Subj : perl files for fidonet
To   : Jasen Betts
From : Russ Johnson
Date : Thu Jun 28 2001 10:10 am

>>> how do you figure that, the internet's been around longer than
>>> fidonet, by a few years, it's just only recently become popular.
>> The ARPAnet existed long before Fidonet, which is also a precursor
>> to the Internet.
>> The public internet didn't exist until the 80's. Prior to that, it
>> was a private network. In many ways, the only access people had to
>> it was through fidonet.
> Fidonet didn't exist until 1982.

The public at large was not allowed on the internet until at least 1983 or 
1984, and then, that was a very limited audience. Prior to that, only college 
students, their instructors, and part of the military had access. 

Most of the public didn't have access until around 1989. 

In my hometown (the second largest city in Oregon, and home to the University 
of Oregon, the public didn't have access until after 1992. Myself, I had access 
starting in 1993 when I went to work for Symantec. Prior to that, Fidonet was 
my only access point. 

Russ

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