In FidoNet, there used to be ZoneGates that would handle inter-zone netmail. In theory, it would be possible to setup something similar for handling netmail between FidoNet and othernets.
There also exist software packages such as BlackHole which allow gating echomail from one FTN network to another.
That's possible where my IDEA came from. I remember being (I guess) ZONE 42. And de facto most of the conferences weren't routed anywhere else than
locally. It were in my language. And I could somehow subscribe other ECHO
AREAS on BBS and download it to QWK reader. But I guess I could also post to other zones via netmail. (really unsure about all that above ... it's quite a long time).
But when there would be routing between networks. I guess there would have
been some central point where the messages would be received and forwarded.
And that's the weak point. The beauty of Internet it's in it's decentralization. I mean You can contact any node on any subnet (if not
BLOCKE by active element). And if You make one element responsible for something very important. Then it becomes single point of failure.
Just thinking. Sorry if that above doesn't make sense.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A38 2018/01/01 (Linux/64)
* Origin: INFOLINKA BBS (21:1/153)