In the early days of the Internet, SlipKnot served as a panacea for frustrated dial-up UNIX account users without access to SLIP/PPP emulators like TIA or SLiRP. SlipKnot runs off a standard UNIX account without the use of SLIP, PPP, or even Winsock.
While the browser is of little use for SLIP users or those with direct connections, SlipKnot was able to satisfy the needs of many users without access to either of these protocols. However, with dial-up UNIX accounts largely a thing of the past, SlipKnot's value has diminished considerably.