Overview
GEnie (the double initial caps are an integral part of the name) was a text-based online information and social-networking service created by a General Electric subsidiary, and operated from 1985-1999. Its offerings included early versions of MMORPGs, message boards, chat services, and file-sharing archives. These were grouped by subject matter (astrology, gardening, photography, etc.) so that each interest group had its own RoundTable, with its own sysop/moderator. While several of these RoundTables (such as Games and Showbiz) attracted fannish interest, GEnie is primarily remembered in fandom as host to the SFRT (Science Fiction RoundTable), which in turn hosted a great variety of fan and professional communities devoted to science fiction literature, film, television, and other media.
