1990

Years: 1987 1988 1989 - 1990 - 1991 1992 1993
Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

January 1 - Steve Bonine, Chair of the IFNA (International FidoNet Association) Elections and Nominations Committee announces that the referendum to give control of FidoNet to the IFNA has failed, 480 (Yes) to 1417 (No). The IFNA begins proceedings to dissolve.

January 8 - Thom Henderson announces a special meeting of the IFNA (International FidoNet Association) to wind the organization down, having lost the FidoNet referendum of December 1, 1989.

January 18 - Craig Neidorf, who publishes PHRACK under the name of "Knight Lightning", is visited by the US Secret Service and BellSouth regarding an article published in PHRACK Issue #24, "Control Office Administration Of Enhanced 911 Service by The Eavesdropper". The agents return the next day with a search warrant.

January 24 - Andrew Milner and Phil MacKay release version 0.01 (First Public Release) of RemoteAccess BBS Software.

February 1 - Craig Neidorf is indicted by a grand jury with six counts, including wire fraud, computer fraud, and transportation of stolen property over $5,000.

March 1 - The Secret Service raids Steve Jackson Games, a maker of role playing games, and seizes their BBS and office equipment. Steve Jackson Games mounts a campaign to retrieve the seized equipment and BBS and is ultimately victorious.

May 8 - The RIPCO BBS, one of the older BBSes still in existence, is closed and seized by the FBI.

July - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is founded to provide legal assistance in technology-based cases of civil liberties.

July 23 - The "E911 Document" trial of Craig Neidorf begins in Chicago's District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The trial quickly falls apart for the prosecution as it is proven the documents are not worth the amount of money quoted, that Neidorf's actions do not fall under many of charges against him, and other major holes appear in the legal case against him. He is vindicated, but Neidorf is left with $100,000 in legal bills.

July 27 - The FidoNet Region 17 Convention is held in Corbett, Oregon at the Menucha Camp and Conference Grounds.

August 1 - Fidocon 1990 (Also called Conclave '90) is held in Lyndhurst, NJ from August 1 through 5.

August 6 - Fidonet news editor Vince Perriello announces in FidoNews that the IFNA (International Fidonet Association) has been officially dissolved, having failed to pass a referendum on its control of Fidonet.

Source[]