CompuServe was the first system I accessed when I got a modem, back in 1988. I dialed in at 1200 baud! The "CB simulator" (multi-user chat) was amazing for the time. I still remember my login... which was a bunch of random numbers separated by a comma.
Heh, classic. I think I was using a C64, back in 82 for the same thing. Was just a young kid, I think my nick was DeMoN or some such.
I used to have to telnet in via 'datapac', a Bell Canada telnet gateway. Compuserve was $6/hr I think, and datapac $8. Crazy expensive. And boy did I get in trouble.
Why?
Well, compuserve sent a 'free 20 hours offer' or something like that. One catch. You needed a credit card. I thought, hey, I can just borrow my Dad's card, he'll never know, I'll sign up then cancel! Free 20 hours!
I ended up using 100 hours in 2 months... without even thinking about it. That is, until I heard my Dad scream WHAT!!!! from downstairs, in his den. I immediately knew, the time, the location, he was paying bills.
Fear. Confronted by my Dad "Do you know anything about this", I panicked of course. Told him, sure, I borrowed his card, but it was just to use the 20 free hours! 85 hours billed?! How could that be?!
My Dad was quite upset, called them, and luck saved my ass. Literally. Turns out that datapac was so terrible, I'd had to hang up and dial back in about 5 times a night. It just kept dropping.
But datapac kept the connection alive for hours sometimes. Poor disconnect handling. So Compuserve logs showed me often logged in 3 or 4 times simultaneously. They relented, thinking someone was hacking my account.
I remember, at the time, they had an encyclopedia online. And some text games. But I was most fascinated with the real time chat, from people all over the place!
Before CompuServe, I dialed in to The Source[1 via Telenet[2] using a Novation Apple-CAT II[3] at 300 bps. The Source was eventually acquired by CompuServe.
