We report on sites and service issues all the time.  Providing suggestions for temporary alternatives during outages and more permanent solutions when sites close down.  Yet most aren’t as drawn out and frustrating as the current situation over at NewsLeecher.  Perhaps it’s our personal connection with the newsreader.  As a number of NGR editors have enjoyed the NewsLeecher client and SuperSearch through the years.  Yet the lack of support along with software bugs and unreliable service have left many looking for other options.

We’re not here to bash NewsLeecher.  There’s enough of that going on in the NewsLeecher forums.  The problem is there’s no one there to give timely answers.  Leaving customers shaking their heads when they have questions rather than getting the necessary answers.  Along with NewsLeecher / SuperSearch issues which include website outages, problems with SuperSearch and most recently a server crash.

The question is can NewsLeecher still turn things around?  For some the answer is no.  In fact the problem is bad enough for a NewsLeecher forum moderator to call it a day.  Here’s the post by Magic:

Lack of support. that whats happened.

I am a forum moderator (came back after a while of absence) but I can’t do this alone, Spiril and Smudge are not to be seen anywhere…

They do come at this forum once a month (if we’re lucky).

I do not get any response from them in the “moderator only” forum, so I called it a day. It’s a shame though cause NL is indeed one of the finest out there.

But with the lack of support, list of bugs and SS not working I’m not surprised that people are leaving.

I think that sums up the situation pretty well.  Can NewsLeecher turn things around?  We think they still can.  Especially for those who haven’t already given up on them.  Even those who have might give NL a shot again over time.  The key will be finding a way to provide users with timely feedback along with bug fixes, a reasonable development schedule and most of all reliable client and SuperSearch functions.

There is another option.  NewsLeecher is a good Usenet client.  It has some issues but is still one of the best newsreaders around.  If the time isn’t there to support the client then perhaps someone else could take over or partner on the project.  Giving the current developer more time for other priorities.

Time will tell whether or not NewsLeecher can turn things around.  We hope so given the history of the client.

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