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Re: All the problems of French Philsophy...

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On 2026-05-15 19:26, rbowman wrote:
> On Fri, 15 May 2026 13:58:35 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> 
>> On 2026-05-15 01:51, rbowman wrote:
>>> On Thu, 14 May 2026 22:56:59 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>>
>>>> Right, I just remembered I got a "Linux Unleashed, the comprehensive
>>>> solution!", third edition, Byt Tim Parker, SAMS. I see inside an empty
>>>> CD envelope. Copyright 1998. Oh! There is another CD envelope on the
>>>> back cover (inside). Good quality paper, has not yellowed.
>>>
>>> No, but the information has for the most part. Does it have chapters
>>> devoted to Archie, Versonica, and friends?
>>
>> I have no idea what those are :-)
> 
> Kids...
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Comics
> 
> However in this context
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_(search_engine)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jughead_(search_engine)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_(search_engine)
> 

+++---------
Archie is a tool for indexing FTP archives, allowing users to more 
easily identify specific files. It is considered the first Internet 
search engine.[2] The original implementation was written in 1990 by 
Alan Emtage, then a postgraduate student at McGill University in 
Montreal, Canada.[3][4][5][6] Archie was superseded by other, more 
sophisticated search engines, including Jughead and Veronica, which were 
search engines for the Gopher protocol. These were in turn superseded by 
World Wide Web search engines like AltaVista and directories like Yahoo! 
in 1995. Work on Archie ceased in the late 1990s. A legacy Archie server 
was maintained for historic purposes in Poland at Interdisciplinary 
Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling in the University of 
Warsaw until 2023.
---------++-

So by the end of the century they did not exist. I did not have internet 
till the turn of the century. In the 90's I had Fidonet, which had some 
search system I have forgotten. I just asked ChatGPT to remind me.


+++---------
Yes. In classic FidoNet systems, file searching was typically done 
through **File Requests (FREQ)** and **file echo indexes** rather than a 
global searchable database like the modern web.

Common methods were:

### 1. File Request (FREQ)

You sent a request directly to a node that hosted files.

Typical syntax from a mailer or tosser:

```text
FREQ filename.zip
```

or using a command-line mailer:

```text
binkd -f filename.zip 2:2452/110
```

The remote system would automatically send the file during the next mail 
session if:

* the filename matched
* the node allowed FREQs
* you had access rights

Wildcards were often supported:

```text
FREQ yast*.zip
```

---

### 2. ALLFIX / Filefix robots

Large file distribution hubs used robots where you could request:

* lists of available file areas
* subscriptions
* file indexes

You sent a netmail command like:

```text
%LIST
```

or

```text
%QUERY yast
```

to the robot address.

---

### 3. FILES.BBS indexes

Every BBS typically maintained a `FILES.BBS` text index.

Searching was usually done locally:

```bash
grep -i yast FILES.BBS
```

or through BBS search utilities.

---

### 4. Hubs carrying file echoes

Files propagated through “file echoes” similarly to message echoes.

Examples:

* Linux distributions
* shareware
* drivers
* utilities

You searched the catalog distributed by the hub.

---

### 5. Modern surviving Fidonet tools

Some surviving systems expose searchable indexes via:

* FTP
* telnet BBS
* web gateways

Examples include:

* IFDC archives
* fsxNet gateways
* filegate mirrors

If you want, I can also explain:

* exact FREQ packet syntax
* how FrontDoor/BinkleyTerm handled searches
* how TIC files worked
* how people searched globally across many nodes in the 1990s
* surviving Fidonet file archives today

			Q: Yes, now I remember some of it. I had forgotten :-)


Those systems had a very different feel from today’s networks — highly 
decentralized, store-and-forward, and often surprisingly efficient over 
dial-up lines. FidoNet file distribution with FREQ, TIC files, file 
echoes, and nightly mail events was quite elegant for the constraints of 
the time.

A lot of people also remember:

* waiting for the mail hour
* ZModem transfers
* `FILES.BBS`
* node addresses like `2:341/14`
* tossing mail packets overnight
* hubs redistributing Linux CDs and shareware

The `magic names` feature was especially handy too:

```text id="gkkew9"
FREQ FILES
FREQ INDEX
FREQ NEW
```

where the remote system dynamically generated listings instead of 
sending a literal file.

And some setups had searchable file databases through tools like:

* HPT
* FastEcho
* AllFix
* Tick processors
* RemoteAccess
* Maximus
* FrontDoor

A surprisingly sophisticated ecosystem considering much of it ran on DOS 
machines with a single phone line.

🙂 A lot of that old infrastructure was clever engineering born from 
scarcity — bandwidth, storage, phone costs, CPU time. Yet it enabled 
global messaging and file distribution long before the modern Internet 
became common.

Some Fidonet terminology still sounds wonderfully archaic today:

* echomail
* netmail
* tossing/scanning
* points and nodes
* crash mail
* SEAdog mailers
* TIC processors
* Areafix/Filefix

And despite the age, parts of FidoNet still exist. There are still 
active nodes, telnet-accessible BBSes, and archives online preserving 
echoes and file areas from decades ago.

---------++-




-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-11 19:00 +0100
  Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> - 2026-05-11 14:11 -0400
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-11 11:34 -0700
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-11 20:18 +0100
      Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> - 2026-05-11 20:57 +0000
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2026-05-11 21:33 +0000
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-11 15:05 -0700
        Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-11 22:45 +0000
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-12 07:37 +0200
          Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-12 05:50 +0000
            Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-12 02:17 -0400
            [OT] Microsoft delusions in EULAs (was: Re: All the problems of French Philsophy...) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-12 09:34 +0100
            Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-12 17:48 +0200
              Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-12 20:42 +0000
      Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-15 20:56 +0000
        Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-05-16 00:42 +0000
          Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 00:30 -0400
            Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 08:56 +0200
              Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 03:12 -0400
                Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 09:32 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 23:35 -0400
                Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-17 13:56 +0200
          Re: All the problems of French Philosophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 06:01 +0000
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 01:42 +0000
          Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 00:58 -0400
          Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-05-16 05:31 +0000
            Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 02:34 -0400
              Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-16 12:10 +0100
          Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-16 12:09 +0100
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-05-16 08:21 +0200
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-05-12 17:28 +0200
      Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-12 09:09 -0700
        Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 04:59 +0000
          Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-12 22:15 -0700
            Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-13 18:01 +0000
              Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-13 23:15 +0100
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 02:19 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-14 12:27 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-14 11:34 +0100
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 18:15 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-14 22:18 +0100
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-05-14 18:38 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-14 22:56 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 23:51 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-15 09:10 +0100
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-15 13:58 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-15 13:31 +0100
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-15 17:26 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-15 20:03 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 01:38 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-16 00:46 -0400
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 05:51 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-05-15 23:16 -0700
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-16 21:43 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 09:02 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-05-16 09:00 +0200
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-14 23:50 +0000
                Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-14 20:04 -0400
      Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-12 23:06 +0000
  Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2026-05-12 08:24 +1000
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-11 22:33 -0400
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-12 14:09 +0100
      Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-12 23:07 +0000
  Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-11 21:01 -0400
  Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-12 03:58 +0000
    Re: All the problems of French Philsophy... The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-12 14:10 +0100

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