FidoNet

FidoNet, also known as the Fido network, is a worldwide federation of a mailbox network founded in 1985 with over 1 million subscribers and over 30,000 nodes. The name FidoNet comes from its founder Tom Jennings, whose dog was named Fido. FidoNet also stands for one of the first mailbox programs.

FidoNet is a non-commercial mailbox network operated exclusively by private individuals with no commercial interests with the aim of exchanging private netmails and echomails among themselves, establishing and promoting contacts with other people. Participation and admission are free of charge, only connection fees are charged. The main focus of the FidoNet is besides the mail service the sending of software, shareware as well as graphic and music files.

The FidoNet is hierarchically structured, with the highest hierarchical level being formed by zones corresponding to the continents. Below that are the hosts with strict regional assignment: at the national level come the regions, at the regional level the networks, followed by the nodes (nodes and BBS) for the mailbox systems and the points that form the access for a user.

Messagingin the Fido network works according to the store-and-forward method. The Fido network can be accessed at 28.8 kbit/s or at 64 kbit/s via ISDN. The transmitted Echomails and Netmails can be up to 16,000 bytes in size.

When using FidoNet, the subscriber is subject to a netiquette that provides internationally binding rules of conduct.