18 Facts About FidoNet

FidoNet is a worldwide computer network that is used for communication between bulletin board systems.

FidoNet system was based on several small interacting programs, only one of which needed to be ported to support other BBS software.

FidoNet was one of the few networks that was supported by almost all BBS software, as well as a number of non-BBS online services.

Late in the evolution of the FidoNet system, there was a proposal to allow mail from these systems to switch into the FidoNet structure.

FidoNet started in 1984 and listed 100 nodes by the end of that year.

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FidoNet nodelist started shrinking, especially in areas with a widespread availability of internet connections.

FidoNet remains popular in areas where Internet access is difficult to come by, or expensive.

FidoNet was historically designed to use modem-based dial-up access between bulletin board systems, and much of its policy and structure reflected this.

The FidoNet system was responsible for routing the message from one system to the other, with the bulletin board software on each end being responsible for ensuring that only the intended recipient could read it.

FidoNet is politically organized into a tree structure, with different parts of the tree electing their respective coordinators.

The FidoNet structure allows for semantic designation of region, host, and hub status for particular nodes, but this status is not directly indicated by the main address.

FidoNet policy requires that each FidoNet system maintain a nodelist of every other member system.

In practice, the FidoNet structure allows for any node to connect directly to any other, and node operators would sometimes form their own toll-calling arrangements on an ad-hoc basis, allowing for a balance between collective cost saving and timely delivery.

FidoNet system was best adapted to an environment in which local telephone service was inexpensive and long-distance calls costly.

At the peak of FidoNet there were over 120,000 points listed in the Zone 2 pointlist.

The most basic of all is FTS-0001, with which all FidoNet systems are required to comply as a minimum requirement.

In practice, particularly in later times, most FidoNet systems tend to accept mail at any time of day when the phone line is not busy, usually during night.

Original Fido BBS software, and some other FidoNet-supporting software from the 1980s, is no longer functional on modern systems.