Step back in time to 1994 and experience what it was like to navigate the internet using only text-based menus. The author stumbled upon old connection logs, specifically one detailing a session on BIX (Byte Information eXchange), a service from the legendary Byte magazine. In this era, services like CompuServe and AOL were prevalent, and the author also had accounts on eWorld and various Spanish BBSs. Accessing these services involved dialling in via modem, with connection times charged accordingly, and using terminal emulation software, most commonly VT100, which supported text, symbols, and even some colours for interactivity.
The log transcribed offers a literal, first-hand account of this process. After the modem connection noises, users would log into services like BT's Global Network and then select their destination, in this case, BIX. The session would begin with welcome messages, help phone numbers, and prompts for a username and password. Information was displayed in a fixed 80-character by 25-line format. Users were updated on their last login, mail, forum messages, and upcoming events. The BIX main menu offered options for email, conferences, file downloads, news, subscriber information, and crucially, internet services like Telnet and FTP.
Checking email was a priority, as receiving any message was a significant event, with spam being virtually non-existent. The author attempted a Telnet session to quake.think.com, a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), but it failed. When troubleshooting, the 'help' co mmand was essential. Following this unsuccessful attempt, the author navigated to the Internet Menu and then explored Gopher. Gopher acted as a precursor to the web, allowing users to browse content through a hierarchical menu system. The author successfully navigated through Gopher menus, searching for Mike Oldfield lyrics, and found them. The article concludes by reflecting on the simplicity, directness, and lack of data commercialisation and advertising prevalent in that early internet era, highlighting it as a fast and straightforward experience despite the slower modem speeds.
Fuente Original: https://www.microsiervos.com/archivo/internet/navegar-internet-1994-menus-texto-experiencia-primera-mano.html
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