Usenet Explorer

:?:
With the disappearance of the Newsfeeds "annonymous" server, how can one post annonymously using NewsPro? How does one change identities to prevent spammers from harvesting email addresses?
TIA

You don't have to suply an (existing) e-mail in NPro. Anything that will follow the syntaxis of an valid e-mail adres will do (like "newspro.is.the@greatest.com").

You won't be anonymous though, 'cause that will depend on the newsserver you use to post (do the strip the Post-headers, you're IP, etc? Do they keep log's, and for how long? Do the give up there logs easely when asked for it) but at least you're e-mail adress is save

According to

http://members.newsfeeds.com/anon_cache_spam_faq.htm

Posting anonymously, without revealing your identity will now be available on all of the remaining servers. The Usenet posts will not expose your ISP and your username. All you have to do is make sure your personal settings in your newsreader or posting software are anonymous as well and do not reveal your identity.

This has been the case all along and is the case with most large newsgroup providers. I imagine that labeling a server as "Anonymous" and boasting anonymous posting was merely a marketing tactic to attract people to the service.

The only thing more "anonymous" about that server is that it automatically changed your posting name and email information to "Anonymous <anonymous@anonymous.com>" or something. The real anonimity comes from not having your user id or IP address or other revealing information in the headers.

Still, any service is only as anonymous as the logs they keep. Most providers keep logs at like a couple days just for spam resolving issues and legal compliance.

You can tell if a server allows anonymous posting by checking the 'source' of some posts of the regular posters (and others).

If there is an entry looking like

NNTP-Posting-Host: 127.0.0.1

Then the server is NOT anonym. (of course there would be a real IP not localhost).

usenetserver is a good example for an anonymous posting server. They have excellent feed and their 'trickle' account is very good as fill.

If your ISP / NSP doesn't hide your IP you can always use a proxy server to post. The IP of the proxy will be in the NNTP-Posting-Host entry.

If your ISP / NSP doesn't hide your IP you can always use a proxy server to post. The IP of the proxy will be in the NNTP-Posting

How is this done?

Check your newsgroup list for "proxy", there is a group which sometimes lists open/free proxy servers. They don't all work and many are very slow; there is also the likelihood that they will cease to work at some random point in time.

You also should note that if you're using an ISP server it's likely that by using a proxy server you will lose access to your ISP server. Most ISP servers work on the idea that you are on the same network as them, so a proxy server that routes all your data through it will probably not be on the same network and thus not be able to access the server.

Most ISP servers work on the idea that you are on the same network as them

I know that is the case with my DSL connection, so guess I won't be trying this, but I was curious all the same. Thanks for the info.