Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!ucbvax!NOTE.NSF.GOV!fbaube From: fbaube@NOTE.NSF.GOV ("F.Baube") Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: A Fidonet-Based Revolution Message-ID: <8811111323.aa17185@note.nsf.gov> Date: 11 Nov 88 18:23:03 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 18 Steam-powered klunkers like C-64's and TRS-80's and Atari 800's got the revolution in data *manipulation* going for households. Can't some mass-marketer get the ball rolling in data *transpor- tation* by putting basic Fido in ROM ? Perhaps with a tiny, ergo inexpensive, non-volatile RAM to store parameters for node/BBS numbers and auto-logon scripts ? Maybe include a provision for negotiating protocols ? And for keeping a running total of con- nect charges, both to the phone service provider(s) and to the node/BBS ? How large (in K) would a basic software config be to manage and exchange email with Fido, MCI Mail, and anything else that's big enough to stir interest ? K.I.S.S. ! #include