TD,
Yes, they were online forums, just like this one. It was before what we think of as our WWW style of being "online", but it was online. You would "dial up" to a local number, wait a LONG time to get connected, and then a message board would appear.
The message board was not unlike this one, but a little more basic. There generally wasn't as much organization. Many of the boards simply listed comments one after the next, as they were posted, so following a conversation could be difficult. The more sophisticated ones had 'sections' of interest such as this one, but still there was only one 'thread' in each.
Yes, meeting folks in person was quite an experience. You would think that there are some things people will do when they are behind the screen that they wouldn't do or say in public or to your face. I assumed that, anyway. I found out the hard way that I was WRONG.
What's interesting about meeting folks face-to-face is how long it takes to get past your pre-conceived notions about how particular "personalities" might look, dress, etc. Even if you aren't consciously aware that you're doing it, it's easy to form a few opinions about some folks. Their thoughts, their politics, and their general behavior can lead to expectations.
The first time we met up at a local restaurant (about 20 of us that time), we really just sat there in silence while we tried to take it all in. Here were some typical thoughts: "Gosh, I always thought of her as a good ol' country gal. Did you see that mink coat and that diamond ring the size of her hand?" OR "Hey, he said he was an executive. Why'd he pull up in a truck that has a lawn service sign on it?" OR "Oh my! I always thought he was a SHE!" You get the idea. After we all got past that, it got more interesting. Not better, mind you, just more interesting.