this part intrigued me. 20 years later, are online bike forums any different? Back then I was on a motorsport forum and we only had access from actual computers, with the dialup speed interwebness, so there were probably less folks on bike forums, or maybe less "casual" questions asked, but do you see a difference?
That part intrigued me, too. I feel like "forums" were more like "bulletin boards" back then. I have to say, forums like this are the reason I got back into bike touring, so thank goodness for the internet. I had taken a stab at it in the early 90s, when there was no internet, at least none that I had access to. I made bad gear choices and bad bike choices and bad everything choices all along the way. I didn't have a miserable time, but I didn't have a great one, either. Didn't know any other bikers, and I lived in a small town with no bike shop, so I just made it up. Then I gave up bike touring as an idea because I didn't like being sore, cold, and wet all the time. Finding an on-line community with great advice on gear that doesn't suck, keeps you warm and dry, and bikes that can carry it all has been great.