Subj : FidoWeb
To   : Wilfred van Velzen
From : mark lewis
Date : Tue Jul 28 2026 08:04 am


 On 2026 Jul 28 11:52:48, you wrote to Enric Lleal Serra:

 ELS>> Is there a minimum and maximum number of links allowed in the
 ELS>> NADS/FidoWeb setting up?

 WV> With 1 link you are not following the fidoweb concept. With 2 it depends 
on
 WV> who you have linked to. But the minimum number of links is 2.

you keep leaving out the key fundamental aspect of the "web"... that aspect 
being "more than one link per echo"... going by what you wrote, having one link 
for echoA and one link for echoB follows the concept... but that's how all 
echos were once distributed back when making long distance and/or international 
phone calls cost $$$...

having more than one link for an echo is key... especially when those two links 
are connected to each other in a triangle fashion... more than 2 links in one 
echo becomes a "fully connected polygon" with some legs being longer than 
others... that's what the various "backbone star hubs" in the various backbones 
did from the beginning... it is no different other than there now being many ad 
hoc polygons for some echos...

all in all, the web opened people's eyes in the same manner that satellite 
distribution opened people's eyes... both showed that each system can connect 
to any other system they have an agreement with and exchange mail... many 
thought the "branches of a tree" distribution flow was "forced" when it never 
was... people chose to use those distribution branches to keep their phone 
bills at a manageable level... this also meant they agreed to whatever 
restrictions may have been in place in that distribution system...

some did not agree and found their own links for the echos they were interested 
in... sure, they had a larger phone bill but they got what they wanted when and 
how they wanted it... eg: some systems made only one or two calls to their feed 
per day... others called on-demand at any time... this made some feeds faster 
than others but this carried that additional $$$ cost, too...

in some places in the world, all phone calls costs $$$... in other places, 
local calls were free... where fido started, here in North America, local calls 
were free and it made sense to have one system in each local area distribute 
mail from calls to a/some system(s) in other areas... areas that were long 
distance calls and thus incurred a cost... generally this was the NC of the 
local area making those calls and thus was born the net coordinators doing the 
heavy lifting of getting the mail from/to other nets for further 
distribution... it was quite organic and made sense, really...

)\/(ark

"The soul of a small kitten in the body of a mighty dragon. Look on my majesty, 
ye mighty, and despair! Or bring me catnip. Your choice. Oooh, a shiny thing!"
.... There are more planes in the ocean than there are submarines in the sky.
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)

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