# Net::NNTP accesses private methods?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/net-nntp-accesses-private-methods/120015>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [November 13, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/net-nntp-accesses-private-methods/120015 "2007-11-13T00:10:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![maz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@maz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/maz)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/net-nntp-accesses-private-methods/120015/1 "2007-11-13T00:10:28Z")

</div>

I’m trying out Net::NNTP and it’s accessing a private method on line  
375:

@socket = InternetMessageIO.open(@address, @port, @open\_timeout,  
@read\_timeout, @debug\_output)

```
InternetMessageIO is not defined anywhere in the file, so I assume 

```

that  
it’s defined somewhere up from:

require ‘net/protocol’  
require ‘digest/md5’

```
...probably from net/protocol. This naturally brings up the 

```

question,  
did this ever work? Was this written for a previous version of Ruby  
where  
this method was public? What’s going on, here?  
If someone can explain this situation to me, I’d greatly appreciate!  
If  
the only answer you have is to use another library, please mention what  
that  
library is!  
Thank you…