Document #529, Using Goldmine's Newsgroups
Newsgroups are public discussion forums available via the internet. There are literally thousands of newsgroups available dedicated to nearly every subject imaginable. FrontRange Solutions has provided newsgroups to assist its customers and resellers by enabling the interaction of FrontRange Solutions Technical Support Representatives, GoldMine users and our worldwide network of GoldMine Solutions Partners. It is the goal of the GoldMine newsgroups to provide subject specific forums for the sharing of information, tips, and techniques regarding FrontRange Solutions’ products and features.
Often an end-user may have a question about how others in the same industry use GoldMine to streamline their businesses. By posting questions on the newsgroups, the experience of others in the GoldMine community can be drawn upon to enrich the individual’s installation. The newsgroups are moderated by FrontRange Solutions Technical Support and an answer to your message is generally posted within a couple of days.
Note: All answers provided by GoldMine Solutions Partners and users are verified by FrontRange Solutions Technical Support representatives for correctness and augmented when necessary.
Before posting to the newsgroups, please review the GoldMine Newsgroup Rules of Conduct at the end of this document.
Configuring News Client Software to Access the GoldMine Newsgroups
Your NNTP newsreader (sometimes referred to as a news client) must be configured to connect to the GoldMine news server to allow you to read and post information in the GoldMine newsgroups. Your software may ask you for information such as your email address, the name of the news server and so on. The GoldMine news server name is gmnews.goldminesw.com. Listed below are steps for setting up the news reader software that comes with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator.
Although any newsreader software may be utilized to access these newsgroups, we suggest downloading Microsoft Internet Explorer from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ and using IE’s built in newsreader: Outlook Express. To set up Outlook Express to connect to GoldMine’s newsgroups, use the following steps:
1. In Outlook Express, select '>Tools|Accounts.
2. Select '>Add|News. In Display Name Type the name in which will be displayed (i.e. John Doe) when messages are posted and select '>Next.
3. In '>Email Address type your E-mail address here. (i.e. John_Doe@somewhere.com) Select Next.
4. Within '>News (nntp) Server, type gmnews.GoldMine.com. Select '>Next.
5. In Friendly Name type in a name to be displayed instead of gmnews.GoldMine.com. Select Next.
6. Select the type of connection. Select Next then Finish to save these settings.
7. When prompted to download newsgroups from the server choose Yes.
8. Highlight the Newsgroups that apply to you and select the Subscribe button.
For more detailed instructions on reading, posting and using advanced options choose Help|Contents and Index within Outlook Express.
These instructions detail setting up Netscape Collabra (Which comes with Netscape Communicator) to connect to GoldMine's Newsgroups.
1. In Netscape, select Edit|Preferences.
2. Select Mail & Groups then choose Groups Server.
3. Enter gmnews.GoldMine.com for the Discussion Groups (News) Server and for Port use the default port 119.
4. Enter the path to a directory on the PC or workstation where Collabra can store messages in the Discussion Groups (News) Folder. Select Ok.
5. Next select the Identity category under Mail & Groups and verify that Name and E-mail address are correct. Select Ok.
6. In Netscape select Communicator|Collabra Discussion Groups to bring up Netscape Message Center.
7. Right-Click on gmnews.goldmine.com and select Subscribe to Discussion Groups then highlight the Newsgroups that apply to you and press Subscribe.
FrontRange Solutions has dedicated technicians to provide online support through this service. We will answer all messages within 2 business days – usually much faster. We may not respond to a message where a Solutions Partner or another user has already posted a satisfactory response.
FrontRange Solutions is unable to provide support on how to use your newsreader software or troubleshoot problems accessing this service. If you are unable to use Outlook Express or Netscape Collabra after consulting this document or are having difficulty using another newsreader, please consult your system administrator, Internet Service Provider or a GoldMine Solutions Partner.
This service provides a powerful and convenient means to get technical help. Some FrontRange Solutions products are available only through certain members of our Solutions Partner channel. These Solutions Partners are required to meet stringent training and certification requirements to sell and support these products. For these products, it is strongly advised that you utilize the worldwide network of GoldMine Solutions Partners for support.
To ensure a smooth flow of information in the Newsgroups, please adhere to the following Rules of Conduct for the GoldMine newsgroups.
Appropriate Language: The purpose of the newsgroups is to exchange technical information and expertise on GoldMine products. Personal attacks, slurs, and profanity in messages will not be tolerated. Messages that are inflammatory in nature will be removed, and the persons posting such messages will be restricted from accessing the newsgroups.
Message Topics: Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the newsgroup. It's normal for some message topics to drift from the stated subject. However, to ensure maximum impact and benefit for all involved, please keep your messages close to the newsgroup's subject.
Advertising/Solicitation: The newsgroups are for assistance on FrontRange Solutions Inc.’s products. Participants are asked to refrain from posting advertisements or solicitations not pertaining to the intended use and purpose of the newsgroups. All messages that advertise unrelated products and/or services are subject to be deleted, and the persons posting such messages may be restricted from accessing the newsgroups.
Multiple/Cross Postings: Please refrain from posting multiple copies of the same message. Many users access these newsgroups via modem and redundant postings cause unnecessary delays in transferring the information. Having the same message in multiple groups also impacts the efficiency of the support staff, as the same question will get answered several times. All duplicate postings are subject to deletion. Replies are usually posted in the same day, but some questions require research before an answer is ready. Please allow 2 to 3 business days for a reply.
Embedded/Attachment Content: Please do not attach files to newsgroup postings, as this will greatly slow down the newsgroups for other users. If a file is necessary to aid in the resolution of a problem, you will be asked to send it to a specific location at that time. Vcards should also not be attached to messages, as they will also add excessive size to the messages.
Plaintext Formatting: Please post messages in a plain text format, as not all of the newsgroup participants use HTML capable news clients. Messages posted in HTML can be unreadable by those who do not use HTML enabled news client software.
Excessive Quoting: Please try and quote only the relevant portion of a message that you are replying to. The original articles are still on the server and the support representatives can look back in the thread to review the context of the discussion.
Post According To Group Topic: Please post your messages in the appropriate group, as many sections have specialists in that area to handle specific topics.