GEnie network - Mosaic
Back in the early 90s, I was on the Worldcon committee when it was up here and one of the things we had to do was be able to access the message board online. This was back in the day when you would log into specific bulletin boards instead of the world wide web as it is now. DOS was still being used for IBM PCs and I was connecting online with my Apple IIc with its monochrome green 9” monitor. It did have a dip switch so I could type in Dvorak while Crystal (who was sharing my connection) could touch type in Qwerty.
We were connecting into the GE network – GEnie. After peak hours, the connection was free so a lot of science fiction groups had boards on it. After a while, it proved too busy for them and they started billing for all connections. Eventually the web overtook them, Windows overpowered DOS, Mosaic came out and was subverted by Microsoft into Internet Explorer which eventually wore down the Netscape Navigator connection to which we had upgraded. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser) )
One of the sysops I recall the most from back then was YogSysop. He stood out because of the name (a play on Yog-Sothoth – from the Cthulhu mythos) and because he always had a wry sense of humor. Thanks to google, it seems he is James Macdonald, a writer.
http://www.sff.net/people/yog/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_D._Macdonald
He has some good advice for writers – mostly how to watch out for unscrupulous publishers. Good reading.
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