Ekansh Goenka

I am building byte-space, or have finished by the time you are reading this article. This article explains what byte-space is, why I want to build it, and what sparked the idea. Hope you enjoy the read!

byte-space (all lowercase) is an internet simulator that boasts some pretty cool features. I think the most interesting and fun part about byte-space compared to other network simulators is that you can actually interact with the network like a user. Telnet onto machines, send email and do "userly" activities. ACTUALLY USE IT! That is what I find fun about it. Being able to transport myself into a 1980s academic network that I build, or a military one... "Playing" with others in the same network or geeking around alone (with others is more fun, if you have nerdy friends).

That is what I find cool about byte-space. You are INSIDE the simulation not just observing it. That is the core feature of byte-space but of course it has other cool features. Some of them include (skip this list if you don't care):

• A whole interpreted shell programming language themed to the era and project: yep, this is for configuring and building cool stuff on servers, like for building a chat room server or BBS. Or heck a 1980s style X (Twitter) clone. Anything (almost) is possible with this language.
• The visualizer: you can observe the network topology in a graph format and see packets travel between machines. You can click on packets to open them mid flight and inspect the data. Networking in 4k.
• Custom protocol implementations: HTTP, SMTP, DNS, all from scratch.
• Hacking: arp poisoning, DNS spoofing, honeypots, no encryption... no consequences, real networking.
• A custom text based markup language and website browsing: I am aware other text-based markup languages exist, but making my own sounded interesting, and fun so... here we are.
• Emails: emails, I don't need to explain that...
• I don't really consider this a feature but: 1980s vibes: telnet, server profiles, browsing simple websites, hacking, The Cuckoo's Egg vibes.

Now onto why I want to build it (not vibe-code, build). Building byte-space teaches me how the internet actually works, not from textbooks, but by implementing it all from scratch. I'll understand the INTERNET to a level most developers never reach. Plus, it's fun. Building complex systems is what I enjoy most.

What sparked the idea? The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll. This book is the sole reason for me building byte-space. The 1980s internet was so cool and I had to have it.

Also, could AI build byte-space? Maybe. But I'll learn more building it myself, build stronger foundations for larger projects that AI can't do and its kinda fun.

Anyway, hope you understand why I find this idea so interesting and check out the other articles. Everything from this point forward will get more nerdy and technical so buckle up and enjoy the ride!