Date: 02 May 87 08:04:00
From: Ben Baker
To:   David Garrett
Subj: History Lesson

You and Hartman asked for it, so here (as best I can remember) is a capsule 
history of FidoNet.

TJ once told me he began work on Fido around Christmas, '83. He wasn't sure 
exactly when.

In early '84, I was preparing to put a CBBS on line for the CP/M Sig of our 
computer club at MAC when I was approached by the club Pres to make it a 
club-wide BBS.  The club had a commitment from DEC for an indefinite load 
of a Rainbow.  The theory was that the Rainbow had a Z-80 and could run 
CP/M, so should be able to run CBBS.  When I finally got the manuals for 
the Rainbow, I discovered that the Rainbow's Z-80 did not have access to 
the I/O ports, so could NOT run CBBS!  I immediately began a frantic search 
for BBS S/W which would run on the Rainbow, which led me to John Madill's 
board in Baltimore.  There I engaged in a message exchange with Tom 
Jennings, who was frantically searching for someone to write a comm driver 
for FIDO_DEC.

No, I didn't do the comm driver (don't remember who did), but I did get a 
copy of the first Rainbow version (which was, I think, originally intended 
for John Madill's home machine -- don't know if he ever put it up).  By mid 
March I had it running on the club's Rainbow 100.

I don't know when TJ began numbering Fido installations, but at that time 
there were at least 6, but no more than 8.  He would not assign me a number 
until he could "list" me in his informal Fido list, and I did not get a 
phone line assigned to the system until sometime in April.  When I could 
finally give him a publishable phone number, I was listed as "Fido 10," the 
second St. Louis Fido (Tony Clark was Fido 4).  I began with a late Version 
3, but by the time I was listed, I think I was running Version 5.

In May, Fido began to blossom, and by Memorial Day there were around 15 
Fidos on line.  St. Louis had 5 of them -- 4, 10, 16, 17 and 22.  (TJ had 
begun assignning Fido numbers when he mailed out diskettes -- many of them 
never did come on line). Curiously, all but Tony Clark were running Fido on 
Rainbows!

Sometime in late May or early June I was talking on the phone with TJ and 
the subject of networking the BBSs together came up.  "Wouldn't it be neat 
if one Fido could automatically call another and send it messages and files 
-- automatic software updates!"  That night TJ logged into Fido 10 and 
uploaded FIDO_DEC V6, a brand new program called FIDONET, and a new system 
file called "NODELIST.BBS."  With that, FidoNet was born.

Version 6 implemented a very primative amorphous network with just one 
hard-wired schedule. Traffic level grew rapidly with everyone experimenting 
with this new toy, and it soon became apparent that most of the time we 
were butting heads, and many messages never went through.  We needed more 
elaborate scheduling and some means of defining message routing.  But how 
do you develop and do controlled testing on something like that without 
spending a fortune on phone bills?  St. Louis which by this time had added 
a 6th Fido (51), could model a real network with local phone calls!  No 
other city could boast more than 2 Fidos.  That is how I became involved in 
difining Fido's routing language with TJ.  TJ wrote -- we tested -- we fed 
back results and needs -- TJ wrote, sometimes two releases in a day!  By 
August we had version 7, with its routing language, ready for distribution, 
and FidoNet began to change shape toward what we see today.

TJ was maintaining the nodelist.  When he received a change request, he 
would write it down on a small slip of paper and stick it to the wall.  
Frequently the slip would fall from the wall and disappear behind his 
computer, never to be seen again.  By September the nodelist was a 
shambles!

I'm not sure if we volunteered or WERE volunteered, but Ken and I agreed to 
take over nodelist maintenance, and on September 21, 1984, we (well -- 
mostly Ken) published the first "St. Louis Nodelist."  It took us a couple 
of weeks to weed out all the bad numbers and drop-outs, but by the middle 
of October we had a pretty solid nodelist.  TJ had been bit once or twice 
with fake node number requests.  (I'm sure many of you have heard a version 
of the famous "little old lady." It actually happened.  He accepted a phone 
request for a node number.  After several complaints from the net about 
no-answer, he called the number during the day -- and got an earfull!)  So 
we established our first FidoNet policy -- ya gotta request a node number 
via net mail.  Of course, TJ was still passing out node numbers with 
diskettes, and we still had a few bad ones.  It took another month to 
persuade him to stop, and to publish "our policy" in the docs.

It was October or November that TJ published the first issue of our 
irregular weekly newsletter, FidoNews.  I don't think he had ever intended 
to continue with the newsletter very long, and in January he passed that 
baton to Thom.  I remember at the time I had never heard of Thom Henderson!  
Who the hell is he?  Ken didn't know either.  Hey Ken did you ever figure 
out who this Thom Henderson is?  What kinda name it "Thom" anyway?

I think we were in Fido Version 8 when, in the Spring of 85, we were 
rapidly approaching Fido's 250 node limit.  And a nodelist that size was 
becomming difficult for one man to manage and still find time to kiss his 
wife occasionally.  Our computer club and the local DECUS chapter brought 
TJ to St. Louis to speak at a joint meeting on April 10th amd the next day 
we had an all-day meeting at Ken's house.

After an 11 hour session we codified what was already taking place.  With 
the advent of a routing language,  FidoNet was collecting itself into local 
groups or "nets," usually around a node willing to foot the bill for 
long-distance calls.  So we created the net/node addressing scheme.  Node 
numbers within a net would no longer have to be unique on FidoNet, only 
within the local net.  Thus the "network host" could maintain his own net 
list.  But that still left about 100 or so nodes scattered throughout the 
hinterlands and not alligned with anybody.  The net implied routing.  How 
about a different kind of "net" that did NOT imply routing -- a Region.  TJ 
reached into his knapsack (hey, that's the way he travels, knapsack and 
scateboard) and pulled out two or three hugh U.S. maps.  We spread one out 
on the floor and with a felt pen, began carving.  We divided up the country 
into ten pieces we hoped represented nore-or-less equal populations (at 
10pm on a Thursday night we were not in a scientific mood) and dreamed up 
names for the ten new "regions."

TJ went home and got back in the "a version a day" mode.  Ken and I put a 
freeze on the nodelist and began creating net and region files, and 
assigning new net addresses.  By early May, the software was beginning to 
stablize and we "went public." As I recall, we set June 15 as the cut-over 
date to the new addressing scheme (with a silent prayer that we could get 
everything in place by then).  We found ten people willing to be regional 
coordinators.  We unfroze the nodelist and gave hosts a formula for 
assigning node numbers (until the cut-over, they still had to be unique).

Finally the the fateful day came for us to all use the '3' command and set 
our new net addresses.  I was expecting total chaos.  I was not at all 
prepared for just how smooth the transition happened!  Oh sure, there were 
a few stragglers and even a few drop-outs, but still, one day we were an 
amorphous network and the next FidoNet was partitioned into local nets and 
regions -- and the mail kept flowing as if nothing had happened!  It took a 
good deal of coordinated effort by a great many people -- and it proved we 
COULD function as a body!

It was about that time that TJ first suggested a membership association.  
After all, we had proved we were an organization, so why weren't we an 
officially sanctioned organization.  I was originally cool to the idea.  
Providing tee shirts and bumper stickers was not the kind of service 
foundation I thought appropriate, so I dragged my heels.  With the 
Tsimpidis affair still fresh in my mind, I saw a need for a strong 
collective voice, but I didn't have any idea how to get there.

I'm sure there were events of momment, but I don't recall much more as 85 
slid quietly into 86.  A 500 node limit came and went, almost without 
notice.  TJ said "This new version (11) can handle 1200 nodes.  That ought 
to hold us for quite a while."  We coined the name "International FidoNet 
Association" and used it a first line in the mailing address. FidoNet began 
appearing more frequently in national publications -- like it or not, we 
were a growing force and we were being noticed.  Ken began receiving 
donations in the name of IFNA, and they helped defray the costs of our 
new-found recognition.

Two things happened in 86 to crystalize the IFNA concept and one to 
definitely polarize it.

First, an April conversation between Ken and his accountant went something 
like this:  "You've got to pay income tax on these 'donations.'"  "But 
that's not my money!"  "I know, but what IS IFNA?  Can you prove to the IRS 
that it exists?" "Well. . .er. . .uh. . ."  Total receipts for 85 were only 
a few hundred dollars, but still, that's a non-trivial tax burden and 86 
revenues had already exceeded 85's.

Then in May we were asked by COSUG, "How would you like to help us put on a 
Sysops' Conference?"  Sounded like a good idea to us and we immediately 
went to work on it.  Then in July they said "Looks like we might have a 
small surplus.  We will gladly share it with IFNA, but we can only do that 
if IFNA is a bona fide not-for-profit corporation.

So, with some trepidation, Ken filed IFNA's incorporation papers in late 
July or early August.  On reflection, we should have said "Keep the money 
-- let's see what happens at the conference first."  Marvelous thing -- 
hindsight.

Then came the conference in August.  From that momment to this our history 
becomes a blur to me.  I recall that a self-appointed IFNA spokesman put us 
in deeper, hotter water every time he opened his mouth.  I recall that, 
with no authorization save the aforementioned spokesman's, IFNA memberships 
went on sale.  I recall a disasterous "business meeting."  I recall Ezra 
putting out the fire under the tar pot.  I recall a by-laws committee, a 
New Hampshire meeting, a Chicago meeting, flames, counterflames.  I recall 
twice throwing in the towel and twice being persuaded to reconsider my 
action.

But can I put order to all of that?  'Fraid not -- it's all a blur.  
Another historian will have to pick up from the conference; one with 
clearer recollections (or perhaps records).

Has it all been worth it?  For me, the first two years were an unqualified 
success.  As to the last year, only time will tell.  I think we now have 
the skeleton of a potentially successful -- and useful -- organization.  
Now, lets get some meat on the bones.



                            Ben

I have told this abreviated history from my own perspective. I have left 
out many people and events really important to the development of FidoNet.  
The list is long and I will not attempt to enumerate them for fear of 
ommitions.  You know who you are.  Most of you know who 'they' are.  I 
would simply say to all of you -- THANK YOU.