FidoNet

Just a quick note: one of the biggest problems we've had getting this
electronic forum moving has been the bondage to mainframes.  Most
conservators don't have mainframe access, and most of those that do
aren't very comfortable working with them (I know I'm not).  People with
microcomputers have, because of the limitations of the nets, been left
out of this marvelous process.  Well, things are looking up. There is an
international network of microcomputers, run as an amateur, non-profit
effort (actually much of the BigMachineNet is volunteer work also)
called FidoNet. FidoNet was created to connect personal computers
accross the US and has grown to the point where thousands of machines
throughout the world exchange mail quickly and economically.  Simply the
way it works is this: to send mail to me you

    a) Call a local FidoNet bulletin board
    b) Arrange with the sysop to open an account.  This will
    probably involve paying 10 dollars or so;  the actual
    cost of the mail you send (receiving mail is free) will
    be deducted from this and, when you are out of money you
    will be asked for more.
    c) To send a message you, dial into the local bulletin
    board, type in your message (or upload a message you
    already wrote) and send it to, say
        WALTER HENRY at node 1:161/42 (hint, hint)
    it will be stored until late at night when the phone
    rates are low, packaged with other mail to the same
    destination, and sent very efficiently.  The cost of
    sending a good-sized message is typically 20-30 cents
    (cf. 70 cents/1000 chars in CIN). d)
    d) To read your mail you must log into your local board,
    but there will be no charge.

Ralph Roessler (of Paper Tech. Inc.) and I have been trying to get
ourselves connected via FidoNet, but have been having a string of
problems.  When we get the bugs worked out I will write something up
and, one hopes, we can include a greater number people in the party.  I
will, of course, gateway messages between FidoNet and the BigNets,
though there are some details that need to be worked out.  (e.g.
messages that might be personal would pass through my accounts, so I
need to find an encryption routine so I can't read your mail).  More
info will follow.

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                   Conservation DistList Instance 2:4
                  Distributed: Sunday, August 21, 1988
                        Message Id: cdl-2-4-003
                                  ***