RACISM was by far the nastiest problem Dabas and Heloise had ever dealt with. The channel became open slather for every lunatic fringe element who had a gripe against Jews:
1. Nazis planning to rebuild Hitler's gas chambers.
2. Christian fundamentalists raided the channel less often, concerned with allocating blame for the death of Christ.
3. Islamic militants intent on destroying the Jewish state.
JUVENILITY Given that the average age of #Israel was 19.2 years, and that 80% was male, their favourite topics were army life, university subjects and finding a weekend date.
As with any testosterone-charged channel, kicking, banning and op wars were common. Part of this frenetic activity was a survival strategy to do with the constant invasion of Neo Nazis and militant Islamists. But part of it was just machismo. Suggestions were made about opening up the discussion topics to things ADULTS were interested in eg literature or music. But this ended in uproar every time.
Dabas, Heloise and Skeve met to start the channel
Sydney Harbour Bridge
22nd Oct 1993.
Helen was going to Sydney one weekend in Oct 1993, and so Dabas (beard) and his friend Skeve (cap) arranged to meet up for lunch along the Sydney Harbour foreshore. It was a hot day, and by the end of the second icy beer, Heloise was telling them about irc problems. Dabas asked why we did not start our own channel, and patiently explained that he could do the technical stuff if I could establish the ground rules for new members, no racism, anti Semitism, sexism or adolescents; a channel that would maintain the beloved Israeli connections and Australian values.
As we had hoped in #Israel, the discussions would be expanded to topics mature adults were interested in eg travel, music, literature, philosophy, world politics, careers, family relationships and sport. Op wars and kick bans would become a bad memory from the past.
Both we believed that all the Anglo Saxon, academic, middle aged friends from #Israel would want to join us. Dabas, Winky, Academy, Muet and Heloise were all: over 40, Jewish and academics, so the channel could be #40academic or #40married or #40Jewish.
When I logged on the first night in the Sydney hotel room, Dabas quickly messaged: "Come into #30plus: I HAVE CAPTURED A REAL LIVE CHANNEL MEMBER". This was poor man called Runaway whose wife had left home and had taken their children with her. He just wanted supportive adult company during the crisis. And so #30plus was born, the name being suggested by Skeve as more inclusive and less exclusive than #40academic. But neither of us knew what we were doing. We did not even know how to keep the channel open 24 hours a day, so took it in 8 hour shifts to be there, around the clock!
During those first days, me3, pdq, joshtree, bigjoe, toots, gazza, sirlunar, dugip, zurbaran, amarin, sna, tinytim, ruach, edu, drKB, kimba, shor, beamer, fluffy, fuzed, friskykid, capt-peril, oldbear, panache, nurse, redgum, sulu, kate, lone, bish, hotsailor, flaccus, thalia, mfp, melsy, cty, fauna, wabbit and peppr came into the channel, and stayed. Joshtree in Finland set up the twin bots, Castor and Pollux, so the founders could finally get some sleep.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
22nd Oct 1993.
Helen was going to Sydney one weekend in Oct 1993, and so Dabas (beard) and his friend Skeve (cap) arranged to meet up for lunch along the Sydney Harbour foreshore. It was a hot day, and by the end of the second icy beer, Heloise was telling them about irc problems. Dabas asked why we did not start our own channel, and patiently explained that he could do the technical stuff if I could establish the ground rules for new members, no racism, anti Semitism, sexism or adolescents; a channel that would maintain the beloved Israeli connections and Australian values.
As we had hoped in #Israel, the discussions would be expanded to topics mature adults were interested in eg travel, music, literature, philosophy, world politics, careers, family relationships and sport. Op wars and kick bans would become a bad memory from the past.
Both we believed that all the Anglo Saxon, academic, middle aged friends from #Israel would want to join us. Dabas, Winky, Academy, Muet and Heloise were all: over 40, Jewish and academics, so the channel could be #40academic or #40married or #40Jewish.
When I logged on the first night in the Sydney hotel room, Dabas quickly messaged: "Come into #30plus: I HAVE CAPTURED A REAL LIVE CHANNEL MEMBER". This was poor man called Runaway whose wife had left home and had taken their children with her. He just wanted supportive adult company during the crisis. And so #30plus was born, the name being suggested by Skeve as more inclusive and less exclusive than #40academic. But neither of us knew what we were doing. We did not even know how to keep the channel open 24 hours a day, so took it in 8 hour shifts to be there, around the clock!
During those first days, me3, pdq, joshtree, bigjoe, toots, gazza, sirlunar, dugip, zurbaran, amarin, sna, tinytim, ruach, edu, drKB, kimba, shor, beamer, fluffy, fuzed, friskykid, capt-peril, oldbear, panache, nurse, redgum, sulu, kate, lone, bish, hotsailor, flaccus, thalia, mfp, melsy, cty, fauna, wabbit and peppr came into the channel, and stayed. Joshtree in Finland set up the twin bots, Castor and Pollux, so the founders could finally get some sleep.
The channel name started to appear in computer magazines and on radio as an interesting and non violent place to be. We were both interviewed by journalists in Australia and elsewhere, and people popped in saying "I saw you in Article X in New Zealand (or wherever)". Lisabee, nutnhoney, daisee, rossma, birdbrain, prism, belladona, annette and others joined by late 1993.
Where did the first organised meetings of #30plus members take place? The channel was Australian based, but as can be discovered from the early photos, the first reunion was in Boston (Jan 1994) and the next was in Canberra (Apr 1994).
Boston reunion, Jan 1994
It was thought from the beginning that the channel was really easiest for Anglophones or people who could type and read English in a very busy channel. In fact two thirds of the channel regulars lived in the USA, while the others were mainly Australasian, British, South African and Canadian. Channel members were full of admiration for the Israelis and Europeans who added a breadth to the channel, using English as their second language.
An early collective tasks of this new, adult-friendly channel was to collect lists of peoples' favourite books. People took hours, going along their library shelves, reminding themselves of books they had not read since the 1960s. The lists were diverse, but always fascinating. The level of conversation and of email letters was very high.
An early collective tasks of this new, adult-friendly channel was to collect lists of peoples' favourite books. People took hours, going along their library shelves, reminding themselves of books they had not read since the 1960s. The lists were diverse, but always fascinating. The level of conversation and of email letters was very high.
A San Francisco reunion weekend, July 1994
Life was never going to be quite the same again. Pdq suggested nominating Dabas and myself for the Nobel Peace Prize, given that they had revolutionised IRC and made it a pleasant place for adults to be. Australia had produced yet another really worthwhile contribution.
**
Three significant events in late 2018 changed #30plus. Firstly the Australian Trade Mark Registration ended in Aug 2018 and was not extended so #30plus had no more intellectual property protection. Then #30plus started in Oct 1993 and was thus celebrating its 25th birthday. While this was a huge achievement in the MIRC world, a new generation of channel members was moving in; the older members spent their spare time looking for retirement villages. Thirdly I retired from lecturing when Covid started and no longer benefited from tax deductibility and printing costs.
The channel of course continued strongly. But I have repeated this post because in late 2023 a long-time U.S channel member called on-line for all Jews to be exterminated. The Australian police couldn’t help us and my most beloved US friends, Fluffy and Oldbear, died some time ago.
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26 comments:
I cannot believe - although i know it is happening across the world - that people are still calling for the extermination of Jews. When has any other race or religion incited such hatred? I will never understand and I fear for other minorities.
I like it that you and Dabas were suggested as nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
This is so hard to believe that there are still people with so much hatred
What is with people, there is so much hate and lack of understanding, acceptance and compassion in the world well it feels like that at times
IRC was so early and such a wonderful way of communicating with the world. But for me it died much earlier than it did for you. I think it had died for me long before we retired our isp based email that gave us access. I did look a year or so ago and channels are still there but there weren't users.
Don't understand at all why people are racist, it's beyond me Hels.
I simply do not understand the continuing gripe against Jews. They're people. Just people like you and me.
The events of which the channel needs to be most proud are the 37 marriages where the bride and groom met for the first time IN the channel. Although not all these marriages were made in heaven, the #30plus community fulfilled two important functions. Firstly single and lonely people, who might never have married otherwise, found a person to live with and love. Secondly the genetic mix of Australia, USA, Canada, Britain and the Netherlands was given some new depth.
30Plus Review, 2007
Jabblog
I felt the same when I saw lots of videos on Facebook where restaurant clients, servers or managers use filthy language against black Americans or against Chinese people. I thought the hatred either ended in WW2, or that people at least learned to keep their dirty mouths closed in public.
Apparently not.
DUTA
I knew it was impossible, but I was thrilled anyway :)
roentare
Nothing much has changed in 30 years :( Even the words used now are the words the anti-Semites used to use.
Jo-Anne
Dabas and I were so proud of the very characteristics you described - understanding and acceptance in #30plus. We thought we were all making a real difference in peoples' lives. And we were!
Apparently compassion in the world has now cycled backwards :(
Andrew
I realise that MIRC couldn't compete with all the social media that emerged, media that were faster, ruder, less intellectual etc.
But do Til Tok fans plan reunions with films and tours? Does X allow vulgar politicians to make rude political statements?
Margaret
Did you see those Nazis on Sydney streets in the news tonight? Certainly many of them were arrested, but it does tell us that even in Australia, we cannot talk with pride about our nation's tolerance.
River
I have no idea where racism comes from. Anger about immigration? Fear of crime? Masked jealousy? Fear of losing our jobs to people of other races?
Anyway we are all immigrants, in either or own lives or our parents' or grandparents'.
Oh thank you for sending me that. I was delighted to receive wedding invitations from channel friends who got married. It showed just how important MIRC could be in our friends' lives.
I'm not what this channel actually is as I didn't find a clear answer in this post. But I did enjoy reading about it. Happy weekend Hels.
Erika
Irc is an internet relay chat programme that allows any number of people to talk in real time. It connects people in typing ...just as zoom connects them audio-visually. Furthermore the sentences don't disappear - you can scroll back at any time and ask questions of the person whose topic interests you.
This is really a nostalgia bomb for me. I remember the mirc. Channel 40 Plus was here, we would sit all night chatting, and sometimes we would also meet. It disappeared sometime, I don't remember what year.
Yael
I didn't know about #40plus but I am sure it had the same goals of maturity, safety and mutual support. I too miss the regular contacts, especially during the longggg COVID lockdowns which saved my sanity.
Immigration aside, what about the Jews who were living peacefully until Hitler did his thing? What about the Jews who were living peacefully in Israel until Hamas decided they shouldn't?
Where does this anti-Jew attitude come from? Why does it blow up so fast into hate, protests and rallies against them.
Who or what is spurring on all the new Nazi-wannabes?
These are things I will NEVER understand.
We are ALL just people. Get along!
River
good questions. Even if you recognise that there has always been racism in general, and anti-Semitism in particular, why do the public rallies and protests persist in cities that have little history sympathetic to Nazism? Do the anti-Semites believe they will be changing public opinion with banners that say Exterminate Jews, as they did in Sydney?
Our fathers sacrificed so much in WW2 to defeat anti-Semitism and racism for ever. They would be devastated.
I had never heard of these type of channels but it sounded a good idea. Well done for developing it and to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Wow! It is sad to see that in our modern times we still have racism and racist wars. Social media has made it easier for crackpots to spread their hate.
diane
The people who are racists in social media now were probably always racists at home. But in social media there is almost no control and no accountability. So if to deride Japanese, Jews, Irish and Iranians as drunken rapists, and then you leave the channel, who is going to find you? But if you did that at school, you would have been promptly expelled.
Shebe and siram are grateful for #30plus, where they met in spring ‘94. We are happily married since January ‘96, being just the 2nd American-German marriage of people meeting on the internet, acc. to the American Consulate.
siram,
gosh do you remember those early days 30+ years ago? They were the best years, both personally (as you have shown) and collectively (overseas trips, reunions, photo collections). Do you catch up with any of your old 30plus friends still, on line or in person?
I have done many wonderful things in my life eg having children, getting my Master's Degree, travelling around Europe regularly. But co-founding 30plus with my friend Dabas was the best thing I have ever achieved :)
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