The ability to build dirt-cheap networks over crappy phone lines and using some no-name PCs as message and packet routers was noticed, see for example: "Developing Networks in Less Industrialized Nations" by Larry Press

Heck, I even wrote my PhD dissertation (http://www.opus1.com/www/jms/diss.html) on it. And among the 848 references, this "Antonov" character (avg@hq.demos.su) even gets quoted three times (assuming you're not also V.S.Antonov who wrote "Interfacing Tasks of Systems SM and ES Computers and Ways of Their Solution" in 1983). jms -- Joel M Snyder, 1404 East Lind Road, Tucson, AZ, 85719 Senior Partner, Opus One Phone: +1 520 324 0494 jms@Opus1.COM http://www.opus1.com/jms