Currently Microsoft links its NNTP server msnews.microsoft.com to the
discussions forum. For reasons that are not entirely clear, as they make no
sense at all, Microsoft has decided to break that link, (probably) shut down
its NNTP server and direct its users to the Answers forum for help. Then as
MVPs would no more use the Answers forum than pull their nails with pliers -
because of its childish scoring systems and an interface that is like wading
through treacle, they have bowed to pressure and produced a bridge software
that allows MVPs and others to continue accessing the help forums via their
newsreaders. This in effect aims to produce the system that worked and will
be scrapped, with a system that is cumbersome to use by virtue of the fact
that there will be only a few forums for each product with all the questions
lumped together. It's a classic example of corporate foot shooting, by
instigated by people who don't have to use the system.
If Microsoft does, as seems likely, close its server, the newsgroups it
hosts will not simply disappear overniight as the newsgroups are peered to a
whole raft of third party news servers, so if you come here for your Word
help, you will still be able to do so by pointing your newsreading software
to another server that carries the groups. If your ISP does not provide a
news feed, then you will need to search for a free text based news server.
There are still a few of those around. See
http://www.gmayor.com/MSNews.htm
There may not be as much traffic, but there will be enthusiasts around to
help.
Or you can download the bridge and contribute to the Answers forums.
--
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
My web site
www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org
"Carl_B" wrote in message
...
I understand that many, if not all of these Office newgroups may be
disappearing forever on June 1. I have posted to many of the groups and
lurked on almost all of them. The services provided by the MVP's has
been
outstanding, to say the least.
If a new home to post questions and get answers from this extremely
knowledgable group is not provided, MS will taken from all of us.
And that goes for the other Office applications, as well.
In any event, thank you MVP's for the invaluable service you have
provided.
And that thanks comes from 5 other of my co-workers who post and study
here
as well.