Forum: Author Hangout

Yahoo Groups

Switch Blayde 🚫

I've always used Yahoo Groups to notify my followers of new stories posted to SOL. I got an email from Yahoo about significant changes to Groups. Here's part of it:

We extensively researched the Yahoo Groups usage and user experience. In doing so, we determined that the majority of our members use the Yahoo Groups email functionality to share content, rather than posting directly to website message boards.

To align our features with user preferences, effective October 28, the following changes will be made to Yahoo Groups:

Uploading of new content will be disabled on the Yahoo Groups website. All users can continue to communicate and share content via email using any email client.

Okay, by content I assume they mean photos and such. I have none of that on my Yahoo Group. Just the occasional notification that I posted a new story on SOL and maybe some discussion about the story (that's rare).

The way I send out the notification is I post my message on the website message board and Yahoo sends out the emails. Someone can elect not to get emails and read the messages on the message board.

But I don't understand "we determined that the majority of our members use the Yahoo Groups email functionality to share content, rather than posting directly to website message boards."

I understand the photo-type content. But if the message board goes away, how do I send emails out? I post the message on the message board and Yahoo sends the emails out.

Or are they not saying the message boards are going away? Only that you can't upload non-email content like photos to it.

Replies: REP joyR

REP 🚫
Updated:

@Switch Blayde

Yahoo Groups posted the following:

Yahoo Groups is shutting down after more than 18 years, and the Verizon-owned company is deleting all content from the site in mid-December.

"Yahoo has made the decision to no longer allow users to upload content to the Yahoo Groups site," the company said in a notice to users. "Beginning October 28, you won't be able to upload any more content to the site, and as of December 14 all previously posted content on the site will be permanently removed. You'll have until that date to save anything you've uploaded."

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/yahoo-is-deleting-all-content-ever-posted-to-yahoo-groups/

Remus2 🚫
Updated:

As of 2017 Verizon owned the core Yahoo business. They have been systematically shifting elements of it around since then to align with "Verizon Media." The only surprise I see here is, how long it took them to get around to this move.

If you want to see what's in store for Yahoo, look back to 2015 when they aquired AOL.

In December 2018, they wrote down the combined AOL/Yahoo and in January 2019 created the "Verizon Media" frankenstein out of the parts from the two.

graybyrd 🚫

A US-Canadian boating group I belong to has essentially an email bulletin-board site hosted on Yahoo groups. Moderators more familiar with the situation are making fast plans to shift over to groups.io. All opinions expressed agree that Yahoo is done & dusted.

awnlee jawking 🚫

In the UK, local Freegle (ex Freecycle) groups operate via Yahoo Groups. That's going to hurt!

AJ

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

Any serious entity, business, group or a person can never rely on free services to run their important affairs. Eventually business goals change and the free service provider may change their goal and take the service away.

That's why I built this discussion forum and moved away from google's four years ago. Learned that lesson when they shut down a very popular service (Google RSS Reader) when they couldn't monetize it.

Replies: Michael Loucks

Michael Loucks 🚫

@Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

And why I switched from Yahoo! to my own server using mailman to keep in touch with people who prefer email updates (as opposed to joining Discord or reading a block).

For low volume, you could easily do this with Amazon's AWS free tier with a bit of tech know-how (or a friend with some tech know-how).

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Michael Loucks

(or a friend with some tech know-how)

Did I mention you're my new best friend? LOL

Replies: Michael Loucks

Michael Loucks 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Did I mention you're my new best friend? LOL

I am more than willing to share my expertise. Just drop me a note.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Michael Loucks

I am more than willing to share my expertise. Just drop me a note.

I was kidding, but someday I might tap you on the shoulder. :)

Dinsdale 🚫

Uploading of new content will be disabled on the Yahoo Groups website. All users can continue to communicate and share content via email using any email client.

To me, that means that photos and files (= content) may no longer be updated after October 28 and will be removed mid December. Other communications (the mails) will continue the way they are now.
This should be easy to test: Wait until the end of the month and then see if new messages are still being posted, of course you then have a big problem informing users if they are not.

I'm on a non-adult-content Group which was using Yahoo a year ago. The administrator was having increasing difficulties with undelivered mails and asked for alternatives. I'd seen the topic discussed before (either here or - more probably - within dotB's group) and suggested that https://groups.io/ might be an alternative.
The migration took place a few months ago and all I can say is that it works. I don't know how difficult the migration was but seem to remember a comment about automated tools. The site coding is apparently the original Yahoo coding before it started being screwed around with.
The basic functionality is free but there are non-free options an administrator may decide to utilise, I don't think "our" group used these. The group has a few hundred members.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@Dinsdale

To me, that means that photos and files (= content) may no longer be updated after October 28 and will be removed mid December. Other communications (the mails) will continue the way they are now.

That's what I'm hoping, but under the "What features will go away?" it lists:

Files
Polls
Links
Photos
Folders
Calendar
Database
Attachments
Conversations
Email Updates
Message Digest
Message History

Conversations is where I post something that gets emailed out. And Message History are the old ones.

And some people don't get individual emails. They get a weekly digest. Isn't that what Message Digest is?

Replies: Dinsdale

Dinsdale 🚫

@Switch Blayde

That is worse than I had thought, those last 4 points look ugly.
I agree with you on "Message Digest".
If you don't want the thing to die in December, take a look at that link I sent - groups.io. Another option is to abandon the group completely.

Replies: Switch Blayde Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Dinsdale

take a look at that link I sent - groups.io.

I will. Thanks.

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Dinsdale

take a look at that link I sent - groups.io.

I created a group there and notified my Yahoo Group members that I did. One person joined immediately. So now the group is overflowing with 2 members.

Replies: Dinsdale Michael Loucks

Dinsdale 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Well, I suppose it's a good way of filtering out people who no longer care. The group I'm on is one where a small number of members send emails - possibly requiring moderation by the administrator - to a couple of hundred readers. I don't even have a login there, although that does not prevent me reading the mails in a browser.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Dinsdale

Well, I suppose it's a good way of filtering out people who no longer care.

You'd be surprised how many of the emails for the members of my Yahoo Group are not working emails. At least I know the 15 (and growing) members in the new .io group are real (and interested).

I just started writing a new short story for SOL. I think I'll notify the people in the new .io group as a thanks for joining and to test how it works.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help. I don't know if the Yahoo Group will go away, but the .io group is a good backup and may end up being the primary.

Michael Loucks 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I created a group there and notified my Yahoo Group members that I did. One person joined immediately. So now the group is overflowing with 2 members.

Another reason for running things yourself, if you can. It saves people from having to sign-up for new services when the old free one is binned by whomever created it. It also means you are fully in control of your data, and there is no advertising (or any other material) inserted into your messages, no tracking beacons, and no possible misuse of the data.

But that's my 2¢, and I understand not everyone has the means to do it for themselves.

joyR 🚫
Updated:

@Switch Blayde

Uploading of new content will be disabled on the Yahoo Groups website. All users can continue to communicate and share content via email using any email client.

It is actual very simple;

The Yahoo Groups website is being shut down completely.

Yahoo email will still function so you can use your @yahoo.com account if you have one. (But NOT to send stuff to a Yahoo group as they will no longer exist.

If you have content currently on a Yahoo group, download and save it now or lose it forever.

Simple.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@joyR

The Yahoo Groups website is being shut down completely.

Not according to Yahoo. They say:

all existing public Groups will be made private

and

Please be assured that while posted content will be removed, Yahoo Groups is not going away, and new Groups can still be formed, allowing users to join and connect with their communities and passions.

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@Switch Blayde

all existing public Groups will be made private

Good news for those that use them.

Please be assured that while posted content will be removed,

Why do that other than to save server space? Oh, wait.

Yahoo Groups is not going away, and new Groups can still be formed, allowing users to join and connect with their communities and passions.

With extra features like more adverts..?

Yup, cynical but hey, they want to make a profit.

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Yahoo Groups

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