[speaker001:] So how did you meet Bill?
[speaker002:] I met him through a computer bulletin board.
[speaker001:] Oh, really? Which bulletin board?
[speaker002:] It was one I used down at the local coffee house called the San Francisco Net. It's been around since around 1991.
[speaker001:] I've heard about that, but I've never tried it.
[speaker002:] You ought to. One dollar buys you 15 minutes of computer time. A Chat session links you with cappuccino sippers in other cafes and also to home computers on the network.
[speaker001:] I have no desire to talk on a network with a bunch of strangers.
[speaker002:] That's the whole point. All your inhibitions disappear because you can 't see the other person. This network allows you to talk to people whom you normally wouldn 't talk to.
[speaker001:] I just want a private conversation with one other person.
[speaker002:] You can do that. A private session lets two people talk alone. This techno-chat program lets you talk about anything with everybody, without prejudice because you can 't see them.
[speaker001:] Well, maybe I'll tag along and watch how you talk.
[speaker002:] That's fine with me, but we'll have to get there early. Because after 8 pm, there is always a long line.
[speaker001:] It 's that popular?
[speaker002:] It sure is.