Happy Net Box

Happy Net Box is an experimental internet social experience based on the arcane and near-forgotten retro internet protocol known as FINGER.

Finger is a command line tool that comes pre-installed on Macs and Windows and most Unix systems. It allows you to retrieve information about a "user" on "the internet" -- but it doesn't use the web!

If you open your computer's terminal right now and type finger benbrown@happynetbox.com and get my profile!

How it works:

1. Claim a handle
2. Post some text in the happy box on that handle's profile
3. Tell people "finger myhandle@happynetbox.com"
4. Come back and change the text. Will anyone see it? Only if they truly love you.

Why Finger?

I love text files and arcane internet commands. The finger client is already installed on most computers.

Are my posts available on the web?

Not directly. They are only available via the finger command line tool.

Are my posts available on the mobile?

Probably not?

Is there a feed? An archive? Follows? Likes?

No. Well, kinda? See "I love this and want more."

Where should I start?

Try typing finger random@happynetbox.com

Or maybe finger @happynetbox.com

I love this and want more.

You, my friend, might be interested in the happynet command line tool which allows you to subscribe to a list of friends in a convenient text-only, decentralized way.

Need help? Got questions? Need to report abuse? Email Ben or find me on Mastodon.