ISCABBS
ISCABBS, aka simply ISCA, is a Bulletin Board System (BBS) based at the University of Iowa.
Governed by, and named for the Iowa Student Computer Association (ISCA), ISCABBS was started in 1989. Boasting at times more than a thousand users, and a virtual velvet-roped queue when very busy, its popularity as a meeting place, hangout, and occasionally divebar gives a glimpse of what modern day chat rooms could become. Between serious discussion on topics ranging from social issues and politics to computer and home repair, lighthearted babble about almost any topic can be found. In addition, instant messaging (called X Messages) provides a venue for private discussion and conversation.
Like many online communities, ISCA users gather biannually for the ISCANIC, a picnic held in Iowa City, Iowa, and usually hold private parties afterward.