Dragonworld was a BBS located in South Florida that flourished between 1992 and 1996. It got it's name from the handle of the sysop and owner, Blue Dragon. Dragonworld was a collection of about 28 modems, some door games, a chat room (called the Tavern), and message boards. Although several times, it was attempted to modify Dragonworld to allow users to telnet in, Dragonworld was primarily a local BBS, populated by high school students from the area.
In 1995, Blue Dragon sold Dragonworld to Ace of Spades. Since Ace of Spades was a high school student, he didn't have the money to keep all the phone lines operational in his house, and eventually, Dragonworld went down. There have been a few attempts (all unsuccessful) to revive it, but Dragonworld now only lives in the memories of its users.
I know there probably aren't a lot of people who are interested in reading about this, but I really wanted to write about it because I think one of the things I especially like about E2 is the sense of community that exists here. See, here's the thing: I don't understand how people actually meet other people on AOL. I mean, it's so huge and impersonal. I find it so distasteful after the closeness of Dragonworld, where you could attach a face to every name, or at least remember people you had talked to between online sessions. So, while it's true that I'll probably never meet any of you, still, the atmosphere is different. The whole format of this system is to encourage people to write what they think. If I meet someone and want to know their feelings on a subject, chances are they've already written about it.
Anyways, I've resigned myself to the fact that BBS's aren't coming back. But I guess this is the next stage in the evolution of an online community, and it's cool to be a part of it.
And if there are any Dragonworlders around here, this is Melody. Drop me a /msg. I'd love to hear from you.