how to check what was posted to a usenet-group

If you ever want to see whether you're getting the list of all that was actually posted, you might look here for the complete list:

http://binsearch.info/groups.php

You can actually browse abp.wallpaper.

Binsearch does a very good job of indexing posts. If it was posted to the group from any server, you should find it here (whether it shows on yours or not).

At that point you may actually be able to get the missing posts if you can process NZBs. I say may because sometimes a server can have a post even though it has not yet been added to the list that you get when you download headers. NZB would require 'YA-Program' which is fine but looking over a half-dozen apps for the right one is tedious. Browsing headers is how I'd always read groups and couldn't see it as all that useful. Besides, what good is Search if I don't know what I'm looking for?

Have to say I was wrong, there was no downside, and there are some great benefits I couldn't imagine until I started using it. If you have any free time you may find it worthwhile.

I'll include some info below to give an idea of what it takes to get started if anyone is interested. No subscription requested, and in the end it's really pretty simple.

There is still a good pay site I used many yrs ago but a couple free ones search a large selection of groups and work very well.

Can't offer much input on Mac apps but anyone using Windows or VM would have trouble finding a finer one that AltBinz and it still has a free version available. I would recommend this without reservation.
www.altbinz.net

binsearch offers a free suggestion for Mac. I see Win runs it too.
www.binreader.com

The rest might be interesting to someone wondering how it might work and the subject given for Serpent Lord's Mt. Fuji post is a perfect example. (Descriptions are always more complicated than processes!)

---Searching

1. Go to www.binsearch.info
2. Enter "41 Views of Mt. Fuji_1680x1050"
3. Search (A page is returned showing those 41+indexes.)
4. Click "Inverse" to select all
5. Download NZB

That's it. Once a person has selected and configured the program they're going to use, they just click the .nzb and it d/ls to the selected directory.


---Advantages
Obviously this can't take the place of actually reading a group and in this case one could still get the posts normally but would have to d/l the last 208 days of headers again.

Advantage of NZB:

1. no need to d/l headers again
2. no need to even be subscribed to the group
3. it doesn't tie up the regular news reader
4. the NZB prog can be configured to use a separate provider if that's an advantage
5. eliminates waste on servers that charge for headers
6. it can be used to gift friends with suggestions who have access but don't actually make use of Usenet.
7. it's faster (!)

---Web Site Search
In the More Than Anyone Needs To Know category:

1. binsearch says they index 420 main groups* [* http://binsearch.info/groupinfo.php]
2. they also say 3128 alternate groups are available# [# http://binsearch.info/groupinfo.php?server=2]

I see they include .boneless in searching for requests which at 8 Billion headers is more than I would ever consider browsing normally.
I also see binsearch will actually let you browse it if you have nothing to do for the rest of your life. ;)

I have no idea who's responsible for the sites but someone has committed a large amount of resources to make them available.

http://binsearch.info
www.nzbindex.nl
new to me: www.mysterbin.com
The Original - fee based & more than I need: http://newzbin.com

The Jungle: http://nzbsites.com/sites
Mini Tutorial: http://www.binaries4all.com/nzb/
Maxi Tutorial: http://tinyurl.com/6dgpnq7

As always YMMV but at present I can't imagine doing without them.