Apart from specialists, few people know that the Internet is not the only computer network. If anyone has heard of alternative networks, they associate them with the 90s, senior scientists in thick glasses, punch cards and dusty metal coffins, which are misunderstood as computers. But in 2016 there are people involved in the development and popularization of alternative networks. VOS learned how the Fido network works and spoke with its followers.
Sergey Chumakov, Fidonet user, answers the main questions about the network
How Fido appeared
It was back in 1984. American anarchist and programmer Tom Jennings invented a dial-up messaging system to contact his friend and associate John Madill. This venture did not pretend to be anything more than a hobby; friends brought to life an interesting idea. And even more so, they did not know what the future awaited the emerging network. Here's what Tom himself says about it: “When we first tested Fidonet, the network consisted of only two nodes - my Fido # 1 node in Los Angeles and John Madill's Fido # 2 node in Baltimore. John and I did all of the initial work on building and testing Fidonet. We did not set any special goals for ourselves: it was interesting for us to just make sure that the network was working, as for radio amateurs - that the scheme invented for fun is working”.
At its core, Fido, both in 1984 and now, is a computer network through which people can freely exchange messages, that is, emails. This exchange does not take place in real time - after the fidoshnik wrote something, he connects to the network and sends information. As a rule, it reaches the addressee (or addressees) within a few minutes (less often - tens of minutes).
The structure of the network is very different from the structure of the Internet. If only because behind each link of the fidosh network there is not a corporation, but a person.
In Fido, participants can be divided into three categories (conventionally): points, nodes and hubs. Point is an ordinary member of the network, he writes and receives letters. These letters pass through a node - a node (as a rule, this is a home computer or laptop, on which the corresponding software is installed, serving the points and forwarding their correspondence to the rest of Fidonet). Well, the last level is the hub. Hubs provide coordination between nodes in regions and countries.
Promotional video:
Therefore, it would be correct to talk about the first Fidonet node that Tom Jennings launched. Unfortunately, it is not functioning now, and Tom himself left Fido. It's hard to say who was the first point.
Fido in Russia
The first Fido node was launched on September 21, 1990 in Novosibirsk; journalist Tadeusz Radiusz was its system operator (sysop). In October, nodes appeared in Moscow, Chelyabinsk and Leningrad. This is how the Russian segment of Fidonet was formed, which continues to function to this day.
What is the difference between Fidonet and the Internet? Which is safer?
The difference is enormous. Not only technical, but also cultural. However, I'll start with the technical one. All Internet users are accustomed to the fact that the addressing in it is carried out by means of letters - roughly speaking, in order to enter a certain site, you need to know its address like wos.ru. At the same time, when connecting to the site, the user's data will visit some computers, whose location and purpose, most likely, is unknown to the user.
In Fido, digital addressing is adopted, each node has an address of the form 2: 5030/722, where 2 is the number of the region in Fidonet (2 - Russia), 5030 - the city (5030 - Petersburg, 5020 - Moscow, etc.), 722 - node number. Well, a point has an address of the form 2: 5030 / 722.1, that is, one more digit is added to the standard one, the serial number of the point.
In addition to personal mail, Fido has echo conferences (something like mailing lists on Google groups or group chat), the name of which is denoted in large Latin letters and most often reflects the meaning, for example RU. GAME (echo about computer games) or SU. BOOKS (all about literature).
An important point: when working in Fido, each point knows through which computers his letters pass, he may even know by the names and surnames of the owners of some of these computers (that is, nodes).
And of course, in Fidonet, the content is created by the users themselves. This is not the Internet, nobody will be entertained or fed with advertisements. Points and sysops create content for mail or echo conferences, discussing interesting topics.
There is no definite answer on security issues. Due to the fact that fidosh mail is transmitted via regular Internet channels (strictly speaking, Fido can be configured to work without the Internet, via Wi-Fi, modems or radio stations), it can be intercepted or recorded. Another thing is that fidoshnye connections are encrypted, like, for example, the user's connection when entering the bank's website … But certainly from the point of view of psychological comfort, Fidonet is the safest. All fidoshniks write under their real names, commercial activities are suppressed, so there is no trolling, bullying and spam. There never was and never will be. This is the network where you can truly express yourself.
Fidonet's laws
Fidonet functions as a self-governing structure, not controlled from the outside. Therefore, there are contracts for work and behavior in the network. The most important of them is Policy, charter. The document is voluminous, but describes in detail the rights and obligations of the fidoshnik. In short, do not get irritated over trifles and do not annoy others. Accordingly, for too aggressive or inappropriate behavior, violation of technical regulations, the Fidonet node can be excluded from Fido (the so-called excommunication), and the point is switched to read-only mode, when it cannot write to the echo conference.
In the echo conferences themselves there are rules that are published from time to time, for their violation the moderator either issues warnings, or, when there are enough warnings, disconnects the point or node from the echo. That is, the mechanisms are very clear and exclude manipulation.
Fido's future
To be honest, I am still confident that the future, given the confluence of some factors, will be very cloudless. Fidonet enables a person to realize himself without fear of all the delights of the web like trolling, which I mentioned above. There are many interesting, creative people with whom it is easy to find a common language, it is pleasant to read them or exchange at least a couple of phrases with them. Or arguing until midnight, without being distracted by the flickering of advertising banners.
It is worth emphasizing once again that Fidonet leaves a person as the master of his information, his correspondence. Fidoshnik knows where it is stored or where it goes. And most importantly - to whom. In an era when every sneeze on the Internet is deposited on thousands of servers, this is just a huge plus. Moreover, it is now possible to work in Fido even from an Android tablet, so the network has become extremely mobile.
Who deals with Fido
Fidoshniks are, in principle, ordinary people. What distinguishes them from the rest is simply the presence of a fidosh address and their passion for this network. The same Jennings called Fido "our fucking hobby." Students, doctors, teachers, sysadmins, football players, even windsurfers and brewers … Fidoshniks, by the way, often meet in real life, they like to walk together, relax, etc. For what I love the network - these are people, new acquaintances, new experience. An atmosphere of some kind of belonging is born. Probably, fidoshniks can be called passionary to some extent, no matter how pompous it may sound.
Due to the fact that every year someone leaves Fido, and then new faces come, the question arises of acquaintance with the principles and history of the network. Although now fidos programs are configured in three clicks, people still have some questions about software and communication in Fido. And in order to dispel all the stupid myths about Fidonet, the idea was born to hold a Fidonet Install Fest, where we could gather, those interested would learn about the history of the network, get a point on the spot, chat with sysops, set up the software and have an interesting time. Let's see what comes of this, the event will take place on July 16, if the hall for 40 people that we rented in Moscow is full, it will be cool.
Fido from the inside
Vladimir Fedorov, 46, prepress engineer
I came to Fido in 1996. Like most at the time, he used a computer and a modem at work, shamelessly squandering government resources. Then I went the usual way: user BBS (electronic bulletin board) - point (end user Fido) - node (node) of the Fidonet network. We have already heard about the Internet, but almost no one has seen it alive. It was insanely expensive and overloaded with unnecessary information and advertising. And considering the speed of modems by modern standards, every extra byte was very burdensome. In particular, this is why a certain culture of communication has developed in Fido. In most echo conferences, they were mercilessly punished for excessive quotation, excessive length of the signature, and simply for a flame that did not carry a semantic load.
Fido also bribed him with his democracy. First, everyone was on friendly terms with each other. I remember the first time on a sysop (from sysop - "system operator") in Kursk, I met the legend of the local Fido Leonid "Sergeich" Ishchenko, who was then already under 60. But even from the height of his age, he easily answered the young guys and girls, explaining the tricks of FTN technology. Secondly, the leadership in Fido was chosen by the members of the network themselves (the points, however, did not apply to them. Although they can also participate in the elections of moderators).
The network was originally created for the exchange of information. But very soon my own subculture developed, and for me the atmosphere in the network turned out to be, as it were, no more important than the information component. Despite the fact that people of various views were always present here, the vast majority were ready to provide any help and support to the Fidos brothers, both in virtual and in real life. So, for example, in our city (Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region) for several years there was a shuttle bus in which fidoshniks could ride for free. It is easy to guess that its owner was himself a network node.
With all this, it cannot be said that in Fidonet everyone bowed in front of each other. Anything happened: compliments (complaints to the coordinator) were sometimes written, and "kashenits" raided the echoes, and "holy wars" were organized (Linux users against winduziatniki, StarCraft vs WarCraft, etc.). Actually, even the term "holivar" was born in Fido. Nevertheless, most of it was perceived as some kind of a game component of a useful network like Tetris built into the DOS Navigator file manager. Therefore, in very many "boltological" echoes, the tone of friendly collisions and gentle jokes was and is still considered a normal phenomenon.
The most important resource of the network has been and remains echo conferences. Personal mail (netmail) was also very important, but now its role has noticeably decreased, since e-mail or, say, IM-clients provide greater speed and convenience. The third component of Fidonet is file echoes, by subscribing to which you can receive thematic files (books, pictures, music, schemes, software, etc.). For obvious reasons, now file echoes are also not in great demand.
I will not analyze the reasons for the current state of the Fido network here - this has been discussed many times. The Internet won the battle for audience without a fight, which is not surprising when you compare the initially commercial network with a handful of enthusiasts who invest their own strength, money and time in maintaining their hobby.
Some of those who once went to the Internet believe that until now traffic in Fido is transmitted only using modems. Others believe that Fidonet is dead. And they are very surprised when you tell them that this amateur network is not only alive, but also developing. Most of the traffic is now carried over IP, although there are still enthusiasts using modems or experimenting with radio communications. As before - albeit not as rapidly as before - software is being developed, programs are appearing on new platforms. Suffice it to mention the jNode project - node fidosoft in Java, point kits for Android - HotdogEd and AfterShock, Raptor feed package for BlackBerry. In addition, all "classic" software has been ported to Mac OS X.
Thanks to all this, as well as the unquenchable enthusiasm of some sysops, recently there has been an influx of not only ex-fidoshniks returning to the network, but also newcomers. And even if for the former it is most often caused by a feeling of nostalgia, and for the latter it is curiosity, but sometimes those who come stay for a long time, especially if they manage to feel the atmosphere of Fido that has been preserved from the old days.
There is an opinion that Fidonet has become a kind of museum of steam locomotives, which is interesting to read about, see photos where you can take your child to ride on a puffing locomotive, talk to the driver and fireman and, if you're lucky, switch the switch on your own. And even so. Any museum needs service personnel, and even more importantly, grateful visitors.
Sergey Chumakov, 28 years old, teacher
In 2005, I saw the Internet for the first time, and it categorically did not suit me. At that time, the speed of the connection to the network was extremely low, so the loading of the necessary sites was slow. I'm already silent about the forums. And I wanted to talk. Then they showed me how to read Fido and write there from the mail program, which I used.
But time passed, and, despite the improvement in communication, the emergence of 3G and later 4G, I did not want to part with the network where people answer or write to you, and not someone hiding under a nickname. And at the beginning of 2009, I contacted the sysop of a certain node, having received the first point. By that time, the necessary software existed for all versions of Windows or Linux, so I had no questions. The sysop soon dropped Fido, but I quickly switched to another node.
I'm not going to leave. It's like starting skiing down a snow-covered mountain, and just taking them off on the way. Impossible and uncomfortable. I am so accustomed to the atmosphere, to the principles, to the slang that the Internet, with all its positive features, is no longer able to replace Fido. I even recently bought a tablet to read and write on the road.
As for modern fidoshniks, I can't calculate the exact number of them now (although it is possible, because there are lists of nodes, node-lists, and lists of points, point-lists). I can only say that so far there are exactly 100 nodes in Moscow, it is better to focus on such a figure in the capital.
Gleb Derevlev, 19 years old, student
About five or six years ago I got into the Downgrade-get-together. Dovngrade is a get-together dedicated to retro-computing and everything that comes with it. At some point, I found out about Fido and showed interest. If I'm not mistaken, it was somewhere before the release of Slackware 14, which means 2012, about July. However, before that I tried to figure everything out, read the echoes.
After reading the manuals and tormenting fellow traders, I learned about how what works in the software part, I got to fidoip. This is such a set of software for Fido, which allows you to install and configure it without unnecessary digging - everything that can be scripted to create a semblance of user-friendly, the sources are prepared for assembly, if not in all, then in all popular Linux distributions, including for slaki, on which I was then sitting.
Then he began to dig who can give me a point. I got to node 2: 5020/1955 - I really wanted to get a point on a node closer to my native Ramenskoye.
The sysop's name was Kostya Volkov. Having slightly terrorized him in ICQ, we managed to install and configure the software. Well, off we go, it went on the sly.
At some point, the station died. At that time, I was not yet very attached to Fido and on this note announced that I was finishing my path as a fidoshnik.
But the path in dovngrade did not end there, and at one of our festivals Seryoga, aka inf0rmatik, began to actively force Fidonet, fidoculture and, in general, almost kicks (just kidding) to drive us all to Fido. Well, where ours did not disappear.
Communicating in Fido, I realize that I charge him with life and save him for posterity, for the future upgrade. And to preserve and transfer is a very important component of pre-investment.
Fido, in contrast to the Internet, makes you much more thoughtful about what you read, and especially what you write.
And most importantly, thanks to Fido, I met a whole crowd of interesting people. Creative, sane, and, what's especially cool, with hobbies that I didn't even know about.
Author: Valery Gannenko
