Parker51

Check out Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC ("Panix"). They run their own news server, know about moderated newsgroups, host several newsgroup moderation teams, and have reasonable rates ($100/year) for NNTP Usenet access and a Unix shell account.

"As for clients, on mobile there's nothing available for android last I've checked."

There's PhoNews, but it wasn't very good the last time I tried the free version. It ran slowly, or sometimes not at all, trying to follow a small number of newsgroups off of an NNTP server run by my ISP (that otherwise worked well with other non-mobile newsreaders).

One significant obstacle to a widespread return to Usenet is that the Internet has grown up, and has to behave more like the larger world around it. It's no longer a genteel, academic environment mostly shielded from harm from, and harm to, the general public. The following TechDirt article is an excellent condensed summary of how the world will eventually intrude on any ambitious effort to create, or re-create, an "uncensored" forum:

https://www.techdirt.com/2022/11/02/hey-elon-let-me-help-you...

It will take more than a weekend. This reminds me of that old joke about X-Windows:

"X Protocol is extensible!"

"So is a bucket of molten pig-iron."

There is definitely a lot of "intentionality" required to access newsgroups, let alone do more complicated stuff like moderate a newsgroup, when the answer to how to set it up in many environments is like that other old joke about a hotel where you have to make your own bed:

"Here's a hammer and saw, good night!"

It's worse than that. They won't even take action against harassment of moderators, including their users that repeatedly submit obviously rejectable articles to moderated newsgroups, then reply with verbal abuse and profanity when rejected. The eternal-september admins tell moderation teams that it is their responsibility to deal with these users, not them. Our moderated newsgroup dealt with one of their users (lawfully, of course). No surprise that the individual had an anonymous identity that was a synonym for the devil.

Sample .newsrc file for recommended newsgroups:

alt.computer.workshop:

alt.culture.usenet:

alt.fan.usenet:

alt.folklore.computers:

alt.obituaries:

alt.os.linux.slackware:

alt.privacy:

alt.tv.simpsons:

ba.broadcast:

comp.ai:

comp.arch:

comp.compilers:

comp.dcom.telecom:

comp.infosystems.gemini:

comp.infosystems.gopher:

comp.lang.c++:

comp.lang.c:

comp.lang.forth:

comp.lang.misc:

comp.lang.perl.misc:

comp.lang.postscript:

comp.lang.python.announce:

comp.lang.python:

comp.lang.raspberry-pi:

comp.lang.tcl:

comp.misc:

comp.mobile.android:

comp.mobile.misc:

comp.os.cpm:

comp.os.linux.announce:

comp.os.linux.misc:

comp.risks:

comp.sys.apple2:

comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action:

comp.text.tex:

comp.unix.shell:

comp.windows.x:

gnu.emacs.help:

misc.legal.moderated:

misc.news.internet.discuss:

misc.taxes.moderated:

news.admin.moderation:

news.announce.important:

news.announce.newgroups:

news.groups.proposals:

news.groups:

news.software.readers:

rec.arts.drwho:

rec.arts.movies.current-films:

rec.arts.sf.tv:

rec.arts.sf.written:

rec.autos.sport.f1:

rec.aviation.soaring:

rec.bicycles.tech:

rec.food.cooking:

rec.games.backgammon:

rec.music.beatles:

rec.music.classical.recordings:

rec.music.opera:

rec.radio.amateur.antenna:

rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors:

rec.radio.amateur.equipment:

rec.radio.amateur.homebrew:

rec.radio.amateur.misc:

rec.radio.amateur.moderated:

rec.radio.amateur.policy:

rec.radio.amateur.space:

rec.radio.info:

rec.radio.shortwave:

rec.sport.rowing:

rec.woodworking:

sci.astro:

sci.electronics.design:

sci.electronics.repair:

sci.logic:

sci.physics.relativity:

sci.physics.research:

talk.origins:

uk.comp.sys.mac:

uk.radio.amateur.moderated:

uk.rec.sheds:

uk.sci.weather: