usenet posting techniques

[SgtMajor]

The main problem with that technique, is that there is no 'reverse engineering' of the filename unless and until one d/l's the entire package and subjects it to processing. I don't think anyone is going to spend the time and the bits to grab something they have absolutely no clue as to what it is, beforehand.

Obviously, those utilizing 'secret' web sites where that scrambled filename is listed (pay-walled or not) is a fools errand. The 'bad guys' will eventually get into those sites, get the 'keys' so to speak, and WACK it's gone. No fuss, no muss, virtually zero time wasted. From reports here on this site and elsewhere, that's already happening.

That's why I always assumed that the obfuscated file names were encrypted versions of the real ones. But apparently, according to folks here, some posters do use random "idiot codes" gotten out of a password generator.

So there is a real danger that, if the site goes down, all the posted content is effectively lost. Disheartening...

But if you were not a member of that site, what their members posted you will not miss.

Horses for courses, if there was only 1 way to post then the reverse engineering of filenames would be too easy for the autobots to take down, might as well be in plain sight. There is even a programme out there that automates all the randomness and prepares a group of files for upload without it being in any way cryptic.

It's up to the individual how they share things that matters, whether that be to just 1 site or multiple sites, it's entirely their choice, just look at how the daily ebook flood posting has changed in recent months, and how many disliked the randomness of it, but that's how the poster wishes to do their uploads and the downloaders just have to figure it out. The takedowns are aggressive these days.

Uppers can upload to usenet for 1 person, or 10 people, or a request, or to just 1 or to many sites, or the mass public, there is no rules to say everything they up has to be shared with everybody. Nobody has any right over how another person uploads. Like it or not, as long as you do your things your way and allow others to do things their way, each to their own, live & let live etc, then does it really matter at the end of the day how x or y or z shares their stuff? Most items have a short shelf life anyway and most other things can be requested and reposted if necessary, and if what you post has a long life span on usenet, then good for you

[Beck38]

That's why I always assumed that the obfuscated file names were encrypted versions of the real ones. But apparently, according to folks here, some posters do use random "idiot codes" gotten out of a password generator.

So there is a real danger that, if the site goes down, all the posted content is effectively lost. Disheartening...

does it really matter at the end of the day how x or y or z shares their stuff? Most items have a short shelf life anyway and most other things can be requested and reposted if necessary, and if what you post has a long life span on usenet, then good for you

I think it matters, and I remember vividly when even the best/most expensive usenet site had a retention of a few weeks at best, so one had to be 'quick on the draw', even with using dial-up speeds. But virtually every plant is now (almost) complete back to what I call 'day zero' (around August 2008), some better than others, but things 'for sure' don't 'roll off' the server due to lack of space. I occasionally test out nzb's I've posted back to around that point and find problems ('skips' or 'fades') in the plants and yes, they do get repaired by the plant operators (look back here on this board for many examples of that).

Now, do I expect 100%, probably not. But it's a good goal, isn't it? As is making sure the time and effort (and money) expended to do the posting is well utilized; I'm still thinking about the fact that although the usenet plants (Astra/Giga/whoever) has this tremendous retention, none of the free, public, indexing sites have anywhere near that retention (in fact, they admit to around 1000 days or a bit over 2.5 years). So anything older than that simply isn't in their database.

Great (not). I'm still thinking of re-posting the nfo/nzb's from further back, on stuff that I've verified is still 'there' on the plants.

In short, like I said, unless the posting is something that organized crime (pro-wrestling, p0rn to name two) produces then the number of high profile take-downs are extremely rare, even in today's environment. And it's been my experience that a couple weeks later, the same targeted material is posted with really minimal obfuscation, and it lasts just about forever. Seems that if the original poster had done minimal due diligence on their work, it wouldn't have been whacked to begin with.

[Admiral_Crunch]

In short, like I said, unless the posting is something that organized crime (pro-wrestling, p0rn to name two) produces then the number of high profile take-downs are extremely rare, even in today's environment.

Porn? I've never even heard of a porn takedown...it's always tv and movies.

Dear God...not my porn...

[piercerseth]

Newsmangler is no longer maintained, but GoPostStuff is: https://github.com/madcowfred/GoPostStuff/