Oh man, that was the best. It was large enough to have basically every interest. All while still having the basic functionality of reading and replying to text. Your "feed" was chronological messages, rather than a psychologist-engineered addiction engine.

So... Reddit?

you seemed to have missed the part where they said 'rather than a psychologist-engineered addiction engine'

What does reddit do based on psychology?

I do, but usenet's reach, as compared to current social media outlets, was minuscule. The broader world wasn't aware of it, nor did it care.

Arguably, it became that after the Eternal September in 1993, when the hoi polloi joined in via AOL.

Alt.wealey.crusher.die.die.die was an early example of cyberbullying. That group, and the people using the internet, used their power to really harm Wil Wheaton, and that was well before eternal September