All the BS can be depressing, but -

I had to reload Windows on my desk machine. (I hate when that happens!)

Which means 3 or 4 days of setting everything back up properly.
Which also (finally!) includes news group service.

So, while digging though 110 THOUSAND topics I learned that most of the
topics are dead as the dodo. Savagly killed and the bodies left as a
warning to anyone passing by.

So be thankful that this group, despite the noise to signal ratio that
you may not like, is alive.

That's something very special...