat7eixplmrxvqd.onion:6667 --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

Billy G. <42-contact-42@pugleaf.net> wrote:

Adam H. Kerman wrote:

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

you: .eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail

other servers carry them.

They get to act according to their own view of Usenet. As Usenet is decentralized, no one has a say about anyone else's view of Usenet. That a
News site may have created those groups has nothing to do with my statement that they don't exist. I have the final say in which newsgroups I crosspost
to. If I say they don't exist, then I cut them from my crosspost in
followup.

According to the archived newgroup messages, a.* was started
unintentionally in 1996 when a clueless News administrator triggered
something that automatically generated newgroup messages for a few
newsgroups named into a.*. It's likely that local newsgroups were being
created that were misnamed and the newgroup messages were distributed in
error, which is how they got archived.

You crossposted to two newsgroups in a.* that lack archived newgroup messages.

As far as alt.free.nntp, anyone around at the time remembers this flame
war between Jay Denebeim and the proponent of alt.free.newsservers. Jay
sent a half dozen rmgroup messages because the first rmgroup message was insufficient to express his disapproval. For whatever reason, a truly
oblivious proponent sent a newgroup for the redundant alt.free.nntp
just months later. Ignoring crossposting, over the years, the on topic discussions of free News sites have taken place in alt.free.newsservers
with alt.free.nntp being little used.

+ https://rocksolid-us.pugleaf.net/groups/alt.privacy/threads
+ https://rocksolid-us.pugleaf.net/groups/alt.privacy.anon-server/threads
+ https://rocksolid-us.pugleaf.net/groups/alt.free.nntp

Why are you encouraging users to use a subdomain under
pugleaf.net with nobody@ on their From lines?

user can edit the value in their profile to anything.

what else would you put there by default?

The News server MUST NOT set a default address on From. MUST NOT

You aren't operating a Mail server. You haven't created mailboxes for
your users. Therefore, your user MUST NOT falsely claim to have a
personal mailbox in one of your subdomains.

If the user is complying with the intent of the standard, then he MUST
use his own mailbox as the address on From. It need not be an address he
uses for business nor personal communication and there is no obligation
to read incoming messages. If the user doesn't wish to use a mailbox,
then he may use an *.invalid address.

There are a handful of well-known mailboxes set up as spam traps that
anyone may use. Otherwise, a user MUST NOT claim association with a
domain he has no mailbox in and MUST NOT make up what appears to be a
domain name because it might be someone's domain name now or in future.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

Jesse Rehmer <jesse.rehmer@blueworldhosting.com> wrote:

On Oct 1, 2025 at 10:17:31 AM CDT, Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

Technically, it was only two a.* groups that were erroneous. alt.free.nntp >exists here and in the active file available from ISC.

I was around at the time and well remember how alt.free.newsservers got
started and the clueless proponent for the deliberately redundant alt.free.nntp. See my other followup.

. . .

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

On Oct 1, 2025 at 1:39:00rC>PM CDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

According to the archived newgroup messages, a.* was started
unintentionally in 1996 when a clueless News administrator triggered something that automatically generated newgroup messages for a few
newsgroups named into a.*. It's likely that local newsgroups were being created that were misnamed and the newgroup messages were distributed in error, which is how they got archived.

I often forget to look at the control message archive at ISC. Amusing how certain things came to be...

From news@mail Fri Apr 19 23:01:57 1996
Path: uunet!in2.uu.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans.net!psinntp!psin ntp!psinntp!uknet!pub.news.uk.psi.net!mail!news
From: news@mail (news)
Newsgroups: a.a.mis.admin
Subject: cmsg newgroup a.a.mis.admin
Control: newgroup a.a.mis.admin
Date: 17 Apr 1996 13:48:29 GMT
Organization: PSINet UK Public Usenet Site
Lines: 2
Approved: newsmaster@web-uk.net
Distribution: bogo
Message-ID: <4l2srd$d2c@pub.news.uk.psi.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: mail.bogo.co.uk
Xref: uunet control.newgroup:10604

This group is automatically created by newjunk
problems to postmaster at this host.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

On Wed, 1 Oct 2025 19:23:52 +0000, "Billy G." <42-contact-42@pugleaf.net> wrote:

Adam H. Kerman wrote:

I was around at the time and well remember how alt.free.newsservers
got started and the clueless proponent for the deliberately redundant
alt.free.nntp. See my other followup.

Must be a great feeling to be the there when a new newsgroup got added!
I've seen it first!

i saw it before anyone, in fact i helped noah build that wooden
raft...but seriously (lux-feed1.newsdeef.eu:119 usenet archive)

newsgroup oldest message id
alt.free.nntp 1999-12-03 <828g9q$um$1@news.inet.tele.dk> alt.free.newsservers 1999-04-13 <7f0qeu$13rm$1@newssvr01-int.news.prodigy.com>

("alt.free.newsservers" looks a bit older than "alt.free.nntp")

cf. log:

1066 headers in alt.free.nntp from lux-feed1.newsdeef.e
173923 headers in alt.free.newsservers from lux-feed1.newsdeef.e

("alt.free.newsservers" 163:1 more active than "alt.free.nntp")

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.free.newsservers

On 01 Oct 2025, "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> posted some news:10bjgmb$e2kk$1@dont-email.me:

Two newsgroups claimed to be in a nonexistant top-level a.* hierarchy
and another nonexistant group cut from crosspost.

Billy G. <contact-5c2e-000@pugleaf.net> wrote:

here are some free alternatives for reading.
most servers listed need an account for posting.

+ more: open pugleaf servers at Port 119 or 563 SSL
Retention starts: Sep 01, 2025.

Efc?Efca news-can.pugleaf.net | Montreal / Canada
TOR:
pkq37mrydcjc4hkv2pu6alvad2f2iysnyffwbkquj5twzi7lshwje7id.onion:119

YGG: [200:2b14:f2d1:f63e:7d97:cd8a:6d1f:a95f]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-lax.pugleaf.net | Los Angeles / USA West
TOR:
derpefchhgbmou6nivzq2ajnkegpguk25xc654meujs5ldu6x7avl3id.onion:119

YGG: [200:9359:d9ae:fb4e:05d8:6038:1f24:cb03]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-sfo.pugleaf.net | San Francisco / USA West
TOR:
mlmwfop6ysdohrlidazpramtkjeanznrpuj2o54jaxfew7ubqf5gbxqd.onion:119

YGG: [200:6bb2:dbd7:41b4:23e2:5999:88f9:c6cc]:119

Efc|Efc+ news-wdc.pugleaf.net | Washington / USA East
TOR:
tws5lk6q4k343oxnvp5ejnxldhkpaolll6wl6yo5etcb3opq4u2333id.onion:119

YGG: [201:fa2e:6602:364a:a091:6ab9:4d30:bc61]:119

Efc|Efc# news-ams.pugleaf.net | Amsterdam / Netherlands
TOR:
apjhyuwozpsrxhudiefxp547dpv2u46xowo4l6ufpqgek2xu5irot5yd.onion:119

YGG: [203:4b12:83a0:63d9:8bc6:3f03:b4b1:2da5]:119

Efc-Efc- news-fra.pugleaf.net | Frankfurt / Germany
TOR:
daizdh5dzadcx4v56vwilbpw76y4fnfhkutn3pspbkklxp3swkg4oaqd.onion:119

YGG: [201:bd18:433e:96a6:928e:cccb:a5e6:64f7]:119

Efc4Efco news-lon.pugleaf.net | London / United Kingdom
TOR:
iat3kqk4wx75ai24rjz7u5lqr6xwbgp7gvqwt5t2kcb74wtkpamfk6ad.onion:119

YGG: [203:0f26:377c:a258:8e6a:22a2:9878:f923]:119

Efc+Efc4 news-sin.pugleaf.net | Singapore / Singapore
TOR:
k2jncpwygu7u6p24aol6zxs36jhnyrvey2kjjpq3ktpzr433v7texvad.onion:119

YGG: [201:8874:d610:a9cd:9d0e:173d:8345:5758]:119

Efc| news-tyo.pugleaf.net | Tokyo / Japan

TOR:
h7yirgkelxgefct6qrn7esakg7cxjurmttnel2hkhp2lhojr6h5d7kad.onion:119

YGG: [200:1e11:6663:0f50:6773:84ed:51f0:a9cd]:119

--
.......
Billy G. (go-while)
https://pugleaf.net
@Newsgroup: rocksolid.nodes.help
irc.pugleaf.net:6697 (SSL) #lounge
TOR-IRC: >>ij7fmstcudrwyty5p6iloodeenur4wksovlhbyrfubat7eixplmrxvqd.onion:6667

Why are you encouraging users to use a subdomain under pugleaf.net
with nobody@ on their From lines?

He's trolling for suckerfish. Looks like he got one.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2