is it possible to get hold of all the messages on discourse before
turned mailing list mode on?
only through the web UI, discourse doesn’t have a NNTP interface
perhaps curently “discourse doesn’t have a NNTP interface”
all though apparently this plugin exists
ftr
found via
https://meta.discourse.org/t/mailing-list-and-nntp-bridge/3453/84
&
https://meta.discourse.org/t/nntp-support/1836/55
For the moment the Discourse instance is hosted by discourse.com so we don’t have much choice in terms of plugins. But let’s keep that in mind if we move to a self-hosted instance some day.
ahh
it would be IMHO better if it became a default part of discourse dot com …
also it appears odd…
from the perspective of some one who downloaded .gz mail llist archives
that i can “Download All” of my ( curently one post ) data/activity
eg
but not an archive to date
of all the comunity discussion 
perhaps i should ;]
“get with the times”
& get a portable touchscreen
then just use the refresh button
until i run out of “monthly data allowance” *
*i jest ;p
… who of sound mind would take this path willingly
o.o
/ramble