FidoNet: When BBSs Started Talking to Each Other
In short: How hobbyist bulletin boards, linked by FidoNet's periodic store-and-forward calls, built a worldwide message network while the Internet was still mainly a research network.
A 2:00 short film in the series “Being Social Online”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: IEEE Spectrum (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), “History of the BBS: Social Media’s Dial-up Roots”; Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net), “Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net)”; Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science (course 15-849 lecture notes), “Store and Forward Communication: The Prehistory”; FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989, “FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989”; Communications of the ACM (August 1993, Vol. 36, No. 8), hosted on archive.psg.com, “FidoNet: technology, tools, and history”.
Sources used in this film
- IEEE Spectrum (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) — History of the BBS: Social Media’s Dial-up Roots · View →
- Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net) — Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net) · View →
- Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science (course 15-849 lecture notes) — Store and Forward Communication: The Prehistory · View →
- FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989 — FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989 · View →
- Communications of the ACM (August 1993, Vol. 36, No. 8), hosted on archive.psg.com — FidoNet: technology, tools, and history · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: IEEE Spectrum (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); feature by Kevin Driscoll, 24 Oct 2016: History of the BBS: Social Media’s Dial-up Roots
- Also: Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net): Tom Jennings and many authors (FidoNet history document, 8 Feb 1985; mirrored at landley.net)
- Also: Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science (course 15-849 lecture notes): Store and Forward Communication: The Prehistory
- Also: FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989: FidoNet (fidonet.org), FidoNet Policy Document Version 4.07, June 9, 1989
- Also: Communications of the ACM (August 1993, Vol. 36, No. 8), hosted on archive.psg.com: FidoNet: technology, tools, and history
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