Rec.games.pinball Access Methods

I would like to move the news reader debate from preference/opinion to a fact-based comparison. If this develops into a useful comparison I suggest we post it into a PinWiki article. I've started a comparison list. Please feel free to correct and expand my list, but try to keep it fact-based.

Background: I use(d) mainly Google Groups for access. My ISP-provided NNTP server is only available from their network (and I have concerns that it will be removed). I recently signed up for the free text-only eternal-semptember.org server. I have only accessed the newsgroup directly via Outlook Express and Thunderbird. I also signed up for rgparchive.com so I could understand it better.

Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball is a Usenet newsgroup. History of the group can be found in the FAQ at www.mrpinball.com. See wikipedia for information on Usenet and NNTP servers. Newsgroups predate modern web browsers. If I recall correctly, the dejanews web site that provided newsgroup access was purchased by Google. Other web options have evolved, but it should be understood that they only provide a portal to post and view the newsgroup posts, a shadow copy if you will. The NNTP server system itself is highly redundant and very robust, as is the core of the internet.

Access Options:

1. News server and client news reader - This is the traditional way to access newsgroups.

  Advantages:
  - Reliable - you can subscribe to multiple NNTP servers
  - Free servers (www.eternal-september.org) and client software available
  - Paid (i.e. supported) servers are available

  Disadvantages:
  - Need client software (e.g. Thunderbird or SeaMonkey)
  - Sorting of unread threads is not as convenient as #2
  - Flagging interesting threads is limited

2. Google Groups - News posts are ported into the Google Group interface structure

  Advantages:
  - Web based, can be accessed from any computer
  - Read/Unread status is maintained on the server, so current from

wherever you access

  - "Favorites" flagging allows easy tracking of threads you're interested

in

  - SPAM and Troll posts are flagged by commmunity and hidden
  - Search capability within group
  - Adding "in rec.games.pinball" to a standard Google search will take you

directly to the thread

  Disadvantages:
  - Google outages with their Usenet feed (current June 2011 outage has

been 6 days so far)

  - More lag before posts show up than with #1

3. www.rgparchive.com - A privately maintained portal courtesy of RGP member Nacman

  Advantages:
  - Web based, can be accessed from any computer
  - Topics can be subscribed to
  - Search capability within group

  Disadvantages:
  - Single server
  - Taken offline during thunderstorms at server site
  - Forum-based, display of threads is not as convenient as #1 and #2

4. Others?