Remember CompuServe forums? They're still around! Also they're about to die CompuServe has announced it will remove its forums on December 15th, 2017. A notice that appeared on Tuesday, November 14th, US time, stated “For more than two decades, the CompuServe Forums paved the way for online discussions on a wide variety of topics and we appreciate all of the participation and comments you have …
...but I still remember (and still use for some disposable accounts!) the password which Compuserve assigned to me, made up of two dictionary words separated by a "+" sign. In terms of password security they were somewhat ahead of their time, by using multiple dictionary words and not requiring mixed case or numerics - hopefully somebody somewhere was given the password "correct+horse" and someone else had "battery+staple". (I can't remember whether I was allowed to change my password or not - but if I was, I never did.)
And if all the forum archives are lost, I really think that's a shame, as they would contain a lot of interesting data about what people were thinking and how they were interacting in early online chat systems (AKA social networking). I remember being slightly fascinated by the cultural difference in tone between Brits and Merkins in discussion groups, with the former being noticeably more polite and less inclined to robust language. (Being a Brit, I found the Merkin frankness quite refreshing.)
Careful study of these archives might even have enabled us to discover precisely when and how the rot set in, which might be handy if we ever invent a time machine.
I remember being slightly fascinated by the cultural difference in tone between Brits and Merkins in discussion groups, with the former being noticeably more polite and less inclined to robust language.
And yet the more polite set still throw around that tired old Internet Slur at the expense of those allegedly with more "robust" language.
"And yet the more polite set still throw around that tired old Internet Slur at the expense of those allegedly with more "robust" language."
Diamonds last forever, and some things last even longer - at this point you may as well gracefully accept the fact that you are going to be collectively known as "Merkins" until well beyond the end of the universe and get on with life.
Protesting about it certainly won't encourage the rest of us forget it.
Does anybody remember a dial in software for CIS called Orzak or similar. It would save on the CIS hourly charge by dialing in, picking up ones forum messeges then hangup so one could look at the content at leisure. Then dial back to post comments etc. Worked a treat and saved lots of hourly charges.
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