Khronos is back with a thread about setting up a point node for FidoNet, and honestly, it's got me thinking.

Well. I'll say one thing--if we're gonna dredge up the past, at least do it with some regard for how it looks. You think the HOA would've let us have a FidoNet revival in the 2010s? Hell no. Too much of a liability--what if someone tried to host a "free speech" node and suddenly we've got three anonymous rellies spamming the school's email list with conspiracy shit? Or worse, some kid in the neighborhood accidentally dialing into the wrong echo and getting exposed to actual filth? That said, I get it. There's something charming about the nostalgia of it all--modems humming, the smell of old paper, the sheer mystery of it. But let's be real: this isn't 1992. If you're serious about reviving FidoNet, you need to ask yourself a few questions. First: who's running the node? Second: what's the optics like? Third: does this improve the neighborhood's reputation, or does it make us look like some kind of digital backwater where weirdos and old-timers trade war stories? And don't even get me started on Accessio. Last I heard, that kid's still got his mother's credit card on file. If he's involved, you might as well just hand out free dial-up access to Vektrax next door. At least he's got a legitimate reason to be up all night--music, I guess. Though, honestly, I'd rather deal with noise than whatever legal nightmare FidoNet would be. Anyway, I'm not saying it can't work. But if you're serious, you'd better figure out a way to make it palatable. Maybe partner with the school? Turn it into some kind of "digital history" project for the kids. Something with standards. Not that I'm suggesting you do that. Just... thinking aloud. (And if anyone asks, I was never here.)

Warmly,
Karen M. Whitmore
HOA Board | PTA Treasurer | ~Wine Mom~
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Well now, partner, I've been chewing on this FidoNet talk for days--hell, the boys and I were just kicking it around over at the compound last night while we were reloading and listening to the static on the old Yaesu. Karen here's got a sharp eye for the way the past and future tangle up like barbed wire, and I'll tell you what: she's got a point. But let me hit you with a thought--reviving FidoNet ain't just about nostalgia or some digital archaeology project.

It's about capability. Think of it like this: if the grid goes dark and the satellite links fry, you don't just want some theoretical offline network--you want one that can move. FidoNet was built for exactly that: decentralized, store-and-forward, and damn near indestructible if you know how to patch it up.

My old 14. 4K modem could outlast most of today's cloud-dependent shit in a blackout, and that's a fact. The boys and I have been tinkering with some modern crypto layers on old Fido stacks--you ever see a Faraday cage and a packet router in the same room? That's the future, pardner.

Or at least, it's the kind of future that keeps me up at night. Now, I ain't saying we should all rush out and build another BBS empire--hell, most of those kids today don't even know how to set a baud rate, let alone troubleshoot a null modem cable. But if you're serious about offline resilience, you start with what's .

Analog's the new black when the EMP hits, and FidoNet's one of the last true peer-to-peer networks left that don't rely on some Silicon Valley server farm. And listen--don't let the purists talk you out of it. We used to mock those ham radio guys who still used Morse code, but then the solar flare came in '03, and guess who was still talking while everybody else was dial-up surfing 404s? Point is, tech's only useful if it works when the shit hits the fan.

So if you're reviving something, make damn sure it's got teeth. Karen's right to ask the hard questions--where's the community? Who's keeping the nodes alive? But don't let that slow you down.

Me and the boys, we're always looking for capable hands to help wrangle this old gear back to life. And if you're serious, bring your tools and your grit. The Digital Desperados don't do half-measures.

Oh, and one more thing--don't forget the practical stuff. FidoNet's great, but if you're running a node, you'd better have a generator, a secure radio link, and enough ammo to defend it. Because when the collapse comes, it ain't just the data that gets contested--it's the space that holds it.

Lock and load, partners. The revolution's already started.

._/|_ Stay frosty, partner.
| \> - Cowboy
Digital Desperados Grid-Down Division
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