Re: The Golden Age of computer user groups

On Tuesday, 1 September 2020 9:21:44 PM NZST Robin Sheat wrote:
> A bit of (US-focussed, alas) user group history.
> 
> https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/08/the-golden-age-of-com
> puter-user-groups/

I moved to Silicon Valley in 1984 , the Homebrew Computer Club was in decline 
(at least I think so, it didn't really register). 

I did attend BMUG, the Berkeley Mac User's Group .... but had to stop going 
when Apple dropped half their Mac 2 prototypes on our desks (for us to port 
Unix to) ... too much paranoia on Apple's part ... Apple called the Unix 
project "Eagle", we called it "Pigs in Space"  ..... when it leaked as "Eagle" 
we avoided Steve's ire.

At the very beginning of the Internet age (I already ran uucp/mail/netnews at 
home) I joined a bunch of people at a series of public meetings called the 
"Berkeley Internet Conspiracy" trying to figure out how to do what at the time 
was a radical idea, have a home internet connection (at the time only big 
corporations had access) - essentially we were trying to make something we 
didn't have a word for at the time: an ISP. Afterwards a small group of us got 
together and built something smaller, a co-op ISP, we bought a SLIP router and 
put it in someone's cellar, bought 2 modems and 2 phone lines each so we could 
connect and used a free call across the bay to SF to hook it up. 

Lots of stories from back then .....

Anyway we were talking about DUNLUG at the pub tonight, thinking it was past 
time we had a get together - who would be interested in a get together perhaps 
after we return to level 1 ? If enough people are interested I'll arrange 
something

	Paul



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