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Subject: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: belmont22 on 11/15/12 at 1:54 pm

From what I understand, the pre-WWW Internet was actually commercially available in the late 80s, definitely by 1989. And you had BBS which was essentially an early version of the Net. Did anyone here actually use online services in the eighties?

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: moycon on 11/16/12 at 12:01 am

My friends grandmother was way into commodore in the 80's. She had a Vic-20 and then later a C-64. I remember on the C-64 she had a modem and could dial into severs. It was VERY basic from what I recall. Mostly text, although those computers had built in graphics you could display. Mainly blocks and other geometric shapes that could be used to create primitive graphics. Kind of how people make pictures out of text, you could use those built in graphics. I can recall her showing us a server you could log into and get the latest news stories. Seems to me there was a stock market one, a movie review one, a servers where you could post in discussions, kind of like how we are doing now, but it was all much more primitive and slow!! 

That was really cool to see back in the day. I was impressed for sure. I was probably still in grade school when we would go visit his grandmother, so it would have been around 1982 or 1983 I'd guess.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: AmericanGirl on 11/17/12 at 11:34 am

My first memory is at a government job in which I was required to tap into nationwide security databases ('80-'82).  I found it amazing that I could type on the computer and have my queries go to faraway places.  However these were closed networks, so I don't regard them as internet-like.  But it opened my mind up to more possibilities.

A couple years later ('84-'85), while working at a commercial computer company, I found myself able to tap into a nationwide bulletin board system (one of my coworkers showed it to me).  My participation in this was generally for fun.  As this system was open, it was much more internet-like.  And I loved it!  I recall there was a trivia message board I used to post on during my breaks - fun!  This network helped me envision the possibility of an "open" nationwide system for anybody to transmit data on.  8)

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: warped on 11/17/12 at 1:43 pm


My friends grandmother was way into commodore in the 80's. She had a Vic-20 and then later a C-64. I remember on the C-64 she had a modem and could dial into severs. It was VERY basic from what I recall.


Like you, a good buddy of mine had a Commodore 64 and a modem and could dial to a University or Toronto server. He communicated by email to some and had access to other things, I just don't remember what they were. I'm trying to narrow down the year within the mid 1980s, I'm afraid I forgot the year. I'm certain it was after 1983 and before 1988.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: 9symphony9 on 11/24/12 at 11:08 am

I remember something in school with the Commodore 64 also. My first Internet was with the Sega Saturn and Netlink modem. it was around 1996 or 1997.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 12/11/12 at 12:58 pm

The internet during my time didn't exist yet.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 05/12/14 at 1:21 pm

Only if you belonged to the military...

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 05/12/14 at 7:10 pm

I don't remember the internet being around in the 80's.  ???

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 05/13/14 at 9:04 am


I don't remember the internet being around in the 80's.  ???
History of the Internet http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Mrswhatsit on 06/04/14 at 3:36 pm


Like you, a good buddy of mine had a Commodore 64 and a modem and could dial to a University or Toronto server. He communicated by email to some and had access to other things, I just don't remember what they were. I'm trying to narrow down the year within the mid 1980s, I'm afraid I forgot the year. I'm certain it was after 1983 and before 1988.


My brother had a Commodore in 1983. I remember playing Jeoprady on it.  We had Mac's in college, but I only ever accessed the word processor on them, don't remember internet. 

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 06/04/14 at 7:29 pm

I don't remember using the internet during the 1980's, I think it was an old Commodore or some other brand.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: robby76 on 06/04/14 at 8:49 pm

A 1985 episode of Silver Spoons covered internet chat dating. Even mentions a modem!

OBAfe5ueAA

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 01/23/15 at 6:09 pm

Robert Tappan Morris, the American computer scientist and entrepreneur, certainly was using the Internet back in the 80s for he is best known for creating the Morris Worm in 1988, considered the first computer worm on the Internet.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 01/24/15 at 7:09 am

I don't remember using the internet during the 80's, I think I used a regular computer but without the internet.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 01/24/15 at 5:36 pm


I don't remember using the internet during the 80's, I think I used a regular computer but without the internet.
It was the same for me.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 03/15/15 at 8:13 am

It was this day March 15th in 1985, that the first Internet domain name is registered (symbolics.com).

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: yelimsexa on 03/15/15 at 8:33 am

Nope, never even heard of it nor did my parents did. I'd imagine many people though did use it but at the time weren't aware of its name until the 90s.

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 03/15/15 at 1:20 pm


It was this day March 15th in 1985, that the first Internet domain name is registered (symbolics.com).


What did someone do for internet radio at that time?

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Philip Eno on 03/15/15 at 1:22 pm


What did someone do for internet radio at that time?
Just listened to analogue radio

Subject: Re: Did anyone here use the Internet (or pre-Internet) in the 80s?

Written By: Howard on 03/15/15 at 2:18 pm


Just listened to analogue radio


or Sony Walkmans.

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