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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