Tony <tony@darkstorm.invalid> wrote:
> Yes, this is a definite issue.  The first possible solution there then
> is to provide an actual web interface to a local nntp server, and you
> could get away with writing the interface in javascript.  Basically,
> get the google groups solution right.

That sounds like a good plan.  An interface in AJAX - if Google Docs is
possible then a newsreader should be.  Google Groups is trying to turn
Usenet into a bad webforum.  An AJAX client would be more like a desktop
newsreader, but without having to install anything.  And your state
(settings and .newsrc) would be stored centrally so when you moved around
you'd have access to the same interface.  It would have to talk to a
centrally hosted newsserver, because the NNTP would have to be done
server-side.

I wonder if it might be feasible to take an existing newsreader and replace
the frontend.  Do any open source readers have a useful architecture for
this?

As a selling point, it might also be worth going into partnership with
Gmane, as they have thousands of mailing lists gatewayed as gmane.*
newsgroups which might provide complementary content, and a way to build
from existing mailing lists that people know about.  Or maybe that's too far
down the Google Groups route?  Have to be careful about knock-on effects,
that people know that the distribution of gmane.recreation.pets.cats.* is
much worse than rec.pets.cats.  And not to annoy all the folks with lists
being archived by Gmane with an influx of clueless people.  The
Usenet/mailing lists bridge is a tricky one to cross, and maybe it shouldn't
be.

Theo