People are naturally more friendly in cyberspace and not so weary of others. They are more trusting because they are not afraid of being harmed. It's something to do in the comfort of the home to curb boredom. The BBS attracts many different people who find out about the BBS from listings in computer magazines, friends and homepages people have set up. The number of registered TREXers is around 1000.
Every person has a made up name, that is chosen by the user for different reasons.
It could be an inside joke or the name of a person or object that the particular user likes. TREX can be addictive. But not everyone on TREX is addicted. Melissa's sister Evelyn, a Freshman, has control over her habit. They are different ages, come from different mind sets and places in the Bay Area.