BBSes made such a difference in my childhood. I think my parents wished I was chasing a hoop down the street with a stick, playing stickball, or some other confused memory they had of their own childhood that was probably just an episode of Leave it to Beaver. But BBSes were where I learned about technology, programming, and collaborating with others to build something beyond what I could do alone. They're where I made friends with the cute girls in my city that 13 year old me wouldn't have thought to approach otherwise. They let me message to people on the other side of the planet back when $2/minute long distance calls and weeks-long mail delivery letters were the norm among most adults.
I ran a moderately popular board with my brother called "virtual unreality systems", which seemed like the coolest name to me as a kid. I may add to that page once I'm back in front of my laptop