[Alas Babylon!]

The first group, which she calls “Old Internet People” were on the early forums and message boards of the late 1990s and early 2000s: Usenet, Something Awful, or 4chan (back before it carried the alt-right connotations (AB says SHADDUP!) it does now), for instance. They’re the ones who laid the foundations for internet vernacular as we know it; they tested the limits for what was and wasn’t acceptable on the web and usually interacted in complete anonymity. The internet, then, was for connecting with strangers who cared about the same topics as you did, people who might become close friends but whose real names you might never know.

Otherwise known as FReepers, Class of 1998.

Examples of early FReeper cringe sayings...

--What happened? I was taking a Shower.
--Stuned me with my beeber.
--A+Bert, Eschoir and Ash Alerts.
--Deep in the Hurtgen Forest & Classy Green Eyed Blonde (on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog).
--Italians off!
--Viking kitties & zot!
--Laz would hit it!

[old-ager]

Not to forget Hugh and Series.

I’m a new guy. I didn’t get here until late 2000.

[Impala64ssa]

Examples of early FReeper cringe sayings...

Plus those silly Amish jokes 😃😃😃

[100%FEDUP]

Does "All your base are belong to us" qualify as cringe?

[dfwgator]

Remember, “5”? (I believe this meant “Fifth-Columnist”)

[KC_Conspirator]

Dont forget! All your base are belong to us!

[Tijeras_Slim]

I was lurking in ‘98. Those people scared me. Joined in 2000 and almost immediately had A+ Bert fry me in a FReepmail for something or the other.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

A moose once bit my sister...

And: