> We occasionally met in person at local pizza parlors so we could put faces to the handle. That was AWESOME.

I'm curious what was the age range of most people at these meetups back then?

Also was it like all "nerds" at that point

All nerds, for sure. I was young, so my idea of age was a bit off... but I recall them being from their mid-20s up to their 50s. Mostly in their early 30s, though.

I should also note - the person who handed most of his equipment down to me was also active on local BBSes, primarily focused on the gay community at a time and in a place where that was not a topic people were really allowed to discuss at all. He was a good friend of my mother's, and I didn't learn that about him until much later. He used to hang out on a BBS called "The Strawberry Patch", which was for those who were attracted to gay, red-headed men.

Yet another example where online communities can help people find "the others" to build their communities and find support.