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> <smile> 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)
