CompuServe Forums Are Still A Thing, But Not For Long

By Derek Forrest
published

CompuServe (which still exists) is slated to shut down its forums this December.

For those born after the mid 1990s, the name "CompuServe" may not hold the same relevance for you that it does for people of a certain age who cherish it as a fond memory and put it in the same nostalgic league as AOL, 56K modems, and LimeWire. Actually, you could say that CompuServe was AOL before AOL was AOL.

CompuServe was the first major internet service provider (ISP) in the U.S. in the late 1980s, and it remained a dominant brand in the budding ISP market until AOL became competitive in the mid 1990s. AOL eventually went on to acquire CompuServe by 1998. CompuServe is currently owned by Oath, which is in turn owned by Verizon (long-time CompuServe forum fans can direct their wrath towards them).

The service has been whittled down over the years, with the forums being one of the last remaining bastions of the old regime. However, on December 15, the forums close for good, according to a post on its community help forum:

“Dear Forum friends and family,We regret to inform you that the Forums will be removed from the CompuServe service effective December 15, 2017. For more than two decades, the CompuServe Forums paved the way for online discussions on a wide variety of topics and we appreciate all of the participation and comments you have provided over the years.All of your email, news, weather, sports, and entertainment information will remain available to you after this change. We are constantly evaluating the content and services that are available through the service, and look forward to bringing you new content and services in the future.Sincerely,The CompuServe Team”

Although the CompuServe forums are closing its doors, its legacy won't soon be forgotten. Or, it might.

Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He writes hardware news and reviews gaming desktops and laptops.
11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • shrapnel_indie
    WHOA WHOA WHOA! Whomever wrote that goodby note fails to realize how many decades CompuServe has really been around. The Forums have been there for around 40+ years.... And this was before the general public knew about the Internet.... and you paid a premium for faster dialup connections.
    Reply
  • plateLunch
    Wow. The forums are still around? I used to spend my entire evenings on them, using a special program to download topics and postings to minimize my connect time. Still have my Compuserve email address.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    First, I thought CompuServe was (like AoL) a sort of walled-garden alternative to the Internet. Towards the end, like AoL (but earlier, I think), they provided internet access. But once you had usenet, the web, and proper email, who needed any CompuServe or AoL stuff. By the mid-90's it was already regarded as being like the internet for noobs.

    20379144 said:
    WHOA WHOA WHOA! Whomever wrote that goodby note fails to realize how many decades CompuServe has really been around. The Forums have been there for around 40+ years.... And this was before the general public knew about the Internet....
    Yeah, wow. I seriously had no idea.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompuServe
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    I didn't get online until 1995 and Mindspring was my first ISP. It was about the same time the company I was working for at the time also got web access for workstations. I had a room mate at the time as starving college grads, and he used to see the guys developing Mindspring in Georgia Tech's computer labs. It was an awesome time to experience a new frontier being developed which would change the world forever (giving every household affordable internet access).
    Reply
  • koga73
    To the CompuServe forums! Time to increase activity
    Reply
  • Rogue Leader
    Wow I can't believe they still exist. I remember using those forums in the late 80's!
    Reply
  • Tom Griffin
    Wow i remember my compuserve ID 71006,1257
    Reply
  • gasaraki
    I remember the big three when I was little first getting in to computers, AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy.
    Reply
  • shrapnel_indie
    20381113 said:
    I remember the big three when I was little first getting in to computers, AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy.

    Before AOL, there was also Delphi. I think it hung on a little longer than some of the original CompuServe competition.
    Reply
  • ex_bubblehead
    20381113 said:
    I remember the big three when I was little first getting in to computers, AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy.
    Don't forget GEnie
    Reply