https://fidonet.press/ - This is the second article in a series exposing the reality of FidoNet leadership, politics, and decline.
FidoNet pretends to be global. Neutral. Democratic.
But the numbers don't lie: Zone 2 is mostly Russian. Over 80% of nodes come from Russia and post-Soviet regions. And Ward Dossche, the long-time "International Coordinator", knew it.
He didn't just benefit from it - he weaponized it.
When other zones challenged his leadership, Ward demanded 89 votes for Zone 2 alone, claiming node count was power. The rest of the world? Just 11 votes. Democracy?
Ward built his rule on Moscow's backbone.
Attempts to split Russia into its own zone? Blocked. Power-sharing? Ignored. All while Ward stayed in charge - propped up by the very bloc with the tightest grip on information.
This isn't just legacy tech. It's an old network under new control.
FidoNet didn't decay. It was captured.
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* Origin: (1:129/14.998)