http://groups.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html

I didnt know the internet was around in the 80s!! (Probably should have realized it since the 80s was the BEST decade ever :))

I had used BBS's for years before the WWW, but it's funny, because when I first started using the Internet (not BBS), it was about 1990/91 and it seemed like everything had already been done in a lot of people's mind. I recall Webcrawler coming out and when it got big, three of my sites were the top 1st, 2nd and 3rd most accessed sites on the WWW via a search engine. Needless to say, the tiny amount of resources and small connection my Internet Provider had at the time were overwhelmed. I recall when google started, I was thinking "Okay, Google search.. yet another search engine.. big deal?" I still feel the same way, but you can't deny the success.

This is even more interesting :)

http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history

I used to use BBS's alot also,i remember one of my favourite sites from the 80s ("The prismatic sphere") very much like all VBB sites im on <> ran on C-NET software :)

I've stumbled across some very crude pre-web stuff before. It certainly can be an interesting read. Geez, I feel prehistoric, and I'm only in my early 30's) having used pre PC systems, like Franklin/Wang systems. My first home system was an Atari 400 (it actually had the keyboard buttons as the membrane type, like on a microwave oven). Let's not forget the cassette tape loaded programs that took 30 minutes to load or those giant floppies.

Back then the net was called APRANET and i bet it was better! (No one trying to hurt people they dont even know,etc)

Ah, life before silly gradients, social networking and Anonymous.

Those were the days.

My own first contact with the Web (1996-97 or thereabouts) was uploading my first HTML file to Tripod (RIP) over dial-up. I used IRC briefly in about '94 or so, and played a couple of games over this new fangled thing called TCP/IP in the early 90's.