The Tale of the Free-Net, the Cheap Way Dial-Up Users Got Online – Motherboard

My first internet access was via a freenet in West Chester, PA called ccil.org (Chester County InterLink). I volunteered to help set up computers in libraries and community centers so that others could access it. My first email address and web sites were on ccil.org.

The software was written by Eric S. Raymond who lived in the area and was a key figure in the development of the system.

Those were the days...