When 20 Hours Online Prompted an Email from the ISP President: A Glimpse into the '90s Internet
A writer reflects on a 1998 email from the president of his dial-up ISP, reminding him to disconnect after 20 hours of usage. In the '90s, Internet access was not always-on, and each occupied telephone line meant another customer couldn't use it. The writer, an amateur data archivist, discovered the email while organizing his archives and recalls the frustration of being told to disconnect despite paying for "unlimited" service. The email highlights the limitations of dial-up internet and the challenges of sharing resources among customers.