I'm a lifer online; I was online back in 1988, and immediately
   discovered BBS's (dialing up phone numbers and making friends
   from nearby towns) -plus PC-Link which was all the USA (it
   became AOL later) -* then went to Hampshire College in 1990 and
   got my first e-mail, exposed to IRC, chat rooms, and the whole
   community as it was as the time. Smaller but pretty much the
   same. Got totally wrapped up in it.* Spent all of my time at the
   computer lab.* Took greyhound buses to meet people with college
   money, got wrapped up in their problems even when I was supposed
   to be doing classwork; and I did this as much as I was totally
   involved with people's lives at the college itself, and my own
   life. But schoolwork?* Meh.* So yeah, school was too expensive
   anyway and I never finished it; not only blowing my mom's money
   but it took me years to pay my student loans back. But, it was
   an amazing experience just the same.* I don't regret much; I
   enjoyed the heck out of.* I just learned all the stuff they
   don't teach you in academia instead of the stuff they do (which
   I've all since learned from Wikipedia anyway :P )