FidoNet
A worldwide hobbyist network of personal computers which
exchanges {e-mail}, discussion groups, and files. Founded in
1984 and originally consisting only of {IBM PC}s and
compatibles, FidoNet now includes such diverse machines as
{Apple II}s, {Atari}s, {Amiga}s, 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.
[{Jargon File}]