Myself? I got my first IBM compatable in 1989, a used "Datavue Spark" laptop. Before that I had a Commie 64, and before that a "Timex/Sinclair TS1000".
One of the first things after getting the Datavue was a modem, a "Premier 1200" (non-Hayes compatible), and a Compuserve membership ... and then went 'online' to explore this brave new world ...
Soon I discovered the myriad of dial-up BBS's, and frequented lots of local ones instead of Compuserve, which was way too costly by the hour. One of the local BBS's was called "The Sounding Board", which was mainly a discussion board with a politically conservative tilt to it. I fit right in on TSB, and it was a lot of fun while it lasted ... and dare I say it? Sites like FR are the Internet equivalent of what some of the old BBS's, such as Sounding Board, were like .... just discussion threads on current events, and a whole lotta fun :)
FReep On !
MM
Newb... :^)