FidoNet

FidoNet is a worldwide store-and-forward computer network that linked bulletin board systems (BBSs) to exchange messages and files before the advent of the modern Internet. Operated by volunteers, it uses specialized mailer software on participating BBSs to route and archive messages across a network that often relied on dial-up telephone connections or, later, Internet gateways.

Established in 1984 by Tom Jennings and other BBS operators in the United States, FidoNet grew into one of the largest amateur online networks of its time, connecting thousands of independent BBSs worldwide. It developed a formal routing and addressing structure to manage message traffic.

Architecture and operation: Each participating BBS runs a Fidonet-compatible mailer and meets a schedule to receive and forward mail to other nodes. Addresses include zone, network, node, and sometimes a point. The network uses a store-and-forward model where mail is passed from node to node, often via batch files and phone links. Netmail refers to private messages; echomail to public or conference-based messages; file areas allow distribution of software and files.

Standards: The Fidonet Technical Standards Committee (FTSC) defined standards for message formats, routing, and hub lists, including the Nodelist that identifies zones, nets, and nodes. The system emphasizes decentralization and volunteer maintenance.

Legacy: With the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, FidoNet declined in usage but persisted in many regions and in gateways that bridge Fidonet to email and Usenet. It influenced later email-based networks and remains a notable example of early distributed online communities and asynchronous communication.