A summary for those that haven’t been keeping up with this series:
I found a number of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago (we are talking late 1990s probably). I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a several years back. Since then, I have been occasionally posting the content here.
Based on the contents, at least some of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.
A description of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: “This SIG, known as ‘Close Encounters’, is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships.”
This service was text based and was accessed via whatever terminal program you used on your computer to dial in to Delphi’s servers. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I don’t know if there are any archives in existence today of what was on Delphi in the 1980s. In any case, much of this stuff would have been private at the time and probably wouldn’t be in such archives even if they existed.
This post includes the contents of WHOIS.DOC. This can be dated exactly because there was a time command entered at the end which returned 15-SEP-1985 12:25:07. This is a list of users and profile information. This appears to have been publicly available info so I’m not DOXing anyone here. It’s mostly name, age, location, and interests type of stuff. This was probably a list of users from the Close Encounters Special Interest Group or possibly another SIG. Most of the users who list age are in their 30s or 40s which puts them in their 70s or 80s today…makes me feel old. It’s interesting looking at the computers people had and how many had or used several different ones. I guess this makes sense for users of early online services like Delphi. For many of them, I’m sure computers were a hobby.
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WHOIS.DOC
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bro Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : CABUYS NAME : Connie A. Buys COMPUTERS : TRS80 Model 1; Radio Shack Model 100; Tandy 1000; also use IBM PC and Wang 2200 MVP systems at work. HOBBIES : Sig Manager of The Close Encounters Sig (formerly known as Friendship Circle Sig on Delphi. Former SysOp of The Issues Sig on CompuServe. Interested in how relationships develop via computer services like Delphi, Source, and CompuServe. Latest hobby is Teddy Bears - I collect anything I can afford about 'em! Also enjoy reading, movies <tho i seldom have time for them>, talking on the phone, traveling, and cooking <actually baking delicious and fattening goodies!> LOCATION : Jacksonville, Fl. OCCUPATION : Computer operations manager for large insurance agency in the Jacksonville area. ONLINEIDS : Delphi: CaBuys, Ladylove, Amanda, Miranda. Unison: Connie Source: TCY745 MCI mail ID: 115-1075. CompuServe: All accounts are inactive and will remain that way. SEX : Female and loving every minute of it! TERM-SOFT : Depends on which computer I'm using at the time. Browse from: > New mail on node BOS1A from RIDPATH MEMBER_NAME : DIRIGO NAME : Bert CURIOUS : If you think this is an obscure profile, you'll have to check my other profile in the main section. T he you'll REALLY know what obscure is! The best way to find out about me is to tal k to me. That's wh ere the fun begi ns.. LOCATION : Po rtland, Maine SEX : Huma noid male Browse from: > MEMBER_NAM E : DOUGLEVY NAME : DOUGLA S A. LEVY COMPUTERS : OSBORNE INTERESTS : MEETING NEWW PEOPLE, GOURMET COOKING, ANYTHINNG OUTDOORS, ROCK MUSIC, THE BEACH, THE SNOW, NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO. AND LIFE WOULD BE WORTHLESS WITHOUT SUSHI. LOCATION : WASHINGTON, DC SEX : M Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : ELLISCO NAME : Dick Evans COMPUTERS : TI Professional LOCATION : Charlotte, NC OTHER : I am also the Asst. Mgr. of the TI Information Network. ELLISCO is also a company that provides third party hard and software to TI users and dealers. P.O. Box 10176, Charlotte, NC 28212, (704) 567-1373. Call if we can be of help. TERM-SOFT : Crosstalk XVI (ver 3.5) & TERM300 Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : GASMAN2 NAME : John AGE : 38 FAMILY : married, with 2 teenage sons. PROFESSION : Anesthesiology. Also am a Ph.D. candidate in psychotheraputic counseling. A nice combination, don't you think? Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : GUSTAVE NAME : Gustave FlauBEAR SEE : main profile section... when I have the time I'll load it in here! Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : INTECO NAME : INTECO- Uwe Goetzke COMPUTERS : several LOCATION : Kaiserslautern, West-Germany PERSONAL : age : 27 , male, not-married, fun poems and literal art, origanzing youth camps (ages 16-24) in all Europe and North Africa writing poems TERM-SOFT : several Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : JFOLEY NAME : Dr Steve AGE : 33 COMPUTERS : IBM PC AT DISLIKES : People with no sense of humor; Computers with no sense of humor... LIFESTYLE : Gay LIKES : MEN, Romance, Good Sense of Humor, Movies, Computers, Travel, Restaurants LOCATION : *****HOLLYWOOD***** LOOKS : 5' 8", 142#, Brwn/Brwn PROFESSION : Physician, believe it or not! QUOTE : Mother once said, "Either marry one or be one", so here I am..... SEX : Male TERM-SOFT : WS 2000+, DBASE 3, SmartCom II WANTS : To meet some interesting people on Delphi; To return to a Pre-AIDS time!! Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : JIMH NAME : James Hopper COMPUTERS : Apple II, Mac, Atari INTERESTS : Computers, Science Fiction, Navigation Systems, Camping LOCATION : Dayton,Ohio OCCUPATION : Senior Software Engineer - While I am a physicist by training, after grad school it was obvious that to be an excellent Physist would require an effort which would leave little or no time for a real life. So I kind of drifted to various jobs (analyst, Control Systems Engineer, ect) looking for something that would hold my interest. A couple of years ago I was offered an opertunity to turn my hobby into a job an took a job building a simulator for a new navigation system. That turned out well as have subsequent jobs so at least for the present I will probably stick with my current job. TERM-SOFT : Red Ryder 6.0 Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : JOEY NAME : Joe AGE : 36 COMPUTERS : Apple //e, Atari 800XL FOOD : Chinese, Mexican, SWEETS INTERESTS : Computers (of course), Music (have put together an audio system over the years I am very proud of), letters (love mail), reading (mostly non-fiction) sleeping (never enough), mowing (have to have one contradiction in here), Intelligent conversation (hard to find sometimes), finding a good woman (almost as hard as finding a good man <smile>) KIDS : Daughter -14 LOCATION : Alexandria, La. ME : 5'7", 140#, brown hair, blue eyes MOVIES : Blazing Saddles, New York New York, All That Jazz, The Goodbye Girl MUSIC : Beatles (#1), Linda Ronstadt, Pat Benatar, Heart, Deep Purple, ALL JAZZ (especially Dixieland), Kenny Loggins, Lionel Ritchie OCCUPATION : Fast Food Manager ONLINEIDS : Delphi -Joey, Compuserve -76344,1652 (southerner), Source -BDF659 PHONE : 318-473-9658 SEX : Not often enough. SIGN : Libra STATUS : Single TERM-SOFT : Termexec, Apple Access II TURN-OFFS : No Sense of Humor, Rudeness TURN-ONS : Good legs, Erotic (not dirty) Movies, Music, Sense of Humor, Intelligence TV : Cheers, 60 Minutes Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : JOHNMYSELF NAME : John - Myself COMPUTERS : Tandy 2000-HD / Dec VT100-AA Terminal DESCRIPTN : My interests include playing chess, Adventure, Dungeon, swimming, reading (fiction, fantasy), boating, bicycling, computers and prog ramming (can speak C, Pascal, and Basic), discussion(s), sex, and my 6 (count em) kids (4 boys, 2 girls). Am a sig manager for the 'Close Encounters' sig LOCATION : Hyde Park, Mass., 02136 TERM-SOFT : Omniterm 2 / Telecomuter Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : JOHNNAPLES NAME : John AGE : born in 1952 - now 33 COMPUTERS : Commodore 64, use IBM PC and DEC 11-70 at work GENDER : Male INTERESTS : History, Politics, Economics, Astronomy, Biochemistry, Computers, Snorkeling, Sailing, Nature LOCATION : Naples, Florida 33942 OCCUPATION : Public Accountant, Tax Specialist, Small Business Finance, Personal Financial Planning, Cash Management with Large local CPA firm, consult in Tampa, Wash DC , Wilmongton DEl, Philly, Providence, Boston SPECIALIN : Ladies - from 18 to 50. All shapes, colors, and sizes. Like bright, but love the sex crazy ones. Especially love BBW's. Also love more than one at a time- particulary if they like each other. Like parties and have lady friends - some (especially the BBW's) would like to meet more men - so couples and guys would be good to know. Can be romantic, funny, serious. Love lingerie, interesting clothes, high heels- etc. Love commputer mail and talks. TERM-SOFT : Punter, 2 or three others Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : LOUSCHNEIDER NAME : Lou Schneider AGE : 31 COMPUTERS : C-64 LOCATION : Sant a Rosa, CA OCCUPATION : Radio station engineer. So far I've ma naged to avoid falling off the tower or blowing myself up on the high voltage! TERM-SOFT : Several...mostly public domain. Higgyterm,Xmobuf, Vidtex (not PD) Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : MHW NAME : MICHAEL H. WAHLER COMPUTERS : APPLE IIE LOCATION : ABILENE , TX 79607 TERM-SOFT : SMARTCOM 1 Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : PEEWEE NAME : Lee Handy AGE : 14 now but my birthday is 2/23 ALIASES : PEOPLE LINK (ARCHER) COMPUTERS : Tandy 1000 128K , 2-disks and a printer and all the other mess I need LOCATION : Pine Bluff, ARK. OTHER : if you want to know more about me look me up on the main TERM-SOFT : Deskmate at present Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : PETEVO NAME : PETER J. VAN OPENS (PETE) AGE : BORN JUNE 27, 1955 COMPUTERS : APPLE II (CIRCA 1978. AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE) DESCRIPTN : 5'11" TALL. 158 LBS. BROWN HAIR. WALNUT BROWN EYES. PATIENT. NOT JUDGEMENTAL. GREAT LISTENER! OTHER GOOD QUALITIE S TOO! LOCATION : RACINE, WI (30 MI SOUTH OF MILWAUKEE) OCCUPATION : SENIOR SYSTEMS ANALYST TERM-SOFT : NETMASTER Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : POPE NAME : JOHN PAUL AGE : 29 BIRTHDAY= JAN. 15, COMPUTERS : ATT PC 6300 ENTERTAINM : LIKE GOING TO MOVIES. ESP. ADVENTURE/COMEDIES OR ADVENTURE/ROMANCE MOVIES ARE AN ESCAPE FROM THE PRESSURE OF HARD WORK...........I LIKE ALL KINDS OF MUSIC.......NAT KING COLE TO TINA TURNER, MOZART T O POINTER SISTERS FUTURE : MY FUTURE. WELL I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A POLITICAL PROFESSIONAL SO MY SKILLS ARE NEEDED MORE IN ORGANIZING POLITICAL GROUPS THAN I N LEADERSHIP OR ELECTIVE OFFICE...BUT MAYBE SOME DAY... INTERESTS : JUST ABOUT EVERTHING.....REALLY INTO COMPUTERS RIGHT NOW...JUST BOUGHT MINE..CONSIDER MY SELF A GOOD LISTENNER....WHERE PEOPLE ARE CNCERNED I LIKE TO GET BENEATH THE SURFACE....LEARN ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS AND WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL G OOD.... ENJOY TALKING ABOUT RELIGION, THEOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, AND HOW THESE THINGS HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. LOCATION : DES MOINES, IOWA OCCUPATION : POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. I AM A DEMOCRAT. I HAVE WORKED IN SEVERAL CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS CURRENTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPUTER S ERVICES FOR MY ORGANIZATION. QUESTIONS : I WANT TO BE A GOOD MEMBER.... HOW MUCH TIME DO OTHERS INVEST? WANT TO LEARN HOW TO UPLOAD FORUM MAIL SO THAT I CAN COMPOSE FORUM THOUGHTS MORE CAREFULLY AND SEND THEM QUICKLY.... RELIGION : CATHOLIC TERM-SOFT : CROSSTALK XVI Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : PRINCESS NAME : Princess aka Peggy COMPUTERS : hubby owns a tandy 2000 hard drive LOCATION : Hyde Park, Ma TERM-SOFT : omniterm and TC Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : PRK NAME : PAUL R. KAZMIERSKI AGE : IN MARCH I REACH THE BIG "50" (WHAT EVER THAT MEANS) LOOK AT PAUL NEWMAN!!! COMPUTERS : DEC RAINBOW 100B FOOD : I LOVE TO COOK GOURMET DISHES...AND ENJOY MY OWN COOKING FROM CAJUN TO HOMEMADE MUSTARD. LOCATION : ROCHESTER, NEW YORK MUSIC : IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN AMERICAN BESIDES JAZZZZZZZZ! OCCUPATION : I AM CURRENTLY A PROFESSOR OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AT A MAJOR UNIVERSITY (RIT); DO CONSULTING IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING, HYNOSIS AND A NUMBER OF AREAS IN ASSESSMENT. PHILOSOPHY : I AM CURIOUS ABOUT EACH PERSON'S MAP OF REALITY! SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES, AND ATTIUDES FOR CHANGE ARE MY FOCAL POINTS. I WANT ECSTACY IN ALL WAYS!!!! SEX : MALE THAT KNOWS HIS OWN SEXUALITY AND THE WOMEN THAT RESPOND TO THAT PART OF ME GENERATING PASSION AND LOVE. SIGN : PISCES... ON THE CUSP. TERM-SOFT : POLY-COM Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : RICKL NAME : RICK COMPUTERS : APPLE II LOCATION : MADERIA BEACH FL. TERM-SOFT : NETMASTER Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : RODM NAME : Rod COMPUTERS : Zorba (CPM Portable), C64 HOBBIES : Computers (obviously), GMRS Radio, Photography, Electronics INTERESTS : People, Meeting people, Observing people LIKES : LIFE - Ain't it GREAT !!! LOCATION : Gainesville, Fl OCCUPATION : Design technical facilities for Commercial TV stations TERM-SOFT : MITE, Telelearning Com Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : SEEKAY NAME : Charlie Kestner COMPUTERS : Actrix (Access Matrix) ZCPR2 LOCATION : Hammond, Indiana TERM-SOFT : IMP241 (Irv Hoff's update of MDMxxx) Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : SMENCIK NAME : Steve Mencik COMPUTERS : Apple //e LOCATION : Hanover,Md. OTHER : I'm lazy. For more info, see main profile. TERM-SOFT : ASCII Express Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : STORM N AME : RON STARLING COMPUTERS : TI994A LOCATION : JACKSONVILLE AR TERM-SOFT : TE2 Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : SUMMER NAME : Steve AGE : 42 BOOKS : The Mists of Avalon; Lord of the Rings; The House of God. COMPUTERS : IBM DISLIKES : Wilfull stupidity, abuse of the language, and everyone who think they know what's best for me. LIKES : Golf, tennis, trying to answer impossible questions, SUMMERTIME! LOCATION : Ft. Myers FL MOVIES : ET; Save the Tiger; Silent Running. QUOTE : "God is an iron." - H. Ellison; "They can always hurt you more." - the Fat Man; "Life's a bitch, and then you die." STATUS : Married TERM-SOFT : SmartComm II Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : TIGLON NAME : Gayle CHATTER : By the cost of my phone bills, most peope would say I love to talk to everyone....no matter where they seem to be And by the amount of mail I get, I love to read! (grin) COMPUTERS : Commodore 64, Apple //e ENJOYS : Dancing, fireplaces, the ocean, music, movies FANATIC : Chinese food and blue eyes GENERAL : 21, single, 5-4, 140lbs (arg) brown hair, sable eyes LOCATION : Sacramento CA MUSIC : Favorites are Phil Collins, Huey Lewis, REO Speedwagon, Duran Duran, Journey (!!!), Lionel Richie, Def Leppard, etc OHYEA : Someone in the SIG said that my other profile was betterter than this one, so if you want the better version (?) its in the main profile section!! (hehehe) SPARETIME : Most of it is spent writing or playing with my kitten, and sometimes I just listen to my music and program (boring yet)? TERM-SOFT : VIDTEX, VIP Term, AEPro Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : TJH NAME : Tim AGE : Born 1960 COMPUTERS : Apple IIe DESCRIPTN : Single, 5' 6", 135 lbs, auburn hair, green eyes DISLIKES : Governments, coercion INTERESTS : Romance, philosophy, life extension, computers (naturally) LIKES : Romantic/optimistic people, intelligent discussion, midnight movies, travel, programming into the wee hours LOCATION : Wichita, KS MOVIES : Comedies are my favorite, e.g. National Lampoon's Vacation OCCUPATION : Software Engineer PHILOSOPHY : Live and let live (libertarian) SEX : Practicing heterosexual (well, maybe a little out of practice) TERM-SOFT : AE Pro Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : TROPICAL NAME : Mark COMPUTERS : apple ][ e and +, trash80 mod 100 INTERESTS : obviously, computers.. meteting people both electronically and live the general interests of this board.. music, food, love, stuff outside, etc...(reading also) LOCATION : Los Angeles, CA OCCUPATION : I work in the music business - in recordings studio, as engineer and producer SEX : Male STATUS : married to wonderful person, who leaves me alone to play with the computer TERM-SOFT : smartcom Browse from: > MEMBER_NAME : WZ NAME : Warren Zunino COMPUTERS : one of each (several of some) DOB : January 25, 1950 LOCATION : Reno, NV TERM-SOFT : Ascii Express Browse from: > Your Browsing has taken you to the end of the list. BROWSE comple te. DIRECTORY> /time 15-SEP-1985 12:25:07 39 minutes (0h 38m 1s) DIRECTORY>
