@MSGID: 1:129/14.999 68883f1d
@PID: GED+W64 1.1.5-b20250409
@CHRS: CP866 2
@TZUTC: -0400
 https://fidonet.press/ - This is the first article in a series
exposing the reality of FidoNet leadership, politics, and decline.

 Ward Dossche, longtime Zone 2 Coordinator and former International
Coordinator (IC), is known less for improving FidoNet and more for consolidating
control.

Power Grab: The 89% Vote
 In 2004, when Zone Coordinators voted to replace Dossche with
Malcolm Miles, Dossche refused to step down. He claimed his vote should
count for 89%-because 89% of nodes were in Zone 2. This self-serving
logic ignored FidoNet`s structure and blocked leadership transition. The
result: two ICs, fractured governance, and paralyzed coordination.

Suppression, Not Collaboration
 Dossche sidelined critics and removed those who opposed him. He
dismissed appeals, cut off dissenting sysops, and rewarded loyalty over merit.
Community members were forced to choose between silence and exclusion.

Lawsuit and Loyalty
 Dossche was sued by Helmut Hullen, a former sysop, over a FidoNet
dispute. Supporters launched a fundraiser to cover his legal costs-proof of a
faction loyal not to FidoNet, but to Dossche himself.

No Vision for FidoNet
 Dossche resisted reform and showed no interest in modernizing
FidoNet. His leadership focused on control, not growth. Innovation stalled
while loyalists maintained his power.

Authoritarian in All But Name
 Dossche ruled by position, not consensus. His actions mirror
authoritarian rule: centralizing authority, silencing opposition, and rejecting
community decisions. His legacy is not network development, but enforced
loyalty and stagnation.

Sources
https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Fidonet
https://www.enlight.ru/files/ward_lawsuit.txt
https://bbs.electronicchicken.com/spam/forum/FidoNet/fido_fnsysop/4421

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