I've been making comparisons between BBS sysops of the 80s and today's instance admins. Both invest time and money in machines and software for the joy and challenge of bringing engaging discussion to a community of people. Free BBS's and social instances share a trait: a non-commercial service operated by an individual for the benefit of others. It's refreshing to see in these new sysadmins something good I recognize from the past. (Though we are far more pet-crazy now than 30 years ago.)

What hath God wrought?