This reminds me of a couple local bulletin board systems back in the day. They would only be online overnight, when the sysop's parents didn't need the phone line.
We had a thriving BBS scene despite been a poor northern town because of a historical oddity that meant local calls cost a fixed price whether they lasted 30s or two hours.
I love my modern computers but there was something cool about computers then (or simply the optimism of youth).
It felt like they where going to change everything..and then they only sorta did and not always in ways I’d have wanted.
I guess that’s what people thought of the telephone, wireless and steam engine though.