
​Before the Web: Online services of yesteryear - ohjeez
http://www.zdnet.com/article/before-the-web-online-services/
======
keithpeter
UK early 1990s or there abouts, using a Sportster 14k4 modem with an Acorn
A3000 computer.

I had an account with GreenNet, so I dialled a number in London (4p a min off-
peak, I'm in Birmingham) and connected using a RISC-OS telnet client to a very
restricted shell account on a Unix box.

From there, I could use a command-line based(?) Gopher client, and I could
access email and usenet news. I could also try this new thing called the World
Wide Web using a command line Web browser (I think it was links). An FTP
client was available as well as Telnet (NASA! Space pictures from USA!).

Then came Demon Internet, Trumpet and a PC after the A3000. The graphical Web
on RISC-OS was _possible_ but very slow to render (12MHz ARM chip) although
you could save the whole Web page out as a !Draw file.

So I didn't ever pay for an online service on top of the Internet access, I
just missed that window. UK would have been something like Prestel (don't
think that was Internet based) or Compuserve (Very expensive then). Even with
the limited shell account experience, I had that 'Holy Shit' moment.

[http://randsinrepose.com/archives/holy-shit-
moments/](http://randsinrepose.com/archives/holy-shit-moments/)

------
nickpsecurity
One thing back then that's mostly gone now was the underground economy for
data. Hackers and techies, myself included, had to find the best sources for
software, music, even porn haha. The speed, pricing, and availability issues
meant whoever had the most in one spot (or in person) had an advantage. So,
barter networks emerged where people hooked each other up with stuff trading
all this data. I used to even hunt for obscure stuff when I had more time than
money and someone had something I needed. I was good at it, too, with my
eventual collection of noteworthy content being 200+ CD's.

Now Google, StackOverflow, Reddit, and Bittorrent keeps us old Shadowrunners
in the niches that mainstream rarely touches or has too little patience for.
Old days were fun, though. :)

------
mariuolo
I think I still have my old 2400bps modem lying somewhere.

Still, the list left out Videotex systems that were available in Europe, like
Prestel in the UK, BTX in Germany, Videotel in Italy and so on.

Those were telco-supplied and allowed to connect to third-party services,
although they were comparatively expensive.

Oh, I left out the French Minitel that was officially retired only in 2012.

------
nugget
I still have at least a couple Gemstone III dreams per year (without any lag
or $500/month bills, of course).

~~~
nickpsecurity
Here you go:

[https://theappendix.net/issues/2014/10/dont-cry-for-me-
elant...](https://theappendix.net/issues/2014/10/dont-cry-for-me-elanthia-an-
archaeology-of-gemstone-iii)

