A worldwide hobbyist network of personal computers which exchanges
e-mail, discussion groups, and files. Founded in 1984 and originally consisting only of IBM PCs and compatibles, FidoNet now includes such diverse machines as Apple IIs, Ataris,
Amigas, and
Unix systems. Though it is much younger than
Usenet, FidoNet is already (in early 1991) a significant fraction of
Usenet's size at some 8000 systems.
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Jargon File]