RE: [TCLUG:8245] FidoNet

["Eric Hillman" <ehillman@cccu.com>]

>         In light of some of the censorship proposals out there (read
> Slashdot today); fidonet is starting to look like an interesting 'backup
> plan' to the Internet.
>         I know it'd be virtually impossible to *really* censor the Net;
> (especially IRC & News). but in the face of hostile gov'ts; fidonet would
be
> virtually impossible to shut down, let alone censor. (maybe that's why it
> seems comparatively popular in Russia?) most gov't lusers haven't heard of
> News & IRC; let alone FidoNet. (or even BBS's!).
> [...]
>         I presume it's very similar to BBS technology. (with which my
> experience is rather limited, admittedly).

	It *is* BBS technology.  I used one or two Fido-connected BBSes back in the
day (I think the first time I conected was with a C64 and a 300 baud modem,
and the *last* was with an IBM PS/1 286).  I never used it much, though,
since most Fido BBSes had memberhip fees.

	I even have an old Severed Heads album with a Fidonet mail address in the
liner notes - not sure if that was the first time anybody'd ever put an
e-mail address on an album sleeve, but it was the first time I'd ever seen
it.  (Actually, the first electronic contact info I can recall seeing on an
album was for "Bongos, Bass and Bob" [featuring locals Mr. Elk & Mr. Seal,
plus Penn Jillette] which had a BBS # on the sleeve.)

	As far as a "backup plan" goes, probably not.  It's a fine soluton to the
problem of creating an extremely-high-latency network, based around
technologies like 2400 baud modems and 286 PCs (which would, I think,
sufficiently explain its popularity in Russia), but it's not significantly
less monitorable or legislatable than the Internet (and any Internet
legislation is likely to include language broad enough to include everything
from Internet2 to smoke signals.)  Besides, while the average civil servant
probably doesn't know the difference between IRC and M&Ms, you may be
assured that there are some pretty bright and well-informed folks working
for the NSA, FBI, CIA, etc.

	'Course, if you're looking for security through obscurity, there's always
Gopher...