My First Internet

The Prompt

Think back to when the internet was new to you. The screen name you thought was incredibly cool. The profile you spent hours perfecting. The forum where you discovered other people were just as obsessed with something as you were.

For this challenge, share a true story from your early days online. Maybe you made an unlikely friend, posted something you’d now find deeply embarrassing, or stumbled into a corner of the internet that felt like it was made for you.

You don’t need a dial-up connection in your origin story. Whatever your early internet looked like, take us back. Bonus points for admitting what your screen name was. (Not actual judging points. We’re just curious.)

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

• A nonfiction piece (any style or structure is welcome)
• Between 600 and 3,000 words.
• Submitted to the 01 community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before December 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
• Your work must be original and unpublished.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $1000
• 4 Winners: $200 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: $15 each

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 3,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until December 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The My First Internet Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.