Chapter 1: First steps, baby steps

1. How this all started

In the vast lecture hall housing 400 computer science engineering enthusiasts, there I stood—an 18-year-old embarking on a journey into the world of code and circuits. Alongside me (or better, in the other side of the hall) was the only other intrepid woman venturing into this uncharted territory. The crowd, a delightful mix of funny and brilliant minds, surrounded us like eager explorers ready to forge friendships.

As the intricate dance of university life unfolded, I found myself drawn to a specific group. They extended an invitation to join their digital haven, “The Golem’s Tavern,” nestled within the expansive realm of Fidonet. Eager to unravel the mysteries of this BBS kingdom, I sought guidance from the sysop, spending more than an afternoon immersed in the arcane rituals required to access this digital oasis.

My initiation into the digital realm began with the acquisition of a Linux computer, or better a repurposing of my DOS PC. Opting for a dual-boot setup with LILO, I aimed to maintain an air of innocence, ensuring my parents remained blissfully unaware of my rebellion against the omnipresent DOS. The Linux installation, delivered via 8 not-so-floppy 2.5″ disks, demanded the ritualistic act of compilation to breathe life into the operating system.

Next on the agenda were the modem drivers for my state-of-the-art Zyxel modem, a 1200 baud marvel of modern technology. GoldED, the preferred tool for editing messages, and Frontdoor, the gateway to the BBS, completed the ensemble. I proudly claimed the title of point 2:331:311.29 of Fidonet—a digital address that felt like a secret key to an alternate reality. To my kids today I say: these messages were asynchronous, but you could still connect every five minutes and make it near-real-time. Playing VGAplanets you just had to upload and download in the proximity of the server run.

The BBS became my sanctuary, a space where the introverted corners of my mind could unravel freely. In the pixelated expanse of the digital tavern, I connected with individuals who would become my friends for life. Our conversations spanned the spectrum from code snippets to late-night musings, and I reveled in the camaraderie fostered by our shared digital realm. My aka was Sherazade, loosely inspired by the heroin of One thousand and one nights.

Then came the pivotal moment—an announcement of a meetup. In the absence of the modern “meetup” designation, our rendezvous was a straightforward plan for pizza. Little did we know it would evolve into a water-drenched spectacle, echoing that first unconventional gathering of S2.E8 of the great “Halt and Catch Fire.” TV Show. I have to admit that when I saw the episode many years later, my eyes were watery and my heart skipped a beat just remembering the feeling.

The day arrived, a collision of digital avatars stepping into the corporeal world. The awkwardness of the initial encounter mirrored the scenes from the TV show, with an added touch of extraordinary weirdness. These were people I intimately knew from the depths of our online conversations, and yet, the physical connection was a revelation.

Dialogues and silences danced through the air like packets in cyberspace, each sentence a testament to our shared digital history. Some connections sparked into real-life friendships, while others fizzled out in the unpredictability of face-to-face chemistry. But every moment was tinged with amazement, an affirmation of the extraordinary journey from bits and bytes to handshakes and shared pizzas.

As the jars of water rained down in the restaurant (we were subsequently banned from it), laughter echoed the sentiment that this was a meeting of kindred spirits—geeks, nerds, and digital denizens turned friends, bound by the tapestry of our shared online escapades, testament the pure fact of being able to be there, having faced the hardship of a 1992 Linux computer. The meetup concluded not just with wet clothes but with the assurance that the friendships forged in the digital tavern were resilient enough to withstand the transition to the tangible world.

In the end, “The Golem’s Tavern” wasn’t just a BBS; it was a digital sanctum that transcended the confines of code and connected us in ways that defied the limitations of the screen. It was a celebration of the quirks, the bytes, and the friendships that bloomed in the virtual realm, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of our university years in the early days of the 90′ decade.

It’s 1992 – you are 18 and start university – you chose to major in computer science engineering. In a 400 people course there are 2 women, including yourself. The rest of the crowd is made of funny and intelligent nerds who pamper you and all want to get to know you. You are always approached by new classmates who want to know you as it’s only you, the redhead, and Simona the blonde, these weird creatures in a land of boys. At some point you get hooked on a specific group and they invite you to join their BBS. It is under Fidonet and is called “The Golem’s tavern”. You ask for some help to the sysop and spend an afternoon with him explaining all the steps to get there: first, you need a Linux computer, better if it’s double booted with Lilo, so your parents don’t know that you got rid of the DOS. The Linux install comes in 8 floppy disks (which are already the 2.5″ so technically they are not floppy, but still annoying) that you must COMPILE for the OS to work. then it’s the turn of the modem drivers to connect to the phone line. you have a 1200 baud – or bps – Zyxel modem that is one of the latest models. you use GoldED to edit messages and Frontdoor to connect to the BBS. You are point 2:331:311.29 of Fidonet and a world suddenly opens up to you where you find yourself free to express yourself without the constraints of your introvert mind. You are able to really connect to some people in the group in a weird and deep way, and they become your friends for life. At some point when they organize a meetup (it was not called meetup at the times, we just went for pizza that ended up with us throwing buckets of water to each other at the restaurant) it is basically like the scene in “Halt and Catch Fire” when the BBS people finally meet in person: weird and extraordinary, that feeling you are among your bunch. You know these people intimately and deeply from your online conversations and yet there is no physical connection until you meet them. In some cases, this sparks to life, in other it just doesn’t click, but in the end, it is amazing all the way. Write in nerdy, techie, funny tone, with lots of details on the software and gear, and using dialogues for the meetup.