In the year following the inception of early online communication, students at Duke University and the University of North Carolina created a new system designed for interaction, even though their campuses were not yet connected to the Internet. This innovative platform was hosted on personal computers and allowed users to participate in structured discussions through threaded message-and-reply forums.
This system became known as Usenet, and it helped organize conversations by categorizing postings into various topics called newsgroups. This development was significant in paving the way for modern online communication and collaborative platforms, showcasing the creativity and ingenuity of the users involved.