I went through a lot of this as an adult, though in a metro area (yeah, Seattle did have a lot of BBSs...but not all of those area code 206 numbers were local c

I went through a lot of this as an adult, though in a metro area (yeah, Seattle did have a lot of BBSs...but not all of those area code 206 numbers were local calls from 253!). At one point, I set up UUCP on a Kaypro 10 CP/M box with a built-in 300 bps modem and exchanged email that way for a few months. It was the only way to get Internet, even in the Seattle area, back in those years. The key to connectivity on Novell networks was their groupware product, GroupWise. The law firm I worked for had three offices, and for several years we used it to exchange interoffice email powered by a gang of modems (starting at 1200bps and eventually topping out at 9600 before we decided we could make use of a T1). The main office would connect with the branches once an hour. It was life-changing for us in the early 90s.