>> 2022-02-09 - Older technology, small communities

My real introduction to the idea of networked multi-user systems began the first
time I connected to a local BBS. I had a 1200 baud modem and there were a
handful of small BBSs I could connect to. I can't recall where I got the first
dial-in number from, but after connecting I was able to find an updated list of
other local BBS systems I could connect to. Most of them were pretty similar in
content, offering lots of txt files and a handful of door games, but one of them
was a 4-node system which meant I could chat in real time with other people that
lived around my area.

There was a certain magic to the whole thing, and a certain intimacy. It felt so
private, sitting at my computer at 01:00 typing to someone I didn't know, and
would likely never meet. I made a few friends, learned a lot from reading txt
files, and even started my interest in programming thanks to a generous sysop
that spent time teaching me the in's and out's of batch scripting. After the
local BBS faded away, and I traded my dial-up for high-er speed cable internet I
found my communities in IRC. Mostly related to all things Linux, IRC felt so
familiar and comfortable, it reminded me a lot of my experiences with BBSs. 

Eventually I stopped frequenting IRC and spent more time on more "modern" chat
systems and eventually social networks. Things like twitter were super exciting
at first. There was always a lot going on, and aa lot of people from my
professional community were there. Over time though all of it has just started
to feel like such a waste of time, and that feeling of  "community" is really
nowhere to be found.

That brings us up to present time. I've known about SDF for a long time, but
never really felt a need to use it. But when I started reading user Gopherspaces
I got that feeling back that I used to get when I connected to my first BBS. A
small community (by interent standards) of folks, just sharing what they are
thinking about, and what happened in their day. It has that close personal feel
that I just can't get on the broader internet anymore.

Maybe I am just getting old.

- Mark