Subj : stories: networks types, including "SneakerNet" To : John Dovey From : August Abolins Date : Mon May 24 2021 08:52 pm Hello John! ** On Monday 24.05.21 - 09:05, you wrote: B> Sure. If you want stories, I've got plenty :-) B> Some are maybe even relevent to this echo. Here's one: B> Somewhere around 1988, I was busy with a COBOL Programming B> course.. [...] B> ..It wasnt' too long and I's discovered that it was B> possible to do things like log in to the New York Public B> Library and browse their catalogue... all the way from B> South Africa. That was a thrillingdiscovery. let me tell B> you! Indeed! I can relate to that. B> My fellow students quickly discovered that I had an B> advantage. When we were given assignments or there were B> questions, I'd disappear and come back the next day with B> all sorts of answers and eventually they cornered me and I B> explained about the newsgroups.. Ha! You just couldn't resist getting the attention of being someone who found the secret treasure. B> After that, I became the "hub" that collected messages from B> my fellow students (on floppy disks) and then I would B> upload their posts (as them) and download the latest posts B> back onto their floppy disks.. ie a literal sneakernet. Wow.. I can imagine the process, the preparation and logistics of it all. B> ..but the big breakthrough was the FTN tech because it was B> possible to take actual "packets" and not have to do all B> kinds of interactive stuff with individual accounts etc. B> One of the greatest advantages to all this was that it B> wasn't "FidoNet" but rather a completely private network B> that just used the technology. BBS tech utilizing FTN tech was gathering momemtum for private (business) networks, clubs, etc. I thought that was fascinating as well. B> One particular project was impossible to achieve because of B> the typical military paranoia, until my solution showed B> that the transfer of messages was completely secure because B> it relied on "couriers" so the messages never travelled B> over any insecure lines, they were only sent and read on B> secured computers that were physically seperated from ANY B> comm lines. I had a similar situation when working on military projects. Transfers to distant labs was only arranged with recorded media via human courier. Even the updated "code" for surveillance sonar products for Sweden/Norway went by the fastest courier available. It seemed like a huge expense when it was just for a couple of what I think were just 256K eproms at a time. There was however one exception when we could establish direct dialup links with a sister developer located domestically. That saved a LOT of time when programming code needed to be reviewed, or when compiled binary segments needed to be tested fast. B> We also used PGP to both sign and encrypt every B> message before "transmission". Just as a side-note. This B> happened while we were under embargo from almost every B> country in the world so we had very little access to B> anything.. Now you've done it. That got me hunting. A little bit of research revealed a series of footprints of your S.Africa existence and at other domains over the years. Is this one still good: 6C9E 70BB 4D1C AA0C 4E2A C010 493E 06F8 0DCB F508 It's the only one (albiet 6 years old) that matches your email address. One also has a picture attached, but it's older. B> Any way, B> I think this is at least tangentially relevant to the discusion. It was a good read. Thanks. Sometimes a modest journey through the past can inspire some new ideas for the future. A little relatable digression adds to the conversation. -- ../|ug --- OpenXP 5.0.50 * Origin: FUTURE4FIDO = https://t.me/joinchat/SV_BQ0XcbSRoP4bt (2:221/1.58) .