This is Part Two in the history of FidoNet. Itچ
turned out that the original FIDOHIST.DOC (now calledچ
FIDOHIST.DC1, or just "Part One") was useful, and manyچ
people read it. Unfortunately, by the time everyone read it,چ
it became totally obsolete. Oh well. Here is Part Two.

	FIDOHIST.DOC covered the early history of FidoNet,چ
why it was done, how it was done, and the reasons for theچ
organization and obscure rituals surrounding node numbers.چ
If you havent read it yet, I suggest you do now, becauseچ
I'll probably refer to things that won't make any senseچ
otherwise. 

	The original FidoNet was organized very simply; eachچ
FidoNet system (each node) had a number that served like aچ
phone number, uniquely identifying it. The NODELIST,چ
generated by the folks in St. Louis that had all FidoNetچ
nodes in it, contains information on all known FidoNetچ
systems. Every system in FidoNet had a current copy of theچ
NODELIST, which served as the directory of systems.

	(In the interests of brevity I'm leaving out hugeچ
amounts of information; I hope you have read FIODHIST.DOC byچ
now ...)

	FidoNet has been growin7 steadily since it startedچ
by accident in May 84 or so. The node list continued to /etچ
out of hand; the ori7inal FIDOHIST.DOC was written to tryچ
and help smooth things out. It is impossible toچ
overemphasize the amount of work inrïlved in keeping theچ
node list accurate. Basically, the guys in St. Louis wereچ
keeping track of hundreds of FidoNet systems in Boston, Losچ
Angeles, London, Stockholm and Sweden, and publishing theچ
results weekly. There has never been such a comprehensiveچ
and accurate list of bulletin board systems generated.


	We talked for many months as to how we couldچ
possibly find a solution to the many problems; it was at theچ
point where if a solution was not found in a few months (byچ
Aug. 85 or so) that FidoNet would collapse due to the sheerچ
weight of it's node list. 

	The newsletter, FidoNews, was, and still is, anچ
integral part of the process of FidoNet. FidoNews is theچ
only thing that unites all FidoNet sysops consistently;چ
please keep up to date on it, and stock it for your users ifچ
you have the disk space. And contribute if you can!

	There were many constraints on the kind of things weچ
could do; we had no money, so it had to be done for zeroچ
cost. Centralization was out, so obviously localization wasچ
in; just how to do it was a total unknown. We thought ofچ
going back to having people in different areas handle newچ
node requests in their area, but that always generatedچ
confusion as to who a person should go to, how to avoideچ
having someone requesting a node number from differentچ
people simultaneously, etc etc. 

	The old method of routing was very different thanچ
the current method, and much more complex; instead of Fidoچ
automatically routing to hosts, each sysop had to specifyچ
(via the ROUTE.BBS file) how all routing was done in theچ
system. The was done originally by hand, later by Johnچ
Warren's (102/31) NODELIST program.

	Then of course there was the problem that no matterچ
what we did, it would not be done overnight. (ha ha.) Itچ
would take many weeks at the least, possibly months, so thatچ
whatever we did had to be compatible with the old method asچ
well.

	We went through probably hundreds of ideas in theچ
next few months, some possibly useful, some insane.چ
Eventually the insanity boiled down to a pretty workableچ
system. We chatted by FidoNet and by voice telephone.چ
Eventually, we settled on the two part number scheme, likeچ
the phone company does with area codes and exchanges. Itچ
accomodated backwards compatibility (you can keep yourچ
present node number) and the new "area code" (net number)چ
could be added into an existing field that had been set toچ
zero. (This is why everyone was originally part of net #1).


	When a fortunate set of circumstances was to bringچ
Ezra Shapiro and me to St. Louis to speak to the McDonnellچ
Douglas Recreational Computer Club on XXXX 11th, we plannedچ
ahead for a national FidoNet sysops meeting that weekend.چ
Ken and Sally Kaplan were kind enough to tolerate having allچ
of us in their living room.

	The people who showed up were (need that list) Theچ
meeting lasted ten continuous hours; it was the mostچ
productive meeting I (and most others) had attended. When weچ
were done, we had basically the whole thing layed out inچ
every detail.

	We stuck with the area code business (now known asچ
net and region numbers) and worked out how to break thingsچ
up into regions and nets. It was just one of those rare butچ
fortunate events; during the morning things went "normally",چ
but in the afternoon solutions fell into place one by one,چ
so that by late afternoon we had the entire picture laid outچ
in black and white. Two or three months of brainstormingچ
just flowed smoothly into place in one afternoon ...

	What we had done was exactly what we have now,چ
though we changed the name of "Admin" to "Region", and addedچ
the "alternate" node and net numbers. (We still seem to beچ
stuck with that terrible and inaccurate word, "manager". Anyچ
ideas?) I previously had a buggy test hack running usingچ
area codes, and the week after the meeting it was made toچ
conform to what we had talked about that Saturday.

	When version 10C was done, it accomplished more orچ
less everything we wanted, but it sure did take a long time.چ
10C was probably the single largest change ever made toچ
Fido/FidoNet, and the most thoroughly tested version. Atچ
10M, there are STILL bugs left from that early version, inچ
spite of the testing.

	Once the testing got serious, and it looked like weچ
had a shippable version, St. Louis froze the node list, andچ
started slicing it into pieces, to give to the soon-to-beچ
net and region managers. (That word again.) This caused aچ
tremendous amount of trouble for would-be sysops; not onlyچ
was it difficult enough to figure out how on earth to get aچ
node number, once they did they were told node numbersچ
weren't being given out just yet. Explaining why was evenچ
harder, since FIDOHIST.DC2 (ahem) wasn't written yet. (Iچ
have to agree, this thing is a little bit late) It was aچ
typical case of those who already knew were informaedچ
constantly of updates, but thse in the dark had a hard time.چ
Things were published fairly regularly (am I rememberingچ
"conveniently" or "accurately" on this part?) 


	Eventually, 10C was released, and seemed to workچ
fairly well, ignoring all the small scale disasters due toچ
bugs, etc. We couldn't just swap over to the new area codeچ
business until very close to 100% of all Fidos were usingچ
the new version. This was (for me) an excruciating period,چ
basically a "hurry up and wait" situation. There had notچ
been a node list release for a month or two, and for allچ
practical purposes it looked like FidoNet had halted ...

	Finally, on June 12th, we all swapped over to theچ
new system; that afternoon, sysops were to set their netچ
number (it had been "1" for backwards compatibility), copyچ
in the new node list issued just for this occasion, and go.چ
I assumed the result was going to be perpetual chaos,چ
bringing about the collapse of FidoNet. Almost the exactچ
opposite was true; things went very smoothly (yes, thereچ
were problems, but when you consider that FidoNet consistsچ
of microcomputers owned by almost 300 people who had neverچ
even talked to each other ...)

	Within a month or so,just about every Fido hadچ
swapped over to the area code, or net/node architecture.چ
With a few exceptions, things went very smoothly. No one wasچ
more suprised than pessimistic I. At this time, August, Iچ
don't think there is a single system still using the oldچ
node number method.

	This is all well and fine as far as the softwareچ
goes, but it made a mess for new sysops. For us sysops whoچ
have been around for a while, there was no great problem, asچ
we saw the changes happen one by one. However, new sysopsچ
frequently came out of the blue; armed with a diskette fullچ
of code, they attempted to set up a FidoNet node.

	Actually, I don't understand how anyone does it. Theچ
information needed is not recorded in any place that a nonچ
sysop could find. On top of that, most of it is now totallyچ
wrong! If you follow the original instructions, it saidچ
"call Fido #1 ..." if you found a real antique, or "callچ
Fido #51 ..." if it is more current. Of course now it tellsچ
you to find your region manager. "Region manager???" Well, aچ
list of region managers was published in FidoNews, butچ
unless you read FidoNews, how does anyone ever find out?چ
I'll probably never know.


	ANYWAYS ... the original reason for all the changesچ
was to DECENTRALIZE FidoNet. It just wasn't possible for Kenچ
Kaplan to keep accurate, up to date information on everyچ
Fido in the US and Europe. The decentralization has beenچ
more or less a total success. The number of problemچ
sintroduced were negligable compared to the problems solved,چ
and even most new problems are by this time solved.

	It is interesting to note that with the hundreds ofچ
systems there are today, the national FidoNet hour is lessچ
crowded than it was when there were only 50 nodes.

	Please, keep in mind that no one has done anythingچ
like this before, we are all winging it, and learningچ
(hopefully) as we go. Please be patient with problems, noneچ
of us is paid to do this, and it is more and more work asچ
time goes on. Somehow it seems to all get done ...

	HOW TO GET A NODE NUMBER AND ALL THAT

20 August 1985

	This is by necessity a very general idea of how it'sچ
done, and you were warned earlier that this may be obsoleteچ
this very minute; with that, here's the "current" processچ
for starting up a new FidoNet node.

	You can of course skip all or part o6 this if you'veچ
done this before; if you haven't, well, be prepared for aچ
lot of searching and asking questions. 


	Of course, you need to have your Fido BBS systemچ
running first. It's probably best that you play with id forچ
a while, and get some experience with how it all works, andچ
whether you have the patience to run a BBS. It can getچ
exasperating, and you will never find time to use theچ
computer ever again.

	Obtain the most recent copy of the nodelistچ
possible; thi may take some searching. If you get totallyچ
lost, you can always contact Fido 125/1 or Fido 100/51;چ
though these are very busy systems, they both usually haveچ
the very latest of anything, and can direct you to the rightچ
place.

	The big problem here is to find out if oyu are in aچ
net or not, and if not, then who your region manager is. Ifچ
you are in a lrge city (Los Angeles, Cincinnati, etc) thenچ
there is probably a net in your area. Look through the nodeچ
list (use the N)odebook command in Fido, or a text editor)چ
for the right area code or city.

	If there is no net in your area, then you are partچ
of a region. This is a little harder, because regions areچ
large, and sometomes cover many states. Look at all theچ
regions in the node list, you should find a region that fitsچ
you.

	Once you find this, you have to contact the net orچ
region manager to get your node number. Exactly how this isچ
done depends on who the manager is, and how sticky they areچ
fir details. A near universal requirement is that you sendچ
your request via FidoNet, not by manully; this isn't done toچ
make you life difficult, but to ensure that your system isچ
really working right. IF you manage to get a FidoNet messageچ
to the manager, its usually safe to assume that you'reچ
system is working OK. If you get a reply in return, then youچ
know both directions work.

	It is usually each sysops' responsibility to go getچ
the latest nodelist and newsletters; they are notچ
distributed to all systems because of the expense. (Though,چ
I'm trying to get them distributed to more places than theyچ
are now, it's sometimes very difficult to get a copy of theچ
nodelist!)

	Again, read the FidoNew newsletter regularly; it isچ
about the only way to stay in contact with the rest of theچ
net. Programs, problems, services, bugs and interestingچ
announcements can always be found there. FidoNews articlesچ
don't come out of thin air; send in anythnig you think mightچ
be of interest. They don't have to be lifetime masterpieces,چ
or even well written. 

	Please remember the entire network is made of theچ
sysops; there is no central location from which good thingsچ
come, the net consists entirely of the sysops and theirچ
contributions. If you don't do it, chances are no one elseچ
will!

			Tom Jennings
			20 Aug 85



Ken Kaplan		Fido 100/51	314/432-4129
Tom Jennings		Fido 125/1	415/864-1418
Ben Baker		Fido 100/10	314/234-1462