missing posts

[Jerry Nettleton]

I was curious how messages are saved in this newsgroup. There are messages
back to 2004 but the ones I posted on "normal.dot" on 9/11/05 are missing.
Who determines which messages are saved on the news server?

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

Thanks for your posting!

Based on my knowledge, we will clear the newsgroup about every half year.

So far I am trying to look up if there is any policy about this question.

Also from your description, you can find the issue of 2004, but certain
issue posted on 9/11/05 is missing.
So where did you find the issues of 2004? On the Microsoft news server or
somewhere else.
Because some website may have cache about the post content.

Also have you tried to google the issue, which may help you find it?
Because google will also cache the the web content.

If you still have any concern, please feel free to post here.

Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jerry Nettleton]

The "web newsreader" allows me to go to page 13 to see messages posted from
6/11/2004. The Outlook express NNTP newsreader connects to the 'msnews' NNTP
server and I can only read messages that go back to 5/9/2006.

So either way, messages are removed and I was wondering why the web
newsreader appears to go back 2004 (but many many message are missing) and
the NNTP server has such a short history. It would seem helpful to have at
least 1-2 years of messages on the NNTP server because certain topics keep
coming up.

 

[Cindy Meister]

Hi Jerry

Most "of us" use Google or something similar to search on topics. Google has
archives that go back for years and years.

The MS servers (note the plurar) get worked pretty hard and occasionally go
down. It's possible that your missing message fell into a "black hole" during
a problem with the servers. It happens - no ill intent behind it In any
case, with the hundreds (if not thousands) of newsgroups msnews maintains,
the number of posts kept in the groups is limited in order to be able to
reindex the groups within a reasonable timeframe. It's a trade-off between
efficiency and capacity.

No idea why you may be seeing one very old message...

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

Here are the rules for the NNTP server and Web News Server.

The retention period for NNTP is only 90 days for public newsgroups because
of the volume of posts.

The retention period for web forums may be up to 12 months. The retention
period for Web Forums is very different and includes a retention rule
change called Question Rating. For an understanding on Question Rating go
to this link

http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm

If you mark a question as Helpful it will keep the message for an
indefinite period of time.

Hope this is helpful Peter.

If you still have any concern, please feel free to post here.

Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jerry Nettleton]

Thanks, that answers my question. Since the 'managed newsgroups' provide a
good place for tech support (especially for MSDN subscribers), it would be
really nice if you could extend the retention period to 1-2 year for 'managed
newsgroups'. Not too likely to happen so I'll probably have to rely on other
newsgroup archives for that. Or perhaps start removing messages after the
retention period when the number of messages exceeds 1000 (or larger)...

 

[Peter Huang [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

Thanks for your feedback!
So far we are improving our product and try to provide other approach for
customers.
e.g. the Forum a new newsgroup.
http://forums.microsoft.com/

Also I will forward your feedback to related team.

Thanks for your understanding!


Best regards,

Peter Huang

Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[KeithM]

Thanks, that answers my question. Since the 'managed newsgroups' provide
a
good place for tech support (especially for MSDN subscribers), it would be
really nice if you could extend the retention period to 1-2 year for
'managed
newsgroups'. Not too likely to happen so I'll probably have to rely on
other
newsgroup archives for that. Or perhaps start removing messages after the
retention period when the number of messages exceeds 1000 (or larger)...

Hi,

you mention tech support for MSDN subscribers and indeed my subscription
mentions that I should get a response on this newsgroup within 2 working
days. I posted a query a week ago and I still have no replies even though I
have registered my subscription and posted the query via the msdn
subscription website.
Just wondering if you had any idea if I might have done something wrong or
had an idea why I was not getting a reply?

Thanks for any insight

 

[Jerry Nettleton]

If you're using the web newsreader, you need to update the "display email
address" in your profile with the alias name (e.g. (e-mail address removed)).
You need to use the alias name in Outlook Express, too.

If all of that is setup, then it wouldn't hurt to call MSDN support to check
on your alias name and make sure it was registered and spelled correctly.

The 2 day response time has worked for me most of the time. It can tedious
and time consuming, however, since you can only get 1-2 questions answered at
a time.

Good luck,
Jerry

 

[KeithM]

Thanks Jerry.

I hadn't associated my alias with the subscription correctly. D'oh.

I'd better go and apologize for my recent rant and try again.