> I'm not sure about how it would go in SA.

In Krugersdorp in the late 1980s? And the police were on the case - both in terms of being tech-savy enough, and not having more pressing concerns? (1)

Let's say that it's an extra-ordinary claim and we'd like a little more weight behind it.

1) http://www.saha.org.za/ecc25/ecc_under_a_state_of_emergency....

The police likely intercepted material delivered via regular post, and worked their way up from there. No need to know how something was ordered, as long as selling it is illegal.

Teenager in the US at the same time.

Yep, this is exactly what we did with our 8-bit machines and modems at the time.

We were global even then.

EDIT- LOL. I guess the HN downvoters have proof this isn't what we were doing back then???

I didn't vote, but my guess would be that this is a me-too comment, which the community discourages. If you wish to echo a parent comment, it's expected that you add a significant contribution.