#yahoo groups
In late 2019, fans assembled to save Yahoo Groups after Verizon decided to shut down the mailing list service. Approximately 300,000 fandom groups have been saved. The Yahoo Gedden project has reached the fandom identification stage and can use your help. We need to identify the fandom for each group so that the data can be sorted by fandom. You can work at your own pace and the work will be done via a shared Google Sheet. No software or other tools needed besides your phone/computer and access to the Internet..
See the spreadsheet link for details on how to help:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uv4XbJMs_YZA1UcO_RlZo5u1JSuBJf_Lm7k3tAb1NZo/edit?usp=sharing
Date: July 29. 2021
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In early December, Yahoo Gedden volunteer Doranwen completed her compiling of the metadata on the Yahoo Groups that were saved by the Archive Team and the Yahoo Gedden Team. That metadata has now been uploaded to the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/Yahoo_Groups_Metadata
“The spreadsheets include all 960,613 confirmed GMD groups, plus 150,394 other groups (many of which had been long-dead by the time we came across their names, referenced only in links within other groups).
At some point it may get moved into a specific collection of Yahoo Groups stuff, but at least it’s uploaded now so everyone can browse the spreadsheets and see group descriptions, member numbers, creation dates, and much more. (And should you want to, you can identify from the spreadsheets which groups we have group photos for and go view those pictures by downloading the correct tar file and extracting the raw data within to see each file.)
If you know anyone who wants to use this for any sort of research or analysis, please point them to that link! I want it to be accessible to all. “
Note this is just the metadata. We will be talking about the actual number of Yahoo Groups that were saved in the next post.
We still have a few more weeks before Yahoo Groups shuts down access to data downloads. You can help by creating a Yahoo ID and joining Yahoo Groups. We’ll do the rest.
We’re hoping to join thousands of Yahoo Groups, ranging from Harry Potter to Xena, from Lord of the Rings to Star Trek, Anime and RPG, and from Star Wars to Furries.
Verizon is accepting Get My Data requests (a request to download your Group messages and files) until January 31st.The Archive Team would really appreciate it if you could do such a request, upload the data to an online file-hosting service, and send a link to [email protected]
The Verge has published detailed instructions on How to download your Yahoo Group data.
They are looking for both fandom and non-fandom Groups where anyone could join (automatic approval, no moderator approval required). Any Group member can submit these Groups.
UPDATED 12/20/2019
Update To Earlier Warning About Virus Alerts In Verizon’s GetMyData YahooGroups! Data
After more testing, here is what we have learned.Verizon’s “GetMyData” (GMD) files will be flagged by antivirus software in two main areas:
- Messages.zip
- Files.zip
The flags are handled differently for Messages vs. Files, and depending on your virus software, the flags may result in some - or all - of your groups data being deleted - even the uninfected files.
What to do?
Read the latest update out the Google Doc (link)
We offer streamlined suggestions and an offer to help.
************************************************
December 19, 2019
Both the Yahoo Gedden and Archive Teams are doing more testing. There is malicious HTML code buried inside some of the mbox messages...how and when (or even if) it could be activated is still a question. There is no question however, that the GMD Files.zip contain questionable items which most virus programs seem capable of detecting and deleting.
The bigger problem is that while some virus programs don’t even see the ‘bad code’ inside the mbox files, others do and they are triggered to either delete the entire mbox (thousands of uninfected messages are deleted) or even worse, the entire GMD file (all the downloaded Groups).
We plan to reach out to Wilson (PG Offline) to confirm our thinking that the downloaded PG Offline emails in of themselves are not a problem,. However, PG Offline was set to download attachments and of course people used it to download files and photos and links (HTML). In any event users should scan their PG Offline folders first (which are usually stored in C:\Users\XXXX\AppData\Local\PG Offline 4
Check back at the Google Doc for updates: (link)
************************************************
December 18, 2019
Please check your Verizon YahooGroups! data downloads for virus, trojan and spyware. Verizon offers “Get My Data” downloads of Yahoo Group email messages, links and files. They maycontain security risks for desktop users (Windows and Mac Users)
Those who downloaded their Groups using third party tools like PGOffline and Python - you may also be impacted if you downloaded attachments, files, links or photos. PGOffline automatically includes attachments along with messages. And some of the messages themselves might have buried malicious HTML code so even if so you only downloaded messages, please scan your PGOffline database and download folders.
***Please follow these suggestions at your own risk. When in doubt, contact your virus software manufacturer.***** (link to more info)
Reblogging for the streamlined suggestions and an offer of help.
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UPDATED 12/20/2019
Update To Earlier Warning About Virus Alerts In Verizon’s GetMyData YahooGroups! Data
After more testing, here is what we have learned.Verizon’s “GetMyData” (GMD) files will be flagged by antivirus software in two main areas:
- Messages.zip
- Files.zip
The flags are handled differently for Messages vs. Files, and depending on your virus software, the flags may result in some - or all - of your groups data being deleted - even the uninfected files.
What to do?
Read the latest update in Google Doc (link)
We offer streamlined suggestions and an offer to help.
************************************************
December 19, 2019
Both the Yahoo Gedden and Archive Teams are doing more testing. There is malicious HTML code buried inside some of the mbox messages...how and when (or even if) it could be activated is still a question. There is no question however, that the GMD Files.zip contain questionable items which most virus programs seem capable of detecting and deleting.
The bigger problem is that while some virus programs don’t even see the ‘bad code’ inside the mbox files, others do and they are triggered to either delete the entire mbox (thousands of uninfected messages are deleted) or even worse, the entire GMD file (all the downloaded Groups).
We plan to reach out to Wilson (PG Offline) to confirm our thinking that the downloaded PG Offline emails in of themselves are not a problem,. However, PG Offline was set to download attachments and of course people used it to download files and photos and links (HTML). In any event users should scan their PG Offline folders first (which are usually stored in C:\Users\XXXX\AppData\Local\PG Offline 4
Check back at the Google Doc for updates: (link)
************************************************
December 18, 2019
Please check your Verizon YahooGroups! data downloads for virus, trojan and spyware. Verizon offers “Get My Data” downloads of Yahoo Group email messages, links and files. They maycontain security risks for desktop users (Windows and Mac Users)
Those who downloaded their Groups using third party tools like PGOffline and Python - you may also be impacted if you downloaded attachments, files, links or photos. PGOffline automatically includes attachments along with messages. And some of the messages themselves might have buried malicious HTML code so even if so you only downloaded messages, please scan your PGOffline database and download folders.
***Please follow these suggestions at your own risk. When in doubt, contact your virus software manufacturer.***** (link to more info)
Post link
Warning to YG mods: Someone at modsandmembers says that their group has changed from moderated to unmoderated. One moderator checked, and their group had changed from “moderated for new members” to “unmoderated." This means your Groups may see an increaase in spam, porn and viruses.
Moderators should check their group’s moderation settings. They’re under Management > Control Panel > Moderation.
This might be the right moment to link back to this ancient 2001 post “how to manage yahoogroups by email commands”: https://www.ibiblio.org/london/NAFEX/message-archives/old/msg02580.htm
