so google has this cache of major events in usenet... one of them is the first mention of irc
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.sources.d/msg/2576f73a03a8ba3f
note that he got it from a finnish ftp, hehe... maybe straight from the programmer, heh

here's the rest of the archive:
http://www.google.com/googlegroups/archive_announce_20.html

very interesting stuff to read. these guys knew how to type english correctly, they were polite and they knew their systems. (and they didn't mind waiting a few hours for a reply LOL)

Well, IRC was invented by a finn.

Interesting stuff, however.

Fascinating stuff.

IRC has a definitely interesting history. Read Underground, the book, to get a neat history of the hacking scene in the 80s and early 90s. It's really a very interesting read. Free online too (google is your friend, by the way ;))

Underground, eh? I s'pose it's pdf somewhere?
And yes, google pwns you...
though i like A9... a good front-end for google searches. i like the history function and the way it can display image and text searches at the same time.

Yeah, the best part is, the book is legal. I literally read it from cover to cover (text style ;)), because it's just engrossing and awesome. It takes place mostly in Australia.

First review of the IBM-PC (1981)

"The thing is totally modular; even the I/O cards are separate!
For $ 1,565 you get a keyboard and logic unit with 16K RAM and
a Basic interpreter in 40K ROM. A cassette interface is built
in, I think; but no diskette or monitor at this price -- you
use your TV set. Of course you can add one or two minidiskettes,
lots more memory (16-64k increments), a B&W monitor (no color
monitor was mentioned), RS-232C interface card, matrix printer,
a joystick/paddle interface (but you have to buy somebody else's
joysticks and paddles); and maybe the kitchen sink. A "business
configuration" with 64K, dual diskettes, printer, and "color
graphics" goes for about $ 4,500."

Neat! I wish I had a computer like that.

I had an IBM XT, and 8088. 7 MHz, 640 KB of RAM, 5.25" floppy, 30 MB hard drive, 1200 baud model, CGA graphics. You know you want it.