1983 internet sold to be very much like internet today

[relaxing]

I love that as far back as 1983, Compuserve was envisioning online service as a way to get drunk and chat with strangers / peer into the living rooms of other weirdos. And the concept sold... Compuserve had enough users that at the height of the dotcom boom, MCI Worldcom bought the service for a cool $1.2 billion in stock

Comments

[bdu]

I (briefly) had a prodigy account, but never compuserve.

[corvus]

Compuserve had the great e-mail addresses that were just a string of numbers @compuserve.com. It ruled.

Also, yes, CB radio used by non-truckers. My grandparents had a CB for traveling purposes.

First time I ever observed online chatting was... 1990 or so? Maybe earlier. Friend of the family's son was all over that shit. He even had an online girlfriend!

[velvetsong]

My dad exposed me to the Medina County Free Net in... 1993? He didn't know what he was starting. I kind of miss the small, community BBSes, to be honest.

[relaxing]

Remember when we used to chat on the mcfn!

[slinx]

HI LET'S HANG OUT.

OK
THANKS