That $1200 is extremely spicy when you realise how much that is in today's money, wow. The most I managed was "okay, you've spent all your pocket money for the next three months on online fees, we're getting the £10/mo unlimited dialup, and you're paying for it."

It was something like $6/hr during prime time and three times that much at off-peak hours. I was on it pretty much constantly until my mom took my computer away. (When I got it back, I made the jump to local BBSs.)