CDR: Re: I created the "Al Gore created the Internet" story

[Tom Vogt]

Harmon Seaver wrote:
>       No, that's just alternative dns.  Fidonet had most of what the internet has,
> other than speed and the web  -- file repositories, email, newsgroups -- but it was
> all done privately. 


and self-organized. instead of the gov coming in and telling us to
install filters, we choose to have our newsgroups moderated or not, and
if so by one of our own.

note: fido moderation was far different from usenet or mailinglist
moderation. there was no "approval" step, everything got posted without
going by the mod. the mod just had authority to reprimand people to stay
on topic and could, in extreme situations, have someone removed from the
group. his powers were very limited. I remember successfully fighting
moderators.