Back in the mid-nineties, computer game company Sierra On-Line (makers of King’s Quest, Police Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, etc) had an “online” network called The Sierra Network (it was later changed to The ImagiNation Network). Anybody here ever use this?
I was a teenager when I used it. The software came with my first modem. I don’t remember having the ability to purchase more hours, like it suggests on Wikipedia; as such, I bought another account so I could have double the hours.
I spent most of my time in the chatrooms and the message boards, occasionally playing Reversi or Checkers. I remember there was a message board where we would make sequential posts in order to make “animated” pictures. I rarely ever played Red Baron or any of the other games.
I also remember trying to hack it. Since I had two accounts, I would do things like log on, keep the software open, switch tasks using DOSShell, disconnect the modem, then reconnect using the other account. I would do this to see if I could use the screen name from one account while using the hours from the other.
You could create your own avatar and choose up to four different pre-chosen interests to be displayed. I also remember that during a buggy period, I was allowed into Leisure Suit Larry land, despite being a minor. I created a new avatar and chose different interests than I was allowed. I wasn’t able to display those interests in my regular chatroom, however it appears that there were more interests in other realms than in mine. Therefore, my regular avatar was referencing interests that didn’t exist, but instead of displaying an error or the adult interests, it displayed hidden holder interests. I recall one was “Kilroy was here”. Another one may have been something like “killing puppies”. I later found a piece of software that accessed those directly so you could pick and choose those hidden interests.
As a fourteen year-old, I met a girl (also fourteen) on there, who lived in another state, and our parents allowed us to meet each other over the summer… and that was the summer I became a man… 
I had a number of interesting friends on there that I wish I remained in contact with, including an older moderator lady. She was in her twenties or thirties, while I was fifteen. She actually sent me a very nice handwritten letter; I wish I had stayed in touch.
How about you? What realms or rooms did you hang out in? Did you meet anybody IRL?
