For me it started with a 1200 baud modem connected to my Apple IIe.
For me it started with signing up for Match.com for free in 1995 because I was one of the first 10,000 users.
Seriously, it was probably Usenet that kept me engaged. The web was exciting to browse but the conversation was on Usenet.
I was early to Match as well. When I first started, there were a total of 8 women in the entire Bay Area. I kept that free account for years and eventually found my (now ex-)wife through the site.