I got on line with Prodigy and Compuserve in '94 or '95, then on to AOL. I think I first got on like at work to send/receive reports back in '87 or thereabouts. The computers didn't have hard drives, the programs had to be loaded when we used them, and the modems were blunt objects with flashing lights.

I remember I was trying to get onto an Air Force message board around '89 and a guy at HQ USAF called me up to 'help' me. (Equal parts 'What the *%^& are you trying to do?!' and 'OK, now just type in your user name'.) The computer was in another office and somebody from my office came in and said 'Col. So-and-so wants to talk to whomever is trying to get onto his message board'. I felt special.

Found Mudcat in '97, but didn't join until May 1999, then told Linn (Bat Goddess) about it. Before Mudcat, I'd been on a few Usenet newsgroups and a couple of mailing lists.