It was a fun place that you would go to,

you couldn't stay there all the time,

but you could go there.

And if you wanted to visit this magical land,

you would literally have to plug your phone into your computer.

And then you had to endure the predecessor to dubstep.

*Making Dial Up Sounds*

And then you're on.

[Upbeat guitar plays]

In 1994, I started working for MTV and MTV had a deal with America Online.

Everybody connected to the internet through AOL

it was all you had.

My first screen name was

Craptastic@aol

TeyMoney17

akane2299

NeonPenguin5000

Back then, you know, computers weren't compact

They were in the living room, you only had one.

You never had any privacy with that computer,

I mean, whatever you did, everybody saw.

Pretty much had to readjust my sleep schedule just so I can find the right time to get on the computer.

I would wait till everyone was sleeping.

I would sit in our finished basement in Michigan

and I would hop on chat.

A/S/L? 16/F/California

And I would literally stalk other people's conversations

and when they would start arguing with each other, I would, like, throw in little comments

like, "Oh no, I think so and so is right."

O.S.: So you were a troll?

I was a troll! I was a...

I was a troll.

*Laughing*

Oh my god!

I've never thought of that before until just now!

My mom, she was always working,

so, like, there was no dad around to kind of show me the birds and the bees

the internet was kind of like my first exposure to that.

it was more intimate and all of your actions were more one on one.

I miss those days.

I mean, those were the days!

Compared to what we have now, it just seems primitive and strange and weird.

Everything was made out of words and letters...

Even the nudity.

It meant a lot more to get on the internet back in the day.

You didn't have as much to pick through and the good stuff was just there.

It was a luxury. It was something that, you know, was very special.

Whatever happens happens. What are these crazy new things I'm running into.

It was a different time

and, uh, you're lucky to have missed all of it.